Make A Healthy “Snack Dinner” When You Don’t Want To Cook
When you just don’t feel like cooking, the Snack Dinner comes to rescue with a healthy meal that’s easy to pull together and fun for everyone to eat.
You know those nights when you just don’t want to cook?
(For some of you, that may be most nights. So think of those nights when you really really don’t want to cook.)
Those are the perfect nights for a Snack Dinner.
You may be thinking that the Snack Dinner looks an awful like the Snack Platter, and you would be right. They’re both an appealing arrangement of healthy foods. They both involve pulling odds and ends from the fridge and pantry to feed your family (and fight food waste).
The Snack Dinner is simply MORE food–and more filling food. But it’s just as simple and just as fuss-free.
A word about fanciness: You’ll see some snack boards on Pinterest that are studded with edible flowers and exotic fruit artfully cut into shapes. That’s all well and good, but the whole point of a Snack Dinner is to be LOW-EFFORT. So you won’t see edible flowers on my Snack Dinner boards, just an assortment of foods I know my family will reliably eat.
Your family may eat more food than this. Your family may eat different foods than these. You do your Snack Dinner thing, I’ll do mine, neither of us will turn on the oven or light a stove burner, and we’ll all be happy.
Snack Dinners are also fun for kids. They can be eaten at the kitchen island, off the coffee table while everyone gathers for a game or show on TV (yes, it’s okay to eat in front of the tube every once in a while!), outside on the patio, or on the floor for a living room picnic. There are no pots and pans, no stack of dishes to wash, and no greasy take-out containers to toss.
Hallelujah.
The beautiful serving boards shown in these photos are from J.K. Adams, a family-owned company that makes boards by hand in Vermont using North American hardwoods. J.K. Adams makes beautiful cutting boards, serving boards and trays, wine and pot racks, rolling pins, and kitchen accessories.
Salad pitas! An array of veggies and proteins in a pita. Easy and filling.
or tortillas
I love everything about this… the look, the ease, and the great nutrition! I sometimes make platters like this for weekend lunches with my kids. Usually they include hummus, veggies, pita bread, fruit, and cubed/sliced cheese.
My favorite low effort dinner is a savory oatmeal bowl. I love the idea of a snack dinner tray. Will try it!
I like both Real Mom Nutrition and J. K. Adams on Facebook.
We LOVE snack dinners! Snack dinner and quesadillas are our go-to easy meals with a 3 and 7 year old. This week’s snack dinner included leftovers from previous dinners — fish sticks, chicken, anything I could arrange on a platter!
p.s. I also liked both of the pages 🙂 Those boards are gorgeous and would definitely elevate snack dinner!
My favorite low-effort dinner, other than leftovers (ha), is quesadillas. I guess I’m technically using a skillet but just enough to toast the tortillas I’ve filled with whatever cheese scraps I find in the cheese drawer and leftover protein and veggies are hanging around. (A big salad filled with odds and ends is another favorite.)
Liked on Facebook!
I like using leftover grains (brown rice or quinoa usually) with feta, cucumber, kalamata olives, tomatoes, hummus and canned chickpeas for an easy mediterranean bowl. Drizzled with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar and a tiny bit of pepper. It’s the best. I take it for lunch often.
Liked you both of FB
Shared on my facebook page
I love the snack idea. I often make a crudite type tray for veggies and fruits for snacks but dinner would be so easy. On easy/no cook dinner nights we usually make “ramen”. Chicken or veggie broth with onion powder and ramen noodles. Easy and fun! We’ll use chop sticks and slurp the noodles.
I (always) like both Real Mom Nutrition and J. K. Adams on Facebook.
I just shared it on FB also!
I love this idea. Never had an absolute no-cook dinner. As grilled cheese or scrambled eggs is cooking. But the board would so setup my game.
My favorite no-cook dinner, low-effort dinner is “homemade lunchables.” It’s basically a snack platter with meats, cheese, crackers, etc. The kids love it!
I like both Real Mom Nutrition and J. K. Adams on Facebook.
I shared the giveaway on Twitter!
