quick holiday lunches

[marl]

Would love to hear your suggestions for quick 5-15 minute lunches for kids to stop me feeling like I'm running a permanent cafe during the summer holidays. Short of pasta pesto and fish fingers I'm not feeling very inspired! I'm feeding DS 1 who's 9, DS2 who's 3 and then one on finger foods who is more of a pain with things like rice as it just gets chucked around! Any ideas gratefully received...

[Xiaoxiong]

We used to just have a kind of permanent smorgasboard of deli stuff in the summers, and we would make our own sandwiches.

There was usually sliced meat of some kind (ham, salami, bologna etc) and sliced cheese. (That would all be bought at the supermarket deli counter, presliced, as was the bread). Then we would slice up a tomato or two, wash a couple of leaves of lettuce per person and set out various condiments (generally mayo, mustard and gherkins).

Occasionally my mum would make tuna salad and we'd all have tuna melts, or chicken salad/coronation chicken.

We would usually have a handful of something crunchy as well - cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, tortilla chips, pretzels...

By the time we were your DS's age we would be responsible for setting out the food ourselves and make our own sandwiches (and generally run away with them, lunch wasn't a sit down together meal like dinner). Not sure how your 3yo and baby will cope but at least that takes one out of the picture?

[marl]

Thanks! Everyone else too busy cooking to post

[Selks]

Mini pittas stuffed with things e.g salad, cheese, leftover roast chicken, hummus, tuna etc
Poached eggs on toast, or on top of cheese on toast
Omelettes with veggies in e.g. mushrooms, peppers
Pasta salad with hardboiled egg in

[SkipToTheEnd]

Pizza muffins are a hit here. I let them make them with me so it counts as something fun to do and getting lunch out of the way. Also, now DD (10) can make them by herself if I'm ill which is a bonus!

I make double quantities of potato wedges for dinner one night and we have them cold for lunch the next day with salsa and veg sticks and hummus.