Meal planning is SUCH a struggle for me, so I don't do it, and we're in a tough circle. Please help.
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Anonymous
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I used to be a fairly good cook and I like to cook. My oldest is 10, so cooking and meal prep has been a struggle for 10 years now.
Challenges: *Picky eaters/food waste: I feel like I put forth the effort, make a meal, and then no one eats it. They eat dinner maybe 1 day a week. *It's only the kids and me during the week (DH travels): I don't eat much dinner (lunch is my big meal) and the kids are picky and light dinner eaters. I fall back on giving them yogurt and cheese and crackers. It's hard to make a dinner that no one really wants. *Don't know where to start: I really don't...so I just don't even start. It's a mental battle. What I've tried: *HelloFresh: Good, but no one ate the meals and it was expensive. We've gotten it on the weekends though and DH likes the meals and so do I. *EMeals: love the grocery lists, but it was a lot of shopping and no one really eats the meals. *DIY: I've tried making a menu, shopping, cooking...but it's a LOT of waste. *Food therapy: Made some headway but not much. Most of the time I am fine serving "kid dinners"...assembled Trader Joe's meals, essentially. But then I feel guilty. DH think it's a mess of our making: we don't offer dinner, so they don't eat dinner, so they get more picky. Likely true, but it is SO hard to get home from work and make a meal that will get thrown away. I'd love: *general suggestions *ideas for meals that are like "girl dinners" or "Kid dinners" but perhaps more hearty...meals even your picky eaters would eat. |
Anonymous
| I have 2 boys, one is picky, one is not. The picky one will eat pasta several days a week, which is easy and I can make a big pot of sauce. He likes salad and asparagus, also easy and he can eat several times a week. Also just roasted chicken or beef. Key for him- no sauces (other than red for spaghetti), no melted cheese, no mixing things together (he won’t try things like chicken pot pie, for example). I also serve fruit at dinner. Would basic things like that work? It’s very easy, tho dull. |
Anonymous
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Dad here. Watch some YouTube videos on hashes (potatoes, onions, bell peppers, whatever meat you’ve got in a cast iron skillet). Maybe spinach leaves at the end.
A good amount of seasoning, Worcestershire, and there’s a lot of flavor that tends to please older kids who might not like as much the “first time” that same meat is used. (Kids will like the chicken in this skillet hash the next morning far more than they liked it for dinner.) and often I agree. If it’s morning, or if you just want to increase the protein and heartiness, add eggs at the end. You can scramble them into it, or do that thing with four eggs in their little divots, and bake the whole skillet in the oven. |
Anonymous
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Keep it simple. I am on the carnivore diet (just animal products) and it’s actually made meal planning much easier. I always make a meat component - I rely a lot on ground beef, so burger patties (burgers for everyone else), meatballs (with pasta for everyone else), and simply ground beef which can be mixed in with eggs or be the meat component of tacos (just get shells/tortillas, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, and sour cream). Steak/lamb chops/pork chops - add a grain and a vegetable/salad. Make beef or lamb stew in a slow-cooker: this will last two days. And on weekends just order pizza or whatever. Don’t overthink it and don’t overcomplicate it.
I’ve been in cooking ruts before and totally understand the struggle! It’s always best to go back to basics. |
Anonymous
I wouldn’t kowtow to his pickiness. |
Anonymous
| There are several blogs that feature recipes for dinner for 2 people. I would make those on the nights DH isn’t home to cut down on food waste. Everyone can have a portion and be done. |
Anonymous
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I know people make fun of bowls, but they work for a lot of families.
Prep or buy a bunch of interchangeable proteins like rotisserie chicken, hummus, ground beef, salmon, pinto beans… Prep or buy different veggies and sauces. Cook a different carb each day. Put all of the options in the table. Fill 1/4 of each bowl with a carb. Let each person add whatever proteins and veggies they want. Zap in the microwave. Dress with a sauce of choice. Eat. We did this because of food allergies and a digestive disorder. It got us through high school with two kids. |
Anonymous
| No advice..just sympathy |
Anonymous
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I think you need to eat dinner with your kids. When you aren't eating, it really doesn't set a tone that they need to eat. Eating together around a table can create a structure and a routine that supports eating.
Reduce the after school snack so they are hungry at dinner time. Make simple meals. Things like spaghetti with meatballs (and you can blend veggies into the sauce). Chicken is a easy one that can be used in so many forms and is pretty bland. Hamburgers are pretty easy too. |
Anonymous
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I don’t enjoy cooking and my spouse works in the evenings so it’s just me and DD. I’ve had WLS so eat very small portions. DD is 13 and does sports so our “ dinner” is usually around 4 then a large snack later.
Rotisserie chicken is your friend. I make several servings of WG rice every couple of weeks then freeze some. Quesadillas , we do chicken or black beans I feel like nutrition is more important than whether it’s a “ proper dinner” So if your kids like yogurt, cheese/crackers with fruit then do that twice a week.. Just make sure it’s not a “ kid “ yogurt full of sugar, you can healthy WG crackers, I do a snack plate once a week. DD and I watch a show together and eat on the couch, I’ll do cheese/crackers, edamane, nuts, cherry tomatoes, cut up cucumbers and cut up carrots..takes 5 mins. I feel like it’s fine nutritionally |
Anonymous
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Throwing together a Trader Joe’s dinner is not a bad thing. I guess it depends which dinner, but if it’s got protein and it’s filling up your kids and they have a vegetable with it, it’s good.
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Anonymous
| I get you OP. I haven't eaten bell peppers for ten years (and I love them) because nobody else will eat them or anything with them in it. Gone from my life. I don't have the energy to fight or to do separate meals. |
Anonymous
Ok |
Anonymous
| My kids are 20 and 22 now—eventually they learned to eat regular meals! The best advice I got came from our wonderful pediatrician: Your job is to offer a healthy meal; it’s not your job to make them eat it.” Takes the guilt away. I was a Trader Joe’s disciple. Their frozen stuff is so tasty and easy to make in kid sized quantities and I enjoy it too (your air fryer is your friend here). My kids loved (all from frozen aisle) the masala pancakes, chicken tenders, panko crusted tilapia, tempura shrimp, little individual pizzas. Big hits sold frozen in bags to cook up in a skillet or simply microwave: chicken fried rice, Japanese rice, beef bolgogi rice, gnocchi, any of the frozen bagged pastas especially the risottos and pennes and mushroom sauced raviolis. Effortless! Enjoyable. |
Anonymous
| At 10, your child is old enough to be involved in the planning and prep meals. I think we started with easy “breakfast for dinner” meals. |