Summer rolls around, and with the warm, lazy days and the fact that most kids are out of school, it's hard to stay on schedule. This can lead to one of many things when it comes to meals:

• We stick to the "convenience meals". We wonder if they really give us or our kids any nutrition at all.
• We go out to eat.
• We don't eat at all (or we just snack around).
• We still make something, but we rack our brains and scramble around thinking of what to do.

All of these pose a problem, so what's the solution?

Here are ten tips to help out those summer grumbling bellies:

1. Make the night before
   Don't wait til 10 in the morning to think of what to make for breakfast, or even lunch! Boil eggs the night before so you can just grab one in the morning. Boil pasta at 8:00 pm at night for your 12:00 pm spaghetti.
2. Keep it simple
   My guess is, you and the kids would rather be out playing anyway rather than sitting to eat a fancy lunch. Stick to some PB and J, carrot sticks and apple slices. You get your nutrition and your play.
3. Cook meat in bulk and freeze in portions.
   Cooked ground beef and chicken take 1 to 2 minutes to defrost in the microwave. It would be pretty simple to make a soft taco for lunch if the meat's already cooked.
4. Snack attack drawer
   Use one of your produce drawers in the fridge (or buy a cheap, separate basket) to label and use as a "Snack Attack Drawer"! What human being wouldn't want to eat out of that? The name itself is fun. In it have washed grapes, celery, or in the pantry raisins, granola, etc. It makes it fast, easy, but healthy (and you can eat out of it whenever you want. No need to ask permission).
5. Sandwich Bucket
   My sister-in-law does this at her house. My problem with making sandwiches is that even though they're quick, easy, healthy, and tasty, it can be a lot of work pulling everything from the fridge and then remembering you forgot the mustard! Have all of your sandwich condiments in a plastic storage bin in the fridge. Then it's a simple as just pulling out that and some bread or produce. I might actually eat a sandwich.
6. Involve the kids
   Ask them to help, but ask what they want. Plan meals ahead of time (which you can actually do using Cook'n), but you can go grocery shopping with them and plan out those healthy and convenient breakfasts and lunches. They'll appreciate that you asked them.
7. Produce for the table
   Have grapes washed and ready to eat, strawberries, too. Have sliced cucumbers sitting out on the table. It's a proven fact (okay, I don't actually know, but I'm assuming) people will eat food that's sitting out under their noses. Might as well make it something good for you.
8. Try new things
   Don't get bogged down with the old and cliché. If you're getting sick of sandwiches, make something new. Look for recipes online (which you can also do with Cook'n) and add some fun to it. Try a new sandwich or a new food altogether.

9. Slip in the nutrition
   Add apples to oatmeal, broccoli to pasta, fruit to your pancakes. It's simple enough, yet effective. It's worth a try.
10. Creative incentives
    Okay, maybe your kids won't eat the fruit on the pancake. But rather than punishing for what they won't do, try rewarding for what they will. If they eat the fruit, they get to go the park. If they eat that broccoli, we can go swimming, etc. etc.

Don't let your summer meals become a burden. Make that time together fun, so you can keep having more fun when you're done!