Quick: What is the hardest part of putting a healthy dinner on the table every night? You're going to say chopping up all those vegetables or timing it so everything is ready at the same moment, or something like that, aren't you? That part can be hard, sure, but the really hard part is the planning.
At least it is for me.
I work full-time, from home; on a normal day, I bounce between my children and my job. In the little "extra" minutes that aren't filled with writing and parenting, I buzz around wiping up counters and making beds and maybe, just maybe, running the vacuum. And more often than I like to admit, I lift my head at 4:00 pm (or sometimes 5:00!) and think what are we going to eat for dinner?
The secret, of course, is to have a plan. When my husband and I were in graduate school, before we had the kids, the plan was often a pizza, or bagels with cheese melted on them, or -- if we were feeling adventurous -- burgers at a local pub. And while we still do that every once in a while, most of the time we try to have something a little healthier waiting in the wings. Or the pantry, if you will.
I'm not very good at menu planning, so I often find myself turning to Stefania Pomponi Butler's blog, City Mama, for inspiration. Stefania is a mom and PR expert and food writer, and every Monday (or sometimes Tuesday, because that's how it goes when you're a mom) she posts her weekly menu. During the week, she will follow up with recipes or accounts of how various dishes went over with her family. Recently, she had plums in abundance, but since her daughters don't like plums, "because they are weird," (the children, not the plums) she wasn't sure what to do with them. She asked readers for suggestions, and then posted what she made: Summer Pink Plum Salsa. Mmm yummy.
The idea behind Meal Planning Monday is simple: when you have a plan for dinner, you are less likely to default to something frozen or processed or served at a drive-thru window. Write up your menu for the week and use that to make a grocery list. Have your kids help you make the menu; this is an easy way to teach them about a balanced diet and about how to create a complete meal. Challenge yourself to try one new thing each week -- one new recipe or ingredient. Post your menu in your kitchen as a reminder for your family of what will be on the table this week. And then stick to it.
And then, when you look up at 4:00 (or 5:00!) pm and think what are we going to eat for dinner? the answer will be right there in front of you.
Susan Wagner a.k.a. "Friday Playdate" is a blogger/writer/editor. She blogs about her parenting adventures on Friday Playdate and discusses parenting and fashion on a variety of other blogs and sites. She lives in Oklahoma City with her husband and two young sons. She has partnered with the American Egg Board to help get the word out about Incredible People who are helping others eat more healthfully.
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Comments: 4
Give it a try and see what happens.