Our favorite easy, low hassle meals are bean burritos with guac and chips and PB&J with fruit. My 3 year old will eat them and they aren’t pure junk food, so that checks every box on my “what matters” list.
I also posted your contest on twitter!
I shared on facebook
I liked both Real mOm nutrition and J.K. Adams on facebook
Easy meal of choice is pulling something out of freezer. As in I make muffins, pancakes, oatmeal etc in large batches and freeze. Add some fruit and maybe a hard boiled or scrambled egg and we eat.
I like both pages on Facebook. Those boards are beautiful!! And your idea is grand!!
My favorite no cook meal is this snack board idea! So easy and the kids gobble it up!
Liked JK Adams and Real Mom Nutrition on FB!
Ground beef, roasted sweet potatoes, and guac!
Great idea! Thank you for providing the suggestion it releases the guilt from providing snacks for dinner aND makes it ok when it’s nutritionally balanced. Our favorite no cook meals are healthy veggie aND fruit smoothies with snack cups of protein aND dairy (ham, chicken salami, cheese stick). This frees up dinner time to get in a walk during dinner before bed and while it’s still light out!!
I love chicken salad, pimiento cheese, crackers and fruit as an easy dinner. I also am partial to a full on cheese and charcuterie platter too. So much variety!
I’ve liked you on FB, Shared on FB, and Liked JK Adams too! (I think my mom and dad have a seriously old Adams cutting board
Shared the post! Thanks for the opportunity to win one of these beautiful boards!
Liked you both on Facebook.
Shared on Facebook.
WE love crusty bread, a variety of meats/cheeses, some fruits and veggies and olives/pickles. No one complains hen we do snacks dinner!
No like RMN on Facebook
My favorite no effort meal is leftovers – they’re rhe best!
My favorite low effort dinner is “clean out the fridge” where I put many things that need to be used up out and everyone makes their own plate and heats it up, if needed.
Liked JK Adams page and I already liked yours.
This my be skirting the question a bit, but I regularly meal prep. That means Monday-Thursday is usually the most minimal effort dinner – because I made them on Sunday!
Shared on Facebook. These boards are beautiful.
I like you already on Facebook and I just hit “like” at JK Adams on Facebook
We usually do sandwiches with a side of fruit or veggies and dip for an easy dinner! Liked and shared!
“Like” both pages.
Chips and guacamole, raw veggies and seasonal fruits.
For a quick no cook dinner we do sandwiches with veggies and dip. If I know the week is going to be hectic. I’ll make a pasta salad or salad wit fried cocker on top the day before.
I liked both pages!
I liked both and shared on Facebook. One of my go-to no cook meals is tuna sandwiches with fruit and veggies on the side.
We love Snacky Dinner! Here that means cheese and crackers, veggies and fruit, and a big bowl of homemade popcorn. Plus whatever else looks good in the fridge! It would definitely look beautiful on one of those boards!
My favorite low-effort dinner is roasted sausage with vegetables! I literally cut up any veggies I have in the house, drizzle some olive oil and seasonings on then, and throw them in the oven. I will put the sausage in there too, and I’m free to relax (or clean!) while it’s all cooking!
I love that low cook meal too. Great way to use up veggies.
I liked your page and JK Adams! I shared the entry post as well!
MY favorite no cook dinner is… cereal lol!!! But also we love just a snacky cheese tray with crackers and fruits 🙂
I also like snack dinner! Or just a bunch of fresh vegetables from the garden! Mmm.
Liked and shared
Liked both pages!!!
Baked gnocchi – gnocchi baked with mozz and marinara. We all love it!
We call it scrounge night, everybody makes what they want from leftovers to cereal.
Already liked your page and now like JK, too!
My favorite low effort dinner is quick lentil or habas (yellow favs beans) soup and quesadillas. For a non-cook option I think it would be some fruit and PB&J sandwiches for my daughter and husband, and a quick tuna sandwich for me.
Those boards are gorgeous!
We do popcorn, Apple slices, cheese chunks as our weekend no cook night.
We also love snack dinners! Typically it’s bruschetta or just an assortment of apple, grapes, cheese, crackers and whatever deli meat we have at the time!
