Monday, August 15, 2011

Food planning

Flat out....I suck at it.  Half the time it is just me and the kids, and they have gotten UBER picky.  HE will only eat chicken....SHE won't touch it with a ten-foot pole.  SHE wants steak with pink in the middle....don't you DARE try and serve her.....GASP.....something cooked through!

SHE doesn't like food that is cooked together (think crock pot, casserole, stew).  HE would live on hot dogs, pizza, and pasta if we let him.  Oh, and chicken.

We have gotten into some bad habits of high processed foods....high in fat and salt, and high in price. 

I tried this week to plan a little better in general.  Last night was beef stew, with leftovers tonight (which by the way neither child ate yesterday, and will have grilled cheese tonight).  I am watching my friend's kids tomorrow morning, and then she and I have PTA stuff to work on, so they are having lunch with us.  I have a chicken in the crock pot as we speak, and will make chicken salad.  Tomorrow night we are having jambalaya....which makes a ton and lasts for days.

So there you are...my feeble attempt at planning meals.  I am trying to get better about this, especially if I end up getting this job and I am working full time!

12 comments:

  1. a great start to planning meals - be proud!!!! little by little :)

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  2. I know your children have some special needs, so this may not work with them, but years ago (when I was cooking different dinners each night for our 7!) I announced that there would be only ONE meal each evening and everyone would be expected to eat it. I explained that our house was not a restaurant and that while I would try to rotate through everyone's favorites, each child would be expected to eat whatever was served. (My husband is a very flexible eater and is also happy with leftovers so he was never a problem.) It was one of the best changes I ever made and now, years later, it is just the norm in our home. Especially if you are going to work full time, it is critical to make dinner a manageable chore...good luck!

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  3. @jpkittie - thanks!

    @consuelo - oh...I only make one dinner. If they don't like it, they can wait until breakfast. The tendency is to make something when G-man isn't home that is more "kid food" because I know they will eat it. And that is just not good for any of us.

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  4. I run into the same issues --- and there are only TWO of us. Princess Penelope tends to be picky ---- and the crappier a food is for you, the better she likes it. Go figure!

    However, planning is the way to start.First step is ALWAYS the hardest! Good luck!

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  5. I'm really bad at planning meals. I always try, but when dinner time comes, I am no longer in the mood for that anymore.

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  6. We have those kids meals as well - especially when everyone is going in different directions. I pretty much have to meal plan with my calendar in hand.

    Whenever I make something that I know one (of my four) does not like, I just make the sure the sides are eaten. For example, if you have steak, I would make a baked potato and a salad as well. Maybe the child that does not like steak would get the biggest potato. Same meal, slightly accounted for taste.

    As for not being in the mood when it comes around, I rarely have that happen anymore, but I will just switch with another day.

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  7. When my kids were really little we did this too. Kind of made meals around them, but one day I had had enough of cooking or preparing two or three different meals a night and I decided that's it.

    Like Consuelo said Best Decision of My Life!

    Now my kids will eat most anything and will always try something. We are always trying new things too.

    I am glad you have started planning, I think it causes less stress and anxiety during supper time. I think it makes sense to make a gradual change. You'll get there.

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  8. I really hate menu planning. I am not home after three. I am at the studio so everyone will fend for themselves, but the kids ate a lot of fast food. Hubby just grubbed along. Between the shop and the studio I just can't seem to plan. (I know that this is an excuse)but I still hate it!

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  9. I became good at meal planning once I was working full itme and going to school. But we have always done the eat or starve thing here, it works for some people not for everyboday. With mine they werent fans of starving so they eat anything. But I wont lie my youngest poors ketchup on anything she doesnt like to kill the taste.

    Dont worry you will get the hang of it, like anything else it becomes a habit after awhile

    Judy

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  10. I suck at meal planning too :)

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  11. Meal planning? What is this planning of the meals you speak of? :)

    Gah, I don't know how to do it either. I really admire Niki @ Debtfreeby30 and Laura at NoMoreSpending for always publishing meal plans.

    My meal plan would look like: Spaghetti, sandwich, spaghetti, sandwich, repeat.

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  12. There is definately some meal planning websites out there. Can't think of the names of them now, but I have seen them.

    Luckily the planning is not the issue, but I would be stuck if there was the 'not all cooked together' issue, where would I be with out my precooked crock pot fare.

    Don't worry, all the incremental changes add up, you will look back one day and realise how far you have come.

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