Meal planning and finding recipes seems to be a source of stress for most moms. How could it not be? Planning three meals a day (plus snacks, don’t forget the snacks!) for an entire family can be overwhelming and time-consuming. Every family member has their own taste preferences and dietary needs and making sure everyone gets the nutrition they require while also enjoying their meals can be quite the task. I have learned some tips and tricks over the years to help simplify this process. I hope this section of the website will be helpful in doing the same for you!

For my own family, I try to base our meals on lean proteins, whole grains, lots of fruits and veggies, and healthy fats. It helps whether I’m shopping for groceries or ordering takeout to think in these terms. I feel like it’s a much happier way to live to think about what you should be eating to keep your body nourished and healthy than to worry about what you can’t or shouldn’t eat. Becoming a parent has definitely shifted my mindset on nutrition, not just because I want my children to be healthy, but because I want my husband and I to live long healthy lives as well. I am a true believer in the saying “food is medicine.”

Every Sunday, I make a meal plan and shop for the upcoming week. I think about each meal we will eat and write out a menu (usually in the notes tab of my phone). I find that having a plan written down helps me stick to healthy eating. I also plan when my workouts will be for the week, so I can plan heartier dinners for nights when I will need the extra calories. As far as shopping for food, I keep a list on my phone of the foods I regularly buy with checkable boxes. Before going to the store, I just uncheck everything that I need to buy and then re-check it off once I find it. There are even better ways of doing this now (Hey Alexa…) but this is a method that works for me. Using the Instacart app is another method of shopping that helps me to save time and stay organized since they have their own frequently ordered items list to shop from. Since we are pretty regular with what we eat, having these shopping lists saves so much time. I just go through my menu and cross-check that I have all of the specific ingredients that I need for the week.

I stick with quick and easy options for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. These daytime meals also tend to be vegetarian. I like to eat plant-based foods throughout the day for several reasons. Mainly to be healthy and consume lots of fruits and veggies early in the day, but it is also a great cost saver and it is better for the environment to limit meat consumption. My husband and I both have chronic health conditions that can be partially managed through diet and exercise and eating more plant-based is helpful for both of our conditions, which I found very interesting. You can read more about this here. We are still sure to get enough protein early in the day even with our vegetarian meals. For example, my plant based smoothie I drink has 25 grams to start my day. I also love protein bars for a snack (another 20 grams) and am sure to get enough protein at lunch with bean based soup and string cheese, or eggs and whole grain toast. I’m usually hovering around 65-70 grams before dinner, when I do have meat, always leaving me at over 100 grams for the day.

When planning my weekly dinners, I stick to the same basic schedule, just throwing in a few variations to keep things from getting boring. I do this by having “theme nights” like Mexican, Italian, etc. I try to keep my pantry stocked with ingredients that will give me options such as different types of pasta, sauces, rice, beans, condiments, etc. Most of the weeknight dinners I make are super quick (20-30 minutes) and I love to utilize ingredients such as pre-chopped veggies, frozen rice, pre-made (healthy) sauces, etc… For specific recipe ideas, be sure to check out my “Easy Weeknight Recipes.”

I hope my Recipes & Meal Planning section will provide quick and easy meals that your whole family can enjoy! If you don’t currently cook and you think this sounds like a lot, please believe me when I say that if I can do it, so can you. I honestly love the alone time while cooking (although some days my kids do like to “help” and we end up having dance parties in the kitchen, and that is nice too.) But usually, I turn on some music and just have a little time to myself. I feel accomplished after cooking and feel good knowing that I prepared a healthy meal for the people I love.

I know that after a long day, the last thing you may feel like doing is cooking, but I would suggest giving it a try and seeing how you feel. I personally feel like cooking gives me a little breather between the craziness of the day and sitting down to dinner. It gives me time to decompress so that I can enjoy my time with my family. Maybe start with a goal of 3 times per week and see how it goes. I hope this suggestion can help to start a new happy, healthy routine for someone! Cooking truly is a lost art, and it doesn’t have to be Martha Stewart/Ina Garten level… frozen rice, pre-chopped veggies, protein, and some sauce tossed in a stir-fry pan counts as cooking, at least in this momoir :). Let me know what recipes you enjoy in the Recipes & Meal Planning section of the blog by connecting with me on social media!