Kitchen helper: How to stock up the fridge for an easy summer of family meals
Holidays are a great time for fun and relaxing – but with everyone at home you night be hearing “I’m hungry” and “What’s for lunch?” a little too often. Empowering kids to be independent in the kitchen means more time for parents to get on with what they need to do – including working from home.
With a thoughtfully stocked fridge and pantry, children can prepare simple breakfasts, lunches, and snacks with minimal supervision.
When organising your fridge for the season, focus on versatile ingredients that kids can easily use on their own. Keep plenty of bread, wraps, and English muffins on hand for quick toasties, sandwiches, or homemade mini pizzas. Fill the fridge with family favourites like grated cheese, sliced ham, roast chicken, and a selection of fresh veggies—think cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and capsicum. Pantry basics such as peanut butter and tinned tuna make for easy spreads and fillings.
For snacks, stock up on yoghurt tubs, summer berries and stone fruit, and veggie sticks with dips like hummus or tzatziki. These are not only healthy but also simple for kids to grab and assemble themselves. Older children can try their hand at mixing homemade muesli bars or baking banana bread if you keep the necessary ingredients on hand. Don’t forget a few ready-made pasta sauces and some dried pasta—most kids can manage boiling pasta with a little supervision, turning it into a quick and satisfying meal.
When it comes to dinner some more help might be needed, but again, keep it simple and involve the kids. If they’re old enough, teach them a simple dish like a stir fry which they can make independently next time, or ask them to make a salad while you barbecue some meat.
Of course, Hill Street’s range of ready-cooked meals from our delis solve your cooking dilemmas on busy nights – a family sized-lasagne or some healthy salads and a barbecue chicken are always going to be a great solution.
So don’t get stuck in the kitchen over summer – give the kids the ingredients to be a little bit more independent, fill the gaps with some ready-made meals from Hill Street, and everyone should be happy!