Food is Cool
Deciding what to have for dinner can sometimes be overwhelming for busy families. It involves more than cooking; it is about planning, finding a recipe, budgeting, managing time, shopping, washing, chopping, cooking, setting up the table, and cleaning. It sounds like too much responsibility for one person, mainly for feeding the family.
As adults, our expectations about what we want to eat for dinner are more structured and less adventurous. However, if you have children and teenagers in the family, disagreements and changes often arise due to the young ones’ changing eating patterns, which can cause stress for families juggling many other responsibilities and commitments. Here are some tips to share to make cooking and meal planning less stressful and more joyful for busy families.
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Sharing the responsibility:
It is important to remember that eating is a learned process we develop for a lifetime. Children and teenagers are in the early stages of this evolving process, and you are all part of this learning process as a family. Some members of your family are more advanced learners, and some are just beginners. Involving everyone in menu planning, shopping, setting the table, and asking for their help in meal preparation, as simple as asking them to put lemons in the shopping trolley, picking the leaves of fresh mint for the salad or putting the plates on the table, can be a good starter for a connection and contribution for this learning process. Asking for help from other family members, talking to your partner, and sharing your needs and burdens are also essential to making tasks and responsibilities visible in cooking and meal planning.
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Print or digital meal plan template:
A menu planner template is an excellent tool for simplifying the meal planning process, providing a clear structure for planning your meals, making it easier to visualize, establishing a routine for meal planning, and eliminating the daily stress of deciding what to cook and involve everyone, for example, “Friday Family Fav” dinner is a dish that everyone agrees on. Once the menu planning template is ready, hang it on your fridge so everyone can see what’s on the menu for the week or month.
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Efficient time management:
If you have 2-3 recipes everyone likes in the family, stick to them and rotate them throughout the month, like Bolognese sauce or hearty pumpkin soup. Consider doubling the recipe when you cook it. Doing so allows you to freeze one extra meal for the next time. This simple step can save you at least 2-3 days of cooking every fortnight, giving you more time to relax.
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Focus on what’s working well:
You can always play around with what has already been working in your family meals, e.g., Bolognese sauce. If you serve Bolognese sauce with pasta, try serving it with rice, baked potatoes, or wrapped in a burrito next time. You will have different dishes by changing starchy elements, condiments, and spices.
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Simplicity:
We are all exposed to many ideas and recipes through social media channels, but simplicity is the key. Our perception of how dinner should look can vary from one person to another and from one culture to another. Designate one day per week for a ‘Simple Dinner Concept’ that requires minimal cooking but also ticks all the boxes for essential food groups. For example, you could serve scrambled eggs with wholemeal bread with chopped vegetables and fruits, or you can use leftovers from last night wrapped in wholemeal bread with your favourite dip, or you can enjoy a bowl of savoury oat porridge cooked served with vegetables. Voila!
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Labelled food storage containers:
Investing in solid food storage containers for the fridge and pantry is helpful in meal planning. Leftovers from last night, washed and picked herbs, and chopped carrot sticks for lunch box stay fresh, tasty and safe to eat longer. You can save time and money this way and avoid food waste.
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Stay encouraged:
When you cook a new dish or a dish with new food, and If it is not very well-received by everyone, stay patient and keep that dish on the menu, as little ones need more time and exposure to the new food than us (up to 20 times). Remember that you are a fantastic parent no matter how many foods your child eats, and progress is progress—no matter how big or small.
By Nergis Sara from Food Is Cool
Nergis has a Master’s degree in Nutrition and a Bachelor in Communication and has worked as a qualified Chef for many years, bringing her passion for food and children’s nutrition to childcare centres in Australia. She is passionate about connecting, communicating and collaborating with care in both Australia and Europe.
