I have to agree with the posts who say plan ahead and freeze. I admit I don't have the hectic schedule you have, but I am always scrounging around at the last minute trying to prepare quick and healthy meals for a family of 3.

The freezer and freezer bags are your friends. When you make rice, make 4 or 6 times what you normally need, then freeze in single serving bags. When you are ready to eat, remove the block of rice from the bag, pop into a microwave safe bowl with a cover and you have rice in 2 minutes!

Buy seasoned beans in a can and heat and you';ve got dinner, or you can be ambitious and prepare 2 pounds of seasoned beans or make a ton of chili or a big batch of spaghetti sauce and again freeze in single serving bags (lay the bags flat on top of each other in the freezer and you'll be able to fit a lot in that little space) Heat the same way you would the rice.

Cut up any type of meat in dinner sized portions...chicken, beef pork and freeze in prebought marinade or make your own. When you defrost, it will marinate in the fridge and be ready to pop in the oven for dinner.

With just a little bit of planning and not too much extra time, you can do this. The possibilities are endless and you will eat better.

As a single mom with one child, I will say that the crock pot meals are not a good idea. They generally make way more servings then needed and food that has been warmed for 10 -12 hours, served and then reheated the next day - blah. Couple that with not wanting to eat the same meal for three or four days in a row to use up leftovers. I tried it several times and found it didn't work very well for such a small family. Gave away the crock pot.

Hi OP - we also live in the land of sucky schedules. We cook ahead on the weekends and also use the crock pot during the week (it's totally safe). I was convinced all the meals would be nasty, soft, creamy affairs, but we use non-creamy recipes found on the 365 crockpot blog. If you have an hour or so one night just check out the blog and try it out. Everything has been good except for one kinda nasty chicken. We make the recipe and then freeze half to eat two weeks later.

Other easy things to do on the weekends that you can heat up in under 10 minutes during the week. We buy 1 pound of ground beef and buy a soft and hard taco kit and cook the beef ahead of time. Day of we add veggies and rice and can of black beans.

One trick here is if you plan ahead, you can cut the to-be-added veggies up ahead of time for all your meals (like lettuce, onions, peel and cut carrots, etc.)

We buy ground turkey, brown it with tomatoes, italian seasoning and a jar of some hopefully healthy tomato sauce. We cook one box of pasta. Store in fridge, add salad night of, voila. (if you put water on the pasta it actually reheats well in the microwave.

Another good idea is to bread chicken breasts, toss at 350 in the oven for 45 minutes and then you can do tons with that during the week. Fast stir-frys, or add to rice and veggies, etc.

also, for day of, cheese quesadillas with broccoli take under 10 min to cook up fresh. Add some black beans and sour cream.

I know it seems daunting, and admittedly part of our system works b/c my husband takes the kids out for 2 hours on Sundays while I do all this, but if you sit down and plan, you'll see you could easily come up with 10 meals for a solid rotation, you could figure out which meals you could cook at the same time, which cuts down on what you have to do overall. Green Giant makes awesome frozen veggies and we eat them probably 4-5 nights per week. Ziploc makes awesome steamer bags and we also toss veggies in there and steam them a ton.

Good luck. It is doable. It took us a while to really get the hang of it but it works.

Anonymous wrote:The time has to come from somewhere. Either OP makes healthy meals at 7pm, or she makes them on the weekends. I think those who have easier lives (or at least, more unscheduled time) are trying to make it sound like there's some magic formula for having a clean house, a healthy diet, and a sunny outlook on life. There really, really isn't. All the marketing promises are bullshit. Sure, you can streamline a little, but there is no "easy" solution to OP's problem.

OP, you're doing fine. Do think about making some big changes in the next little while (ie: change house/school/job), but don't get down over feeding your kid fast food. Maybe steer him towards the healthier choices, but don't make it a battle. And let him know what's going through your mind. He doesn't have to grow up thinking that McD is all there is. He can know that it's not ideal, but the best option for here and now. And then maybe you two can play around in the kitchen together on weekends, experimenting with new ingredients and recipes.

I agree with this pp. Also, OP, when you do have to choose fast food, make sure your DS is cognizant of what he's ordering. He doesn't need fries and a milkshake with every meal. He can always order a grilled chicken sandwich, apple slices (or a side salad) and water or milk. At Wendy's they have baked potatoes that he can order with just salt and broccoli (no cheese sauce). It might be best to start with baby steps: better choices at the fast food place while you work towards an overall solution.

"Either OP makes healthy meals at 7pm, or she makes them on the weekends."

Or makes Tuesday's dinner on Monday night after the child(ren) are in bed.

