As a stay at home dad, I have taken on the responsibility of handling a majority of the food preparation and meal planning for the family. It’s not that my wife doesn’t enjoy cooking. It’s just difficult with her busy work schedule. It also helps that I really love to cook. That love was fostered at an early age when my Mom told me, “You shouldn’t have to depend on someone else for your meal (she was the exception of course). I don’t want you eating cereal for dinner because you can’t cook.”
Despite the amount of work that goes into cooking family meals daily, I don’t see it as an imposing task. (Except on those extra weary days when I am too tired to even boil water for spaghetti.) Because I know that not everyone feels this way, here are a few helpful hints and tips for making meal planning a little less imposing.
Set a Schedule
It’s very important to set your eating schedule for the week. I like to make sure we can eat as a family whenever possible. I accomplish this by knowing what time my wife will be getting home from work every day. On days she’s working late, we may decide to eat without her, just to stay on schedule. If I know she will be home by 6, I set my cooking plan backward from there to include playtime with the kids at 4, baths at 5, TV time at 5:30, and of course cooking the actual meal for a 6 pm dinner time. Looking for some dinner ideas? Check out some of our recipes here on Fathers of Multiples. We’re adding more all of the time!
Get a Rice Cooker
My whole life I’ve been afraid to cook rice. My mom makes it all the time with ease. Because I didn’t inherit her rice-making gene, I leaned towards spaghetti or egg noodles. You don’t have to measure the water correctly, and they are starches that are a lot more forgiving than rice. Many years later, I realized how easy rice can be on the stove ( 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice). The even easier route would be to invest in a rice cooker. The measurements are written right on it. You simply plug it in, dump in the rice and water, press a button, and 10-15 minutes later you have fluffy rice. No fuss, no muss.
Get a Slow Cooker
I also cannot say enough about a slow cooker (aka: crockpot). There are a million slow cooker books and recipes online. The majority of them have you just put all the raw ingredients in, close the lid, set the timer and walk away. 4 – 8 hours later, depending on how fast you want it to cook, you have a meal. This I great option for that spouse who might not have time to cook when they get home from work, but can throw something in the slow cooker BEFORE work and have it be ready by dinner time. Easy as pie. (YES! You can make pie in the crock-pot!).
Buy in Bulk (within reason)
Costco. BJs. Sam’s Club. Whatever is closest to you. For my family of 5, these types of stores are essential. You can buy huge amounts of just about anything you can imagine. But, I say do so within reason. This is the type of store that you don’t want to go to when you’re hungry. That’s how you end up with $700 bill, and lawn chairs when you don’t even have a lawn. Canned goods are a good find here, as they normally have a long shelf life. Any items you eat a lot of and on a regular basis (corn for example), buy it canned. But not Spam. No one needs THAT much spam.
We love fresh veggies. The problem is that if you don’t have a plan to use them in the next 5-7 days, they end up going in the garbage. Don’t be afraid to look at frozen vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and peas. These can be steamed on top of the rice cooker (yea, there is an option for that too) or broiled in the oven drizzled with olive oil and a little salt and pepper.
GO Vegetarian for a Night
There are some nights when you can have a meatless meal. I’m a serious carnivore, and even I’ll take a break at least one night per week. Want the feeling of meat without the cost? Morningstar makes a great line of veggie burgers that look like the real deal but are actually vegetables in disguise. They are also another great way to sneak in an extra serving of vegetables. Another option would be a nice pasta, sauce, some grated Parmesan, and some simple steamed veggies. Both delicious and nutritious.
Pick a Day Off
Give yourself a break, put the meal planning aside, and reserve one night for delivery or take-out. If it means pizza or Chinese food or whatever the family likes, let someone else do the cooking for a change. You have earned it!
Whether you stay at home, or you punch the clock somewhere, the task of meal planning can be a little daunting. It’s a large responsibility to make sure that everyone is not only getting the nutrients they need but that it’s a balanced diet, as well. Hopefully following some of these tips, and utilizing these tools will make the task much easier to handle.
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Originally published on Fathers of Multiples
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