Mealtimes with your family should be an enjoyable part of the day, but for lots of us (especially if the job falls to you) it can be more stressful than you might like.
If you have fussy eaters or not much time or just don’t enjoy cooking very much it’s easy to wish away that part of the day. But actually it can become way better for you all with a little bit of planning. If you’re fed up of boring dinners or cooking different meals for different family members then here are some tips that might help.
Start with a list of meals you all like
This is the first step, and is really important. There’s no point going out and buying lots of ingredients for things your family wont eat, even if you have the best intentions its going to end up being a waste and stressful for everyone.
Start off by writing an extensive list of meals that your family will eat together. Start by things you already eat and then search simple family recipes online for ideas.
When you have a list to refer back to, every time you make a meal plan for the week you can look at the list.
It stops you from having the same things on repeat and getting board, and means you’re not having to scour recipes each week when you’re tired to try and find something.
Sort out your kitchen
Having a decent kitchen space to be able to prepare and cook food can make a huge difference to you actually wanting to do it.
If you’re able to have a kitchen company give you a full renovation then great! If you don’t have that kind of budget then making some simple changes can help.
Clear out all the cupboards and add organisers that make it easy to find what you’re looking for. Have the things that you need like utensils and tea towels stored where they’re easy to access, and consider decluttering anything you don’t use.
Stock up the pantry
There’s nothing worse than trying to make a recipe and it’s asking you to add 10 ingredients that you don’t have.
And when you’re buying things each time you make a meal it can feel like a lot. It’s better to stock up your pantry of things like dried foods, herbs and spices in advance.
They keep for years if you store them properly and then when you want to make something you only need to buy the fresh elements of the meal!
Keep at it
Finally, if your family have been used to you catering to them with their own individual meals every night then they might not love having to compromise with a family meal.
But as long as everyone has something they can eat, keep at it. It will save you money and time and makes cleaning up easier too than having to wash a million pans. Explain this is the new way you’ll be doing things and they’ll soon get used to it.
