4. Find a health-conscious cooking team.
One of the smartest things we ever did was establish a dedicated team of adults whose only role is to plan, shop for, prepare, and clean up after meals. Other adults drop in to help, and students can “earn” the privilege of helping clean up. But having adults with health-conscious standards whose only responsibility is to provide meals for teenage groups makes it easier for us to connect with kids.
Note: Even in shorter contexts, it’s worthwhile to bring along an adult volunteer who likes to cook.
5. Remember to plan.
One way to save on food costs is to avoid waste. The time you (or your team) spends reading the “servings per container,” and using a calculator is well worth it. If you’re a Sam’s Club member, you can plan menus and budget online with the “Click and Pull” plan. Order online and the store will have your order waiting when you pick it up.
Meals for Teenage Groups: 5 Creative Ideas
1. Healthy Chip-Bag Meals
Serve up fun meals for teenage groups using single-serving-size bags of healthy chips as the base. Check out this Eat This, Not That online ranking for the healthiest chip options.
Use single-serving bags to make…Chip Pie. It’s a classic! Simply provide lean chili, which kids add directly to a small bag of chips. Then offer a “toppings bar” with shredded cheese, black olives, chopped onions, cilantro, etc. Bonus points for using sporks!
Another alternative is Walking Tacos. No shells required. All you need are single-serving-size bags of tortilla chips. Open the bag on the long side. Then top with lean taco meat and fixings. Bonus points if you have an impromptu jalapeño pepper eating contest.
2. Pasta Meals
If the sauce is tasty, you can get away with substituting a healthier pasta to make a “kid favorite” more nutritious. For example, try one of these alternatives: whole-wheat pasta, quinoa pasta, buckwheat noodles, sprouted grain pasta, spelt pasta, and brown rice pasta. With any of these substitutions, you can make spaghetti with turkey meatballs, baked ziti, or lasagna. Don’t forget whole-grain Italian bread!
Bonus points for blasting Italian music during the meal. Double bonus if you and your team sing along obnoxiously.