Veggies, grapes, crackers, hummus, and cheese! I’ve liked both pages. Those cutting boards are gorgeous!
sandwiches, cut fruit, cut veggies, cheese, milk
I already like RMN, and now added J.K. Adams.
I shared this on Facebook.
I liked the two sites.
My favorite easy dinner is “egg in a nest” – tear a hole in the bread. Butter the pan. Put the bread in and flip it then crack the egg over the bread. Cook on medium for. Few minutes. Flip it. Leave it runny enough to dip. My grandm Nonnie’s recipe.
We also love to make our own sushi rice and make bowls of sushi salad without messing with rolling them.
Love those beautiful trays. Snack dinners are a great idea. We like carpet picnics and those would work great for one.
Liked both Facebook pages and shared!
Ny favorite low effort dinner is nachos with left over roast. Yummy, easy, finger foods!
I like both of your pages under Cara Smith.
My favorite no cook dinner is leftovers! Clean out the fridge nights are great:)
Already follow you on FB and liked JK.
Paninis are our go to no cook din din.
Did all requirements #1, 2 and 3!
Thanks!
I started snack boards because of this page!!
Popcorn, fruit, and cheese is our low-cook dinner.
Liked both pages on fb
Shared the contest on fb
Cereal or salad or sandwiches
We often have “snacky dinner” on nights where we’re incredibly busy! My other go-to is a simple deli sandwich or wrap.
I liked both on Facebook.
I shared on twitter.
My favorite low cook dinner is bean burritos. I always have the stuff on hand.
My favorite low effort meal is leftovers. I always make sure to make enough to have leftovers at least one evening. Gives me a little break and it feels fabulous not having to spend a lot of time in the kitchen!
I liked both pagea on Facebook!
A favorite low cook dinner is salad bar night at home. I grab anything that could possibly be used as a salad fixing and pop into colorful bowls. Everything from hard boiled eggs, rotisserie chicken and tuna packets to your typical lettuce greens, and other veggies. Then I let my kids put whatever they want on their salads and choose their own dressing.
Both Facebook pages have been liked!
I have shared your giveaway post on Facebook to my own page and to a nutrition group I started a month ago jus for friends to support each other in making healthy food choices and practicing self care for busy moms. Thanks for the fun ideas!
Bagged salads
I liked both Facebook pages!
We do something similar to your Snack Dinner, but we call it French Dinner. It’s good bread, cheese, fruit, veggies, salami, and olives. Yummy.
Liked both pages on FB
Our favorite no cook dinner is sliced Hungarian salami and sausage, sliced red peppers, cheese, hard boiled eggs, cucumber and bread.
I liked both JK and your FB pages!
Shared!
My favorite no cook dinner has been leftover smorgasbord. We pull all the leftovers out and you can choose any combination you want. Usually we add options of fruit and some raw veggies to make sure everyone has something they like. It means cleaning out the fridge, not wasting the leftovers and no cooking. So wins all around.
We are a popcorn eating family on no cook nights. It’s filling and fun!
I liked both pages (already had yours!) and I shared the post. Those boards are amazing.
Panini sandwiches with raw veggies and fruit on the side!
Our favorite is charcuterie board, which is basically the same as your snack dinner but with more meat.
Liked both on FB
I liked both Facebook pages and shared the giveaway!
My favorite easy “snack” dinner is putting out a bunch of fresh cut veggies, whatever leafy greens I have and any leftover meat cut up. I put out rice paper and a pie dish filled with water. Everyone at the table can make their own version of a spring roll by getting the rice paper wet, filling it with what they want and rolling it. It’s quick and easy, and the kids think it’s fun!!
I shared your post and blog on Twitter! 🙂
I liked both pages on Facebook. I look forward to following you!
I love snacking dinners. Most recently is was freshly baked bread from our neighbor, hummus and veggies and fruit. I shared the post and like both pages on FB.
Love this! So creative!
