Simple Ways to Serve Natural and Organic Summer Foods

You probably already know that at Rural Mom, we are all about farm fresh food choices year ’round.  Thanks to our partnership with Walmart, we’re bringing you a few ideas to enhance your summer with quick and easy ways to serve natural and organic foods without spending excessive time in the kitchen. As always, opinions in this sponsored post and love of simple solutions are that of Rural Mom.

Simple Ways to Serve Natural and Organic Summer Foods

Hands down, farm fresh in mom’s kitchen is the best. There’s nothing better than a watermelon picked from the vine and chilled on a hot summer day. Or grilled corn on the cob and barbecue chicken to accompany it!

As a mom, I worry about what my kids eat and try to keep everything in moderation. Whenever and wherever possible, I opt for natural, organic foods that are not only good for our bodies, but for the environment, too.

Though we try to grow a lot of our own produce and can plenty of sides and sauces, there are many times I want to add variety to our meals or just fix a quick snack for the kids so we can race back outside to enjoy our fun in the sun. That’s when I head to Walmart to pick up natural and organic produce and foods to supplement our lifestyle.

It’s easy to shop the perimeter of the store to find the fresh organic veggies, fruits, meats and other staple items you need. I also love that I can find the natural and organic products my family loves like Annie’s, Cascadian Farm Organic and Mountain High. It’s a real time-saver to shop one location and get all the products I need to keep my family happy and full all summer long.

Simple Ways to Serve Natural and Organic Summer Foods

Here are some of my best tips for simple ways to serve natural and organic summer foods to your family without sacrificing family time this summer:

Stock Up! Do your best to estimate what your family will need for the month and fill your pantry with staple products they love. Like I know my kids will go through ketchup quickly in the summer months with all the grilling we do. So I fill my cupboard with several bottle of Annie’s Ketchup to ensure I don’t run out.

Plan out one-stop shopping.  This is where my love for Walmart shopping comes in.  Not only can I find all the natural and organic foods I want to have in our home, both fresh and shelf stable, I can also find all our other household needs in one convenient location.  This is a huge time-savor.

Pre-slice and dice.  Cut up your fruits and veggies and marinate your meats the night before you use them.  Get snacks ready in a bowl for easy access throughout the day.  This way, you don’t have to spend time in the kitchen when the sun is shining and the pool is calling your name!

Make mornings a breeze.  Do you like to sleep in in the summer? Me, too!  Sometimes my children do not sleep in.  To make all our lives easy, I stock up on quick serve breakfast items Cascadian Farm cereals and Mountain High yogurt.  The kids can help themselves and I can rest easy knowing they have food options with ingredients I trust.

Think inside the box.  One of my favorite snacks to serve is fresh fruit or vegetables and hummus, but my children like a little bit of variety and sometimes we just need something for on-the-go.  This is when boxed goodies like Annie’s Granola bars are this mom’s best snack friend!  We’re all in love with the chocolate chip variety, so delicious!

Cook extra.  Grilling out?  Toss double the amount of food you will need onto the grill so that you’ll knock out two meals at once.  Store the left-overs and serve them for another meal time or for lunches.  The same applies to if you are cooking in, just double your favorite recipes and enjoy the time you’ll save later on.  You can even freeze most leftovers to use for the following week if you don’t want to serve the same meal twice in a row.

Pack a picnic.  Cold sandwiches and chicken are always well received in the summertime.  Pack up a picnic basket for some extra family fun outdoors.  No cooking required and very little prep time needed!

Simple Ways to Serve Natural and Organic Summer Foods

With a little planning, it’s easy to serve natural and organic products without sacrificing family time or spending hours in the kitchen.

What’s your favorite tip for serving your family healthier food choices throughout the summer? 

 

by
Barb Webb. Founder and Editor of Rural Mom, is an the author of "Getting Laid" and "Getting Baked". A sustainable living expert nesting in Appalachian Kentucky, when she’s not chasing chickens around the farm or engaging in mock Jedi battles, she’s making tea and writing about country living and artisan culture.
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