Eat, Play, Love: Raising Healthy Eaters is a blog series by parents and dietitians whose stories and advice reminds us that we can overcome the challenges of feeding children. Subscribe to find ways to build lifelong healthy eating habits for your children.
We play a lot at our house--soccer practice and games, scouts, Rainbow girls, after school projects…and the list goes on. This is a typical week and yet we find time to have family meals at least five nights a week. What’s our secret? Meal planning and preparation!
I start by getting the family involved in meal planning. With two active teenagers, this can be as challenging as it is rewarding. I’ve found that asking a lot of questions like “what sounds good for dinners this week?” or “is there anything new you would like to have for breakfast?” works well. Based on my kids’ feedback, I use MealsMatter.org to search for new recipes and create my shopping list.
I have a routine that has proven to be very successful for our family – and I’ve shared this with friends and colleagues who are now “in the groove.” I grocery shop on my way home from work on Thursdays, which ensures that I have all the ingredients I need in the house for my weekend prep.
On Thursday and Friday, I cook simple meals like pasta with vegetables and we always drink milk with dinner. Then, it’s all about cooking “double dinners” on Saturday and Sunday to give us left over meals for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Now life doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes I get home late or a double dinner doesn’t stretch as far as I had hoped. I always try to have pre-cooked chicken on hand for these occasions because it makes tacos, chicken salad, stews and sandwiches a snap for my kids to make. Even on the busiest of nights, mastering family meal planning means we can sit back, talk, eat and relish our time together during our family meal!
Subscribe to our Eat, Play, Love: Raising Healthy Eaters blog series to find ways to build lifelong healthy eating habits for your children.
For more tips and information on raising healthy eaters, follow @mealsmatter and the #eatplaylove hashtag on Twitter.
Tammy Anderson-Wise, M.S.