I liked both pages on facebook
I shared the post
My favorite no-cook, low effort dinner is chicken salad in pita pockets. I like this recipe: https://danielplan.com/healthyhabits/lemony-dill-chicken-salad-pita/
I liked both pages on facebook!
We have dip night where we make 4 different dips and the kids find things that they want to try in the dip. Veggies and fruit and crackers are required but then they can get very creative with other dipping options.
Liked you both on Facebook.
We have a night every so often called FYIS, which stands for Fix Your Own Supper on days when everyone’s schedule has them going in all different directions. It could also stand for Feed Yourself or Starve. Also, a quick go to when I have leftover chicken is to open a can of cream of chicken soup, heat on the stovetop. Add in cut up chunks of chicken and serve over rice with a nice salad or garlic green beans.
My favorite low effort dinner isn’t leftovers… does that count? Haha, we’ll also do cheese sandwiches, and I really try to keep frozen meals for emergencies! Frozen muffins, pancakes, lasagna to the rescue!
Love snack dinner! Clean out the fridge she dinners too!
We sometimes do a salad bar for a no-cook dinner, but it’s hit-or-miss whether the kids will eat it. This looks better!
I “liked” both on FB!
Yes!!! We often do this dinner but have always called it cheese plate dinner. I always add a tuna salad or hummus to the mix for a “dip” with crackers to make it a more substantial dinner.
Great idea! We often do “graze trays” for summer lunch. Similar idea but I put everything in a muffin tin. The kids love it.
Liked your page and JK Adams on Facebook
Shared giveaway on Facebook
My favorite no cook dinner is pb&js! BUT I love this snack dinner idea and will be implementing it VERY soon! Those boards are gorgeous!
Bean & cheese burritos are a quick & easy dinner for us. But I love the snack platter idea!
I like both on facebook. 🙂
We do “smorg borg” night. It’s a play on “smorgusboard” and I *think* it was a suggestion from your book? Or maybe your blog! But the kids get a kick out of the name and we all eat what we are happy with. It’s basically all left overs and stuff from the lunch box drawer, but hey, it works!
We enjoy leftovers or “everything but the kitchen sink” salads for low effort dinners. Thank you for your blog!
Cereal…
1. My favorite no-cook, low-effort dinner is LEFTOVERS! Any kind of leftovers. We eat this often in my home!
2. I “Liked” both J.K. Adams & Real Mom Nutrition on Facebook! 😀
Breakfast for dinner – scrambled eggs, leftover potatoes, pancakes taken from my frozen stick pile. Easy, simple, and quick!
We have leftover night, but I call it a “Feast”, and add a few snacky sides. Sounds so much more appealing than “Leftovers”.
Cereal!
#2 is done!
My usual go-to is leftovers! I love making or ordering extra food so we can get another meal out of it. We also do cheese, hummus, crackers and veggies sometimes too!
My no-effort dinner is usually yogurt with fruit and granola. Or just leftovers!
My favorite no cook dinner is wraps. Whole grain tortillas filled either with veggies and some kind of protein or spread with peanut butter and sliced apples or bananas. Yum!
And I liked you both on Facebook. 🙂
I need snack dinner in my life!! My husband really wants a hot meal for dinner but sometimes I can convince him to have Mediterranean tuna salad sandwiches (canned chunk light tuna mixed with Greek yogurt, chopped olives, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, capers, red onion, feta crumbles, pepper, and oregano) with salad and fruit on the side. My 4 year old and almost 1 year old eat it in a heartbeat!
Seriously gorgeous wooden boards and fabulous nutrition advice (says a fellow RD !) – of course I liked both jk Adams and real mom nutrition on Facebook!
On nights my husband work late the kids’ favorite easy meal is a shake made with frozen banana, milk, a big scoop of peanut butter, and a little nutella.
Love your site, Sally! You cover a lot of different ground! 🙂
I’ve seen this done before and yes, it is a thing. I love the idea as well. It’s surprisingly powerful and is so easy to do. Of course, it does require a slight shift in mentality, especially for anyone used to traditional meals.
So happy to see more parents rebranding dinner this way! “Snackdinner” is both my favorite dinner and my general parenting philosophy, as well as the name of my blog!