6 Easy Ways to Create a Stress Free Dinner Time
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I have to confess something. I used to HATE planning & prepping dinner. It stressed me the heck out! However, do you know who does not stress about dinner time? My mom. (and now me!). After having the privilege of staying with her and my dad for the past few months during our transition/move to McKinney, I watched her closely in the kitchen and asked her allll the questions. My hatred for cooking greatly declined and I became interested in it again. I implemented her tips and tricks along with others I had learned from the great people of the internet, and now dinner prep is a blast in our house! Today, I am sharing all I have learned!
Meal Plan…or don’t! While I definitely recommend planning out at least 3 meals for your week, I also know there are seasons of life where you just cannot. When you are making your grocery list and not wanting to meal plan, follow Sarah Grace Meck’s method linked here! She is a registered dietitian, who places a focus on hormone health. She recommends shopping for 3-4 food items in each category (Protein, Healthy Fats, Fruits & Veggies, Smart Carbs). When dinner times rolls around, select 1-2 items from each category that you purchased and you have yourself a well rounded meal!
Easy Recipes with fewer ingredients. I have found having to work with too many ingredients can be overwhelming for me. Gina Homolka with Skinnytaste takes the overwhelm away completely in her latest cookbook, Skinnytaste Simple. She includes photos of all the ingredients so that list no longer looks overwhelming, and all recipes use 7 or less ingredients. Let me tell you this does not take away from the flavor at all! This cookbook has been a game changer for our busy family. The recipes are so good and super easy! My mom and I have been following Gina before her first cookbook, when she was just blogging. Her blog is also chockfull of amazing recipes.
When it doubt freezer meal. Freezer meals have received an undeserving bad rap. Yes, there are a lot of freezer meals out there loaded up with sodium, sugar, blah blah blah. However, there are some great ones out there, and I have zero shame in keeping a frozen pizza in my freezer at all times! One of our family’s favorite freezer items to keep on hand are frozen sheet pan meals! Ingredients are typically awesome with lots of veggies, and all you do is throw the ingredients on a sheet pan into the oven. Easy peasy! We eat one of these each week! Our favorites are the HEB frozen sheet pan meals (sorry, Texas only) like the Lemon Pepper Chicken, as well as Bird’s Eye brand sheet pan meals.
Wash & prep your produce. I am not saying you should hard core meal prep because that is an easy route to burn out. What I am saying is, washing your fruit (like grapes, blueberries, etc.”) as soon as your groceries make it home will make you more likely to eat them. They are already ready for snacking! I throw the fruit in a bowl with water and baking soda for a few minutes, and then rinse, dry, and store.
Mis en place… or “everything in its place” is a French culinary term for setting up your ingredients prior to cooking or baking. Go through your ingredient list and chop, prep, & measure before you begin cooking to make your experience smoother. The cooking process will go smoother and you are less likely to forget an ingredient this way.
Make cooking something you look forward to! My husband and I love listening to music and cooking together. We make it fun! Even if he is the one cooking, I will set the table or prep the sides, and we use this time to catch up on each other’s day and just laugh together. Sometimes our daughter will join us and work on an activity at the kitchen counter. Make it work for your family! (Hot Tip: We have a playlist for each season of the year and have that on shuffle!)
Bonus Tip: Grocery Delivery just might be your BFF. We have been using HEB delivery since I was pregnant with my daughter! We much prefer a slow family breakfast to fighting the crowds at the grocery store on a Saturday or Sunday morning. It also saves us money by keeping us from grabbing random items we would not have ordered had we stayed home. Sure, we may make quick runs during the week for additional ingredients or fresh produce, but sure beats the weekend rush!
Bonus Bonus Tip: Bagged salad kits and frozen veggies are your BFFs! They are full of nutrients and are easy as pie to throw together!
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