Dinner....the death of me.
Kidding, but serious, why is this the hardest meal of the day to get through? Why is this the hardest meal to have kids eat? Why is this the hardest meal to plan and have everyone enjoy?
And on top of it, uses the the most dishes ;)
Before we moved back to Michigan, our family dinners were less than stellar....it was me making quick and easy meals for the kids -- microwave veggies, noodles of some sort, frozen chicken nuggets, chicken sausage or left over meat...and while they ate, I would rummage through the kitchen and make something have way healthy for me and Matthew. There was NO enjoyment when Dinner time arrived.
It was rushed. It was chaotic. It wasn't healthy. It wasn't fun. It wasn't family.
It was the time of day I would get through.
So when we moved and the twins (5) were now in school all day, it was something I wanted to change...I wanted to make dinner time healthier, enjoyable, more family time vs. a time of day to check off the list.
But that meant, I had to have a plan....I needed to not wing it each week, each night, I needed to take their needs and favorites into consideration as well as their health -- and ours!
The first week...I failed because even though I had the plans in place, I was still rushing around trying to get all three kids a snack, they're playing...but they're also wanting to play with me because they haven't seen me all day....so there was rushing, crying, and I wasn't getting that family time feel ;)
So the second week, I made my plan for the week (tips coming I promise!) and then I decided that my afternoon before I picked them up I would get as much PREPPED, COOKED AND MADE as possible. For example, , on taco night, I made the chicken in the instant pot then put it in the fridge, cut up the peppers and got out all the tortillas and toppings....so when dinner time rolled around, I just had to MAKE the actual taco, place in microwave (melt the cheese, warm the meat) and everyone had their dinner on the table at one time!
I have now completed two full weeks using this system and I'm happy with our progress into our FAMILY DINNERS --- plus we have less leftovers, less waste and Hayden and I have an awesome for lunch too! <3
These are the tips I have implemented the last two weeks that have helped have dinner on the table and make it less stressful!
1. Look at your calendar and check for any special events
(business meetings, busy nights, spouse traveling, company coming, etc.)
2. Use 2-3 resources to find your recipes from
(blogs, websites, facebook, recipe book, etc) Love this Beachbody OnDemand Blog
3. Pick 1 meal you can make ONE time to have TWO nights worth of meals
(I like to have Monday and Tuesday the sme meal)
4. Pick 1 meal that is Crockpot or Instant Pot friendly - super easy for both avenues!
5. Pick 1 meal that is NEW for the whole family or a new version of a favorite
(we skipped spaghetti one night and did Baked Ziti!)
6. Pick one EASY meal night or Leftovers
(for example I make the kids some pasta, chicken fries and their favorite veggies, breakfast for dinner or something super simple that the kids love!)
7. Plan for the weekend by looking at your events.
Saturday I usually do a dinner out for us so we get out of the house.
Sunday we do a family ask before we go to the store!
I write this out on a piece of paper (until my family command center is done!) and place it on the refrigerator so I can reference each night so I can check to make sure I have all I need + mentally plan for what I need to write out and then place that in my schedule for the day!
I have twins who are 5 and a 17 month old so if the recipe is spicy or it is something I know 100% one or all won't like, I will modify the recipe for that child (change out the veggie or something)....but our new rule is EVERY ONE has to try the meal and if they don't like it...it's leftovers from the night before, PB&J or a Daily Sunshine nutrition shake for dinner. I won't offer them their favs (they love frozen chicken fries from Aldi's and Protein Plus noodles with butter and cheese) ;)
it's worked well for us, still a work in progress some nights for all of us to sit down at one time but we are all in the kitchen, eating the same meal and we're all eating HEALTHY.
And as a mom, the only thing making me cringe for dinner is the clean up, can someone else come do that? ;)
Please let me know if this was helpful by commenting below! <3 Want to make sure you're getting what you came for!! If you need help with your whole day and planning for balance, energy and weight loss you can email me here: brittanie.rachael@gmail.com and we can chat!
