In my new life in the mountains, I find myself spending more time cooking and baking. As a result, two things have happened: first, I am eating in a new way (more on this to come) and second, I feel like I am finally getting into a flow of meal planning, simplifying meal preparation and making tasty, healthy food for my family.
Below are a few things I have learned about how to simplify meals and make dinnertime more enjoyable:
Plan ahead: Planning ahead makes all the difference. I find it helps to have a routine. I like to plan meals for the week on Sundays. By then, I usually know the week’s schedule, so I can choose menus based on who will be home to eat and how much time I will have on a particular night. I then make my shopping list. Recently, I have made Mondays my day to shop and then cook for the days ahead.
Be realistic: Decide how may nights a week you will actually enjoy cooking. I decided four nights were enough for me. On the other nights consider leftovers, “breakfast dinners,” going out, take out, prepared foods from the grocery store, taking turns at friend’s homes, or let your partner cook.
Set aside the time: I find it so much more enjoyable to cook when I’m not in a rush. I really don’t like the stress of having hungry, impatient kids waiting when I haven’t even thought about what to make for dinner. If you have children go backwards from bedtime and figure out what time you need to serve dinner to accommodate the bedtime routine and then plan to start cooking an hour before that. (I only choose recipes that are fairly quick and simple, however between setting the table, getting washed for dinner, and cleaning as I go I find it still takes an hour). Now even my older son knows the schedule—one day when I had not planned ahead he said, “mom it’s already 5:00 and you haven’t even started thinking about dinner!” To which my response was, “you’re right, good thing you can help me!”
Get help: It goes so much faster when everyone chips in—even little things such as setting the table and filling the water glasses make a difference. The other night my son cleared the table and put away the placemats—a task that for some reason my husband and I both avoid even though we like having a clear table ready for the next day. It was one less thing for my husband and I to do before our “free time” together. I also noticed that when they have the job of clearing their own placemats (and dealing with the crumbs) they’re more careful about being neat!
Have a handful of recipes: I am not a creative, natural cook (at least not yet), so I rely entirely on recipes and follow them to the letter. It helps to have around 15 menus or recipes—that is really all you need. My kids look forward to the various menus and about 10 -15 recipes seems to be enough so they are not bored and actually look forward to the repetition. Also, the more you use each recipe the faster and easier it becomes. I suggest keeping your recipes in one place along with menus—sides, soups, etc… so that when you make your shopping list you can refer to it.
Create rituals: We used to have tacos every Friday night. Now on Friday nights we watch videos and order takeout, Saturday night is date night and the kids look forward to pizza and on Sunday nights we go out as a family. The kids love the predictability and look forward to these evenings. It also works with my cooking four nights a week plan. Growing up, my family would eat one night a week in the den in front of the TV so we could watch the Cosby show—it was a treat my sister and I really looked forward to. And the Cosby show has recently made a big comeback in my house, along with the Brady Bunch—but that’s another story.
Batch: It saves time to cook several meals at once. On Mondays I cook a Monday night’s dinner and marinate something for Tuesday. I usually also make a snack such as hummus and a soup that will last a few days. After the effort of cooking and cleaning up—I love knowing that I took care of more than one mealtime. A friend of mine saves time by prepping for dinner after breakfast—this way she has one less clean-up and more time on the other end of the day. I am experimenting with having a cooking afternoon on Mondays (the day I shop) and the day before cleaning day. I find I am not motivated to cook after the house has just been cleaned.
Find a teacher: Taking a cooking class and finding a good food blog made all the difference for me. I was lucky to find both at pamelasalzman.com. What are your favorite food blogs?
Clutter clear your kitchen: As with any task, I will avoid it if I there is something in the way of taking the first step, such as the anxiety that I will not be able to find a blade for the food processor or the frustration of navigating a jam-packed refrigerator.
I have a very small “pantry.” I love these baskets from Williams-Sonoma. While I typically avoid plastic (these baskets are made of polypropylene a “healthier” plastic), I wanted something I could wash and that wouldn’t attract insects or mold— and these do the trick. It helps me group items and find things more easily and keep the space more visually appealing.
Appealing refrigerator: Clutter-clear your refrigerator. I do my best to keep things in the refrigerator in order and clean it out once a week, but I have not figured out how to organize it. I notice that I avoid tasks if I am faced with an unattractive space—I am inspired by beauty. One thing that has made my refrigerator more appealing is an idea I got from Pamela Salzman. She makes herb “bouquets”, by placing herbs in glass jars. Not only are they pretty, but placing herbs in water also makes them last longer. If you have any ideas or resources for an inspiring refrigerator, please share!
Eat less: Consider both quantity and variety. When I make tacos along with guacamole, lettuce and tomato topping, I don’t really need to make an additional vegetable dish- especially if I have had or given my children nutritious snacks earlier in the day. I also notice that the less I put on my children’s plates at a time the more they will eat.
While I wouldn’t recommend this for children, personally I often have one liquid meal a day, usually a whole food smoothie.
Appetizers: I get so frustrated when dinner is not quite ready and the kids just can’t wait and start snacking—I know they will not eat as good a dinner and my efforts are wasted! Now I put a healthy snack on the counter while I cook (such as nuts or vegetables with dip). Even better is when some part of the dinner is ready such as soup or the vegetable.
Slow cooker: I have not tried this yet, but friends swear by it! Sounds appealing and time saving to come home at the end of the day and know dinner is ready. Have you tried it?
One-dish dinners: To me a one-dish incorporates a protein, veggie and carbohydrate. I would love to have more of these recipes—do you have any to share?
Maximize snacks: I try to get greens in earlier in the day– steamed broccoli or a smoothie with kale can be a snack. I find my children sometimes eat better at snack-time, rather than at night when everyone is tired and asked to “sit still” at the dinner table.
Change location: I find my children eat better and sit longer when we eat outdoors or even if I switch it up and serve dinner at the kitchen island versus the dining table. My four year old invented a new game that mommy and daddy love. It’s called “room service.” He sits on his bed and “orders” and we make dinner and serve it on a tray. He will wait patiently and quietly for up to an hour in his room for “room service.” We love this because it gives us uninterrupted, peaceful talking time while we make dinner.
Family style: I find my children are more interested in the food and in trying new things when I serve it family style and they can help themselves. I don’t like having extra dishes to clean, so I often use my glass storage containers (a healthier alternative to plastic) as serving dishes and then any leftovers can go straight to the refrigerator.
Breakfast tip: It helps the morning routine run more smoothly and on time when I lay out placemats, napkins and fill water glasses the night before.
Keeping your kids at the table: Getting young children to sit for mealtimes can be a challenge. We have many tips and suggestions for keeping your kids at the table.
Gratitude: I do my best enjoy the process of preparing meals, as I do believe that food “made with love” is filled with positive energy. Similarly, I often “bless” my food. I believe that setting a simple intention that our food serve us for optimal health will do just that. Giving thanks before meals has become a regular part of our dinner routine.
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Keeping Your Kids at the Table