The time has to come from somewhere. Either OP makes healthy meals at 7pm, or she makes them on the weekends. I think those who have easier lives (or at least, more unscheduled time) are trying to make it sound like there's some magic formula for having a clean house, a healthy diet, and a sunny outlook on life. There really, really isn't. All the marketing promises are bullshit. Sure, you can streamline a little, but there is no "easy" solution to OP's problem.

OP, you're doing fine. Do think about making some big changes in the next little while (ie: change house/school/job), but don't get down over feeding your kid fast food. Maybe steer him towards the healthier choices, but don't make it a battle. And let him know what's going through your mind. He doesn't have to grow up thinking that McD is all there is. He can know that it's not ideal, but the best option for here and now. And then maybe you two can play around in the kitchen together on weekends, experimenting with new ingredients and recipes.

Anonymous wrote:
As for the PP who suggested complete "homemade meals" on weekends -- then there goes a big chunk of weekend time with the kids. Which is your quality time with them... I wouldn't give that up... I'd find quick, healthier meals on weekends also.

I think that was me -- but I only suggested "sit down at the table" meals because the weekdays I was suggesting meals she could eat in the car on the drive home!

If you are eating in the car 4x a week, I think you should try to put a regular dinner on the table the other three -- even if it is just sautee some chicken breasts and boil some pasta.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What's with the excessive 'sweetheart' usage? No one else is using a nasty tone on this thread. I'm sorry if you are having a rough Monday morning and need to take it out on people here. (Assuming you're 8:16 too.)

No, I was using sweetheart to respond to this nutritionally hypervigilant poster, who I believe is also 8:16, and appears to be really upset with people who suggest that TJs and Chipotle could remotely be considered healthier than any other options.

I started 2 new threads for him/her though, where this discussion can run or die a natural death.

I'm sorry, did Jeff go on vacation or something? Are you now in charge of DCUM? Or are you the type of person who tries to assert control where you have no authority? Because that's always funny to watch.

Now, but my little ploy worked. Now people are arguing about Chipotle and Trader Joes on the appropriate threads and this thread is full of people helping OP with ideas. Sweet!

We don't have fast food very close to us, so it really isn't an option for weeknights. And I don't order takeout very often.

Frozen veggies make life a lot easier. You don't have to worry about them going bad before the end of the week, you don't have to wash and cut, etc. And they free up your hands to do the main dish. DD does homework or takes a bath while I cook and set the table.

I love my programmable crock pot and my programmable rice cooker. I don't worry about leaving them on all day. Lots of things are plugged in all day. I am careful to make sure I don't put them close to a stack of papers or anything though.

What does work for us (90 minutes from the time I walk in the front door to lights out for DD):

* crock pot meals - these also make a lot, so I get lunch and another dinner out of them
* soup - either home made in the crock pot, or from the refrigerated case at the grocery store
* grilled meat + microwaved veggie
* eggs for dinner - so quick, cheap and a great protein source
* grilled cheese plus fruit or salad
* sauteed chicken and veggies - this only works if you slice and marinate the chicken and prep the veggies the night before though (frozen veggies are easy for this; can do lots of variations with different seasonings)
* quiche

Prepping in the morning or the night before is a hassle, but it does have rewards.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today DS told me, "I'm so conflicted - McDonalds has better fries hands down but Burger King has better milkshakes."

Guess it's really time to buckle down and do better in the meal planning department. How often do your kids eat fast food? And what the hell do you make for dinner when you're getting home at 7pm and trying to feed them, make sure homework is finished, make them take showers, have any time at all to unwind or relax in any sort of way all before being in bed by 8pm?

You have to cook the entree the night before you eat it. I reheat the steak/burger/chicken/tuna whatever and throw a grain and a veggie together in 10 minutes. I have to, because there's less than 45 minutes from the time I get home until the sports runs begin.

Neither of you get home before 7 pm and you only have one hour before the kids' bedtimes? Sounds nuts. At least if they are going to bed so early, they must be young and without much homework.

This is the way!!! Its really genius, but does take some extra effort... single mom, gotta have nothing but time on your hands, right? kidding! But it would be worth it, couple times a week if you can manage.

Follow this wise soul's guidance, for there is light.
So you basically have to mix these 2 approaches of various nights:
1) Invest and prep the night before
2) Get some "healthier" instant meals (I am a fan of the breakfast for dinner myself).

As for the PP who suggested complete "homemade meals" on weekends -- then there goes a big chunk of weekend time with the kids. Which is your quality time with them... I wouldn't give that up... I'd find quick, healthier meals on weekends also.
Now, if you guys can all cook together on the weekend, maybe that satisfies both needs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try Trader Joes for frozen dinners in a bag. Pretty tasty and better than fast food.

