Family Meal Planning Made Easy
Have you ever stood in front of the fridge and wondered "What can I cook that the whole family will eat?” I bet most of us have! This time of year, social media is filled with complicated meal plans, that have a tendency to be either too strict (therefore short lived) or too overwhelming to even start. With busy family schedules, it can be hard to plan affordable, quick, easy meals, that also taste good and will be enjoyed by everyone. As a Mom, and a Dietitian, I also find planning family meals daunting at times, but I do have a few key tips and tricks that can help make it a little easier!
We have all heard the term “Meal Planning”, and it often looks like 7 days of pre-prepared meals, or a well organized binder of recipes and a weekly schedule. If this is something you have accomplished, I salute you! This level of meal planning is an excellent tool to help take the pressure off day-to-day, but I for one, have tried…and failed with this style of planning. It just doesn’t fit my family’s needs for flexibility, and feels too much like work! Find what works for YOU & your circumstances.
What meal planning really means is “think ahead”. Maybe you plan your dinners for the week but wing it when it comes to breakfast and lunch. Perhaps in your family you plan 2 days in advance and always incorporate leftovers into your schedule. Maybe you haven’t really thought about it but you want to start saving money on groceries!
Whatever meal planning looks like in your home, here are some general tips for success.
Plan ONE meal. Resist the urge to be a short-order cook, as this is not only more work for you, but it may also perpetuate picky eating habits. Stay tuned for a blog post all about the Division of Responsibility by Ellyn Satter, and how you are always in charge of “what”, ”when”, and “where” your child eats, while they get to choose “if” and “how much”. This method of feeding will make your life a WHOLE lot easier when planning meals, trust me! (We also teach this approach in our Tiny Tastebud courses if you’d like to learn more)
Consider family schedules. If Monday evening is always busy, plan a pre-made meal, slow cooker meal, or something that can be thrown together quickly. Adjust your meal plan to suit your life and not the other way around!
Aim for a balanced plate! Meals don’t have to be fancy or beautiful, simply aim for a balance of nutrients. Each meal should contain fruits/veggies, protein, and a whole grain. When planning dinner, stop and ask yourself if you have checked all 3 boxes. Having a easy night and sticking with grilled cheese? No problem! Simply add some cherry tomatoes to your plate and you’ve got it covered! It doesn’t have to be complicated to be nutritious.
Utilize convenience foods like frozen fruits and vegetables. Frozen produce can be quick, easy, affordable, and just as nutritious as fresh! Some of my favourites are frozen stir fry mixes, butternut squash for roasting and adding to soup, pasta, and salads, broccoli to roast/air fry or throw into casseroles, and peas, which I enjoy on their own, with pasta, rice, or in mixed dishes!
Prepare in advance! This can be anything from preparing full meals and storing in the fridge or freezer, to marinating meats in advance and freezing, washing and chopping veggies, or assembling freezer meals to be cooked later. To make meals quick during the week, I like to cook extra meat in bulk when possible. Leftover chicken can be added to stir-frys, quesadillas, salads, pasta dishes, sandwiches. By having the protein portion of the meal prepared, you will save a lot of cooking time each night. This can also be done with ground beef, sliced steak or even legumes like lentils.
Last but certainly not least, give yourself grace. Be flexible. We all have days/weeks when we are more organized than others, and we all have those days/weeks when we just need something quick and easy. Try not to pressure yourself into having an iron clad meal plan, and feeling guilty when you don’t follow it. Meal planning is meant to help you stress less, and like everything in life, it isn’t always perfect!
