We can’t all be goddesses and wunderkinds in the kitchen, cooking all-natural, organic meals from scratch for every single meal. What we can do is try to get it right at least some of the time. There are no medals for busting a gut – sometimes, as a busy working mum, shortcuts can be a godsend for getting a decent meal on the table.
However, when we do produce a meal that we are proud of, we want to make sure everyone in the family enjoys it without too much complaining. Here, we look at some top tips for creating family meals that everyone will eat.
Plan ahead
There is nothing more stressful than realizing it is 5 pm and you need to sort out a meal for everyone. This is when you are much more likely to reach for the convenience meals, or even call for a pizza to be delivered. Start off every week with a list of meals that you intend to cook. This will help you not only be able to avoid the stress of cooking last minute when everyone is tired and whining at your feet but saves time and money at the shopping stage – and that is always a win, right?
Identify what everyone likes and dislikes
Any time someone says, “I don’t like it….” Write it down and write down the time of day. This is helpful when you prepare your meals for the week. A toddler can seem to not get enough of a particular food one week, but not the next However, it might mean that they enjoy it in the morning when they have just woken up but not in the evening. Children are notoriously fickle! When it comes to the adults, you might have one that likes their meat seasoned in a particular way or can taste the difference between light and dark soy sauce. While you should not always pander to every single whim, knowing the things people like and don’t like can make meal planning and cooking easier.
Get the kids involved
Kids generally love cooking and baking and will pretty much always eat anything that they make themselves. Make DIY pizzas or get them to help with peeling, stirring, even chopping the veg, mashing the potatoes, etc. They will be super proud of themselves when presenting their creation to the family and enjoying the praise that comes along with it.
Choose your battles
Last but not least, if all else fails, let it go! The last thing you want to do is build a problem where there isn’t one. Kids can be stubborn, so often you have to pick your battles wisely. Is it worth a 20-minute argument over broccoli? Is that the hill you want to die on that day? Skip it for that day and try again in the future. Kids tend to forget things in a few moments; it is us that ends up wound up and stressed.
Collaborative post