Um.... No, not really. Trader Joes food is terrible and terrible for you. It's basically a junk food store. Llike a 7-11 for hipsters, as someone put it recently.

Disagree. If you're looking for low-fat options, yeah, it's not that healthy. And you do have to look at sodium content, because some are high. But - the ingredients list is short and understandable and not filled with chemicals, corn syrup, and preservatives. So yeah, it's not the best, but it is a big step up from fast food.

Sweetheart. Most people associate eating healthy moreso with reducing fat and sodium consumption than they do with the number of ingredients on a label. It's still overprocessed junk food for the most part (and their produce is laughable). The wine and beer selection is eclectic, I'll give them that. But, really, you acknowledge that it's high-fat and high-sodium and still call it a "big step up" from fast food? That's the biggest complaint about fast food -- that it's fatty and high in sodium.

You're rationalizing or struggling with cognitive dissonance or something here. But don't delude yourself into thinking that ready-to-eat meals from Trader Joes have any more virtue than say, a burger and fries from Wendy's.

That's a very 1990s way of eating. Not the PP, but I agree that fewer, simpler ingredients is healthier (for me) than "low fat."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What's with the excessive 'sweetheart' usage? No one else is using a nasty tone on this thread. I'm sorry if you are having a rough Monday morning and need to take it out on people here. (Assuming you're 8:16 too.)

No, I was using sweetheart to respond to this nutritionally hypervigilant poster, who I believe is also 8:16, and appears to be really upset with people who suggest that TJs and Chipotle could remotely be considered healthier than any other options.

I started 2 new threads for him/her though, where this discussion can run or die a natural death.

I'm sorry, did Jeff go on vacation or something? Are you now in charge of DCUM? Or are you the type of person who tries to assert control where you have no authority? Because that's always funny to watch.

Anonymous wrote:Today DS told me, "I'm so conflicted - McDonalds has better fries hands down but Burger King has better milkshakes."

Guess it's really time to buckle down and do better in the meal planning department. How often do your kids eat fast food? And what the hell do you make for dinner when you're getting home at 7pm and trying to feed them, make sure homework is finished, make them take showers, have any time at all to unwind or relax in any sort of way all before being in bed by 8pm?

You have to cook the entree the night before you eat it. I reheat the steak/burger/chicken/tuna whatever and throw a grain and a veggie together in 10 minutes. I have to, because there's less than 45 minutes from the time I get home until the sports runs begin.

Neither of you get home before 7 pm and you only have one hour before the kids' bedtimes? Sounds nuts. At least if they are going to bed so early, they must be young and without much homework.

We eat out a couple times a month, usually at Chipotle or something similar. Once in a great while we do McDonalds, but I can't eat it.

I cook something big on Sunday to have leftovers for the first half of the week. Then I cook something else that's quicker easier that still gives us some leftovers. In between we have quick things we do or sandwiches. Our default is "breakfast for dinner" where we do waffles or toast or pancakes with eggs and fruit.

I also will cook and serve half freeze half. For example I made a crockpot of meatballs and sauce. We did meatball subs and spaghetti and meatballs and I froze the rest to make lasagna with next week. That helps to prevent wasting food and getting sick of food.

Try the already made rice packets (frozen section at Trader Joe's). Heat one up in microwave. Take some frozen peas. Heat them up in microwave or run it under hot water (does the trick). Take a piece of chicken breast that you already thawed out the day before. Cut into small pieces. Put some olive oil on it, garlic powder. Stick it in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes. There is your dinner. Over the weekend, prepare for the week by cutting up vegetables and fruits and put them in ziplock bags. Good ones are cucumbers, carrots and bell peppers. Do the same for fruit. Instant side dishes. I serve "burritos" nearly every week. Buy tortillas in bulk and keep in fridge. I can put black beans, yogurt, scrambled eggs, tomatoes and shredded cheese in them and the kids are happy. It's worth stocking up on shredded cheese for example. You can also easily make quesadillas if you have tortillas and shredded cheese at home. Make them just with cheese and cut up some avocados/tomatoes on the side and some fruit and/or a small bowl of yogurt. Easy dinner.
My mom was a single mom as well until I was 13 when she finally remarried. She left the house around 7 every morning and didn't get home until 7 every night. There was also no way for her to get home earlier. We never had dinner together and I never had a warm dinner, but I used to get a warm lunch at school so it was no big deal. I honestly think I would just have a piece of bread with some cold cut or cheese in the evening, but I don't remember because I was not much of an eater back then. I feel like I would be OK giving my kid a bagel with cream cheese and fruit and veg for dinner once a week. I'll probably get blasted here because everybody gets blasted by some angry DCUM-er, but I don't see what the big deal is about having a warm dinner.