BTW, no one is doing this perfectly…plus my top 10 recipes that save me every time!
As a dietitian, I get this question frequently. As a parent, I ask myself this question all the time. Part of me thinks we should rename after-school sports and activities “smack in the middle of dinner prep” activities. Not only does everyone need to be fed, but these days, the pressure around how, when, and what everyone is eating can make it feel like we have to climb a small mountain every day just to sit down for dinner.
When things don’t go as planned, it’s stressful. When mealtimes don’t look like a Norman Rockwell painting, we feel guilty. The truth is, this happens to all of us.
Clients often come to me looking for recipes, snack ideas, and prep-ahead meals, thinking those things are the key to making family meals work. I often nudge them toward The Fountain Avenue Kitchen for exactly that kind of content, because I am clearly the site’s #1 fan. But oftentimes they are looking for something beyond the shopping lists and they just don’t know it until the conversation begins to flow.
We often end up talking about what’s happening outside the kitchen more than what’s happening inside it. We talk about mindset, strategies we can rely on, and how to put all the pieces together—especially when life gets in the way of mealtime magic.
Below are some of the areas we cover (though certainly not all of them). Some suggestions will resonate; others won’t. Every family has its own unique set of circumstances, challenges, and bottlenecks to work through. The goal isn’t to add another list of “shoulds” to our plates, but to spark ideas and perhaps encourage us to to look at the same old problem from a fresh perspective.
#1 Take care of the caretaker
We often put ourselves last when it comes to food. But what if, instead, we put ourselves first?
When we’re fed, our families see that we prioritize nourishing ourselves, regardless of the circumstances. We can think more clearly, make decisions from a calmer place, and avoid giving off those tense, hangry vibes. If we want to steer the ship, we have to be fed.
And there’s another reason to make ourselves a priority: We’re modeling food behaviors all the time, whether we realize it or not. Our kids are watching how we talk about food, how we respond to hunger, whether we make time to eat, and how we care for ourselves. Just like any other behavior we model, the way we approach food can have a trickle-down effect.
So, what does this look like in practice while we are shuttling kids around town?
- Use your kids’ activity hour as your fruit-and-veggie power hour.
Something as simple as a piece of fruit (don’t even bother cutting it!), cucumber slices, or baby carrots are easy to crunch on. If you need a little more staying power, add a hummus or yogurt cup, cheese sticks, or a squeeze of nut butter.
This may not amount to a full meal for you—it certainly wouldn’t for me—but it packs in plenty of high-quality nutrients to help curb your appetite. That way, you’re not completely ravenous by the time you finally sit down to eat. And if you’re unsure what the evening meal will look like, consider it a little nutritional insurance policy to help tide you over. - Keep a folding chair in the trunk. If you want to sit and eat while watching a game or practice, you’ll have a comfy spot and won’t feel like you have to hide in the car. And come in activewear so that you can get in some movement if there’s time. This gets our endorphins going and can help get our appetite ready too!
#2 Dinner doesn’t have to be at 6pm
Some of us wake up ready for breakfast at 6am, some people eat breakfast at 10:30 which happens to be the same time my kids are eating school lunch (really!), and some people are hungry for another meal by 3 or 4pm. Then there are days when kids’ activities start at 6 pm and don’t wrap up until just before bedtime.
Trying to squeeze dinner into the “right” time doesn’t always work. If the kids just ate a big snack, they may not be hungry. And if your regular dinnertime falls during an activity, pushing it later can leave everyone hangry and exhausted.
So, consider flipping the script.
Instead of forcing meals into a schedule, let your family’s hunger, energy, and daily rhythm guide you. Dinner doesn’t have to happen at the same time every night to be a successful family meal.
What does this look like in practice?
- Dinnertime CAN be at 4pm, with snack time after activities at 7 or 8pm—and that doesn’t have to be the new dinnertime forever and always.
- Sometimes it’s helpful for family members to have a warning, such as, “tomorrow’s dinner may look or feel a little different” so that everyone is expecting the unexpected. Learning to make decisions about food and mealtimes on the fly is a skill caregivers (and mini future caregivers) will need to learn.
- For kids who stay late after school or go right to activities, maybe the lunch box is heftier and includes a bigger snack such as a second sandwich or an extra large container of soup.
- Pasta salads, greens (like kale or cabbage) that will hold when pre-mixed with dressings, hard boiled eggs, tinned fish, and deli meats pack a punch for longer days. Just make sure the lunch box is refrigerated or has a cold pack for storage!
- If the food situation doesn’t go as planned, it’s OK to pivot. Convenience foods/take out/drive thru can absolutely work (and work well) in a pinch—and we all do it! These options don’t need to define you as a family or create feelings of failure. They can simply be a tool in your back pocket that you occasionally reach for.
Oh right, and here’s my top 10 homemade, but in-a-pinch, dinners:
Egg Taco – Make these in 7 minutes, or about the time it takes for everyone to take off their equipment and wash their hands. My favorite hack is putting the pan on the stove before we leave the house so all I have to do it turn it on when I come in!
Spanish-Style Chickpeas — Feels fancy, but it’s pantry city and has major flavor and fiber (my fave combination!). Put it together in under 20 minutes. If I can’t make it ahead of time, I at least leave all the ingredients I will need on the counter to cross that off the list!
Denver Mug Omelet — Cook an omelet in a mug in under 5 minutes. No mess, no fuss. What’s easier than that?
Apple Peanut Butter Delights — For me, a toasted peanut buttery English muffin is the epitome of comfort food. Always hits the spot.
Avocado Toast (or Loaded Hummus Toast) — need I say more? Throw on a fried egg, hot sauce, a slice of cheese, chopped kimchi, pickles, peppers, or anything else you like!
Keep these in the freezer…Scrambled Egg Muffins, Freezer Breakfast Burritos, and Freezer English Muffin Pizzas for these exact moments.
Tuna, Tomato, and White Bean Salad — Open the pantry and dump. Beans, tinned fish, seasoning and/or dressing, and a handful of whatever veg is in your crisper drawer. A nutritionally balanced salad in under 10 minutes? Yes, please!
And if you’re interested in personal nutrition counseling, read more about how you can connect with me one on one!
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