When I come home after being at work for 13 hours (sometimes longer), I generally do not have the energy to make a healthy balanced meal that my family is also interested in eating. Unfortunately when I get home from work is when my family is hungry and they've gotten to the point where they're impatient and irritable. If I don't act fast they'll have popsicles and popcorn for dinner, or worse, fast food. Here's some things that I do to prevent this, and I would really love to hear what everyone else does for those evenings when you're rushed.
- Have a plan. I know that at least a few nights a week I'll be working or otherwise rushed, so I try to plan something when I do my grocery shopping.
- Make a few freezer meals. You can just make a double batch of a family favorite and freeze half.
- Breakfast for dinner. This is what we had last night. Waffles with fresh fruit. Another one I like to do is "omelets". Scrambled eggs with mushrooms, peppers, onions, cheese and chopped bits of whatever meat I have in the fridge. Quick, easy and relatively healthy.
- Salads! (Of course my kids won't eat these.) Lettuce, cottage cheese, dressing, chopped cooked meat, a few chopped veggies, and croutons can make for a fairly quick and a very satisfying meal.
- Have a few meals that you always have all of the ingredients for. For my family, it's Hawaiian Haystacks. I cook and freeze brown rice ahead of time so that dinner can be made in the time it takes me to open a few cans and make some chicken gravy from a mix. (Using food storage really can make your life easier.)
- Soup and sandwiches
- Burritos- Refried beans, cheese, tortillas and enchilada sauce (This one is pretty much a staple at my in-laws.)
- Here are a few more recipes that I use that can be prepared double quick if you have all of the ingredients ready: Hippie Tacos, Spicy Pasta with Broccoli, Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower and Thai Chicken Spinach Wraps
- Here's a few that I haven't tried, but look like they will make my life easier when I do: Strawberry Poppyseed Salad, Chipotle Chicken Salad Sandwich and Potato Leek soup
What do you do?
another great post...I'm laughing about the waffle photo, because that's what we had for dinner last night...and my son said, "but mom, that's not healthy!!!" Guilty as charged!
ReplyDeleteEh, it's relatively healthy.:)Better that than fast food or something from a box. And it's fine every once in awhile.
ReplyDeleteWhole wheat waffles with fruit and a little fresh cream is totally passable as healthy...don't sell yourself short JC.
ReplyDeleteOdd thing is, I do almost all of your suggestions when I am in a pinch so I cannot offer anything new. I DO love it when I know I will be short on time one evening and think ahead to the crock pot. There is something soooo satisfying about dinner being DONE when we come in the door from a busy day.