It can be tough to know what meals to make when you are catering for the whole family. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, their own schedules that you have got to work around and that can lead to a very stressful time when preparing meals.
Let Them Have Some Input
Something to consider when preparing meals for the whole family is to try to make it as stress free as you possibly can through a series of steps. Ask family members what they would like and perhaps make a menu where, each day, someone gets the meal of their choice. Regardless of this, there are a number of quick and easy meals that you can make for the family that will improve the wellness of your family and reduce any stress.
Giving your children some input into the dishes available at meal times will certainly reduce some of the stress coming your way. This isn’t to say let them rule the roost and choose every meal but letting them have a say gives them that little bit of control they crave.
Utilise Your Kitchen
Consider using the devices you have at your disposal. So many of us have multiple kitchen devices that are stored away and that we never use – now is the time to pull them out. Slow cookers, air fryers – these devices are great for helping you to cook delicious and nutritious meals without having to constantly watch over the dishes.
Whether your children choose something you’d consider a treat such as air fryer tater tots or they opt for something healthier in air fryer salmon, that little bit of input will do them the world of good and will certainly make meal discussions a lot easier to get through. Also, take the time to sit down and enjoy the meal with them.
There are mental health benefits to sitting and eating with other people – this is something else to consider as meal times may be stressful due to this fact – your children are playing up because they want to sit down for dinner with you and you’re playing theirs up and eating yours later.
If you have time in the evening, air fryer dishes are perfect for the family as they can be made quickly and on the table in no time at all.If you don’t already have one, an air fryer is definitely a worthy investment. Sites such as Cooking Light have a wealth of recipes to choose from that the whole family may enjoy.
Focus On Your Health And Wellbeing
If you are pushed for time most days, the slow cooker could be your best friend. Focus on yours and your children’s health and wellbeing by not stressing about dinner late in the afternoon or evening; get something delicious and nutritious cooking away in the morning. It will do everyone the world of good to have one less thing to worry about. Great slow cooker dishes include pulled pork, stews, chilli and even a good old pot roast. Just leave it to cook and come back to it when you need it.
These are just a few meal ideas for stress free meal times with kids but there’s plenty of tasty and nutritious dishes out there that you can try.