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What’s for dinner tonight?
Very soon Raffi will start eating solids, and when that happens I want him to sit with us at the table to eat dinner each night. I need to make two big changes in order to make that happen:
1- Start cooking dinner every night again and
2- Actually sit at the table to eat dinner.
Trig and I have gotten into a really bad habit of sitting on the couch watching TV while we eat. In addition, I’ve been making at most 2-3 good dinners a week and just putting together random things for meals the other nights. We only get takeout one time per month, but even that is too much for me. I do not like any of these habits, and I intend to change them.
Growing up we had a fresh dinner every single night. There was always a fun meal plus salad and bread, usually with a shared apple for dessert. We didn’t eat until 8:30 or 9 PM when my dad got home from work, but every night we sat together as a family and enjoyed each other’s company. How did my mom do it? Once I hit 3rd grade and my brother was in junior high school my mom went to work for my dad. How did she manage working for him, taking care of us, taking care of the house, and having dinner on the table every night?
It is a puzzle to me.
I am still having difficulty managing my time, and I find that it is 3 or 4 PM by the time I check off 3-5 items from my to do list. When I put Raffi in his swing or on the mat alone for awhile I feel guilty for not constantly interacting. I am not sure how to overcome this. With a big move in the next few weeks and me returning to work in one week, it is just a lot to handle.
Anyway, regardless of all of that, I want to make dinnertime a priority. I started yesterday by making a big list and heading to the market while Raffi and his dad hung out at home. They got some quality time and I got to fill my cart at my leisure. Even after that trip our fridge looks like this:
Not too full, but not empty either.
I made a loose meal plan on my phone that looks like this:
Monday: fried calamari, roasted asparagus, 1/2 avocado each, sauteed shrimp, shared roll
Tuesday: homemade chicken tortellini soup (lots of chicken in the soup for protein). garbage salad. pineapple for dessert (having 2 guests over)
Wednesday: Asparagus & boiled eggs. (You steam the asparagus and then chop boiled eggs over it. Simple and healthy)
Thursday: Pasta in a tuna, crushed tomatoes, & capers sauce. Big salad.
Friday: Having friends over. Will go to the market that day.
Before I had Raffi it was easier to make a fresh dinner each night because I would run (literally run) over to Whole Foods a mile away for dinner ingredients each day and would then walk home. I like buying my food as fresh as possible, but I might need to start planning more ahead and buying meats and things for the week instead of only for a few days. As you can see from the above, the dinners get worse and worse throughout the week. It might take some time but my goal is to never have dinners like asparagus and boiled eggs. However, I’ll start with my first goals of getting a new and fresh dinner on the table each night as well as sitting at the table to eat.
Do you cook a new dinner every night? How do you manage to do that with your busy schedule?
32 Responses to “What’s for dinner tonight?”
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i remember great dinners from my childhood growing up too — although my mom was home for most of it so she had more time than i will, most likely!
i struggle with ‘end of the week’ meals too! go-to favorites are pastas with frozen shrimp or bean/veg chilis (like you, i don’t like to buy meat and not use it in the next 1-2 days). personally i think you’re doing an amazing job post baby so far!!
I don’t make a new dinner every night, but then again I’m only cooking for myself! I try to cook at least two decent meals throughout the week and eat the leftovers the other nights (either for lunch or dinner). If I’m really in a pinch and don’t feel like cooking, I’ll make myself a veggie burger and a sweet potato, or even a bowl of oatmeal with some fruit and egg whites stirred in (for extra protein).
Re: the eating in front of the TV thing: this is a bad habit that I want to put an end to as well. Most nights, I eat in front of the TV AND my laptop. I need to set aside at least 15-20 minutes where I’m eating without distractions and actually ENJOYING my food!
I’m learning how to better plan meals now that we are a family if 3. It’s challenging because Hubbs gets home at a different time every night and we are putting Hailey down starting at 7pm. Guess I will have to get used to later dinners!
I completely agree. I have an 11 week old and struggle to come up with ideas for dinner and time to make dinner. Do you have a crockpot? I’ve found it can be a life saver; you can make a lot of delicious (and healthy) meals so easily. It doesn’t really solve the problem of finding ideas for dinner, but there are tons of different recipes for one pot meals.
I love my crockpot! I also try to prep things in advance. If I plan on having vegetable lo mein on Tuesday I make sure my veggies are chopped and my noodles are cooked on Sunday so that all I have to do on Tues is saute and make my sauce. I also try to re purpose leftovers, like a leftover chicken breast is turned into quesadillas. Good luck, one you get in the groove it gets easier, I can’t go to the grocery store without a meal plan now, lol.
Totally unsolicited advice, but I’d worry more about eating at the table now and add worrying about serving the perfect meals later. That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself at this stage of Raffi’s life, but in a couple of years he can help, or amuse himself, and it’ll get a whole lot easier. From my own experience with two little kids, a takeout or shortcut meal eaten around the table is much more pleasant for the whole family than a fresh meal I stressed myself out to make and am completely frazzled when serving.
Also, I’m sure you’ve mentioned this, but do you have an Ergo? They are a lifesaver for absolutely everything, but especially meal prep.
@Jess, I have 3 different carriers that I am trying out- a Sleepy Wrap (which I haven’t used since he was a few weeks old), a sling, & a Britax carrier which is very similar to the Ergo. I will try to use the Britax a lot now- I just got it for Christmas!
Thanks for the advice. You make a very good point.
I do cook a new dinner probably 5 days a week, but as a food blogger, making new food is a pretty big priority for me. I make it easier by planning my meals at least a week in advance and trying to find recipes that don’t require tons of hands on time. I have a pretty busy schedule, but I teach so I’m home pretty early. Sometimes it feels like the only thing I do with my afternoon is cook, so I can’t imagine what it would be like with a baby!
I have trouble planning good meals and it is catching up with me because I am pumping and have a lower supply now from not eating enough and just eating sporadically during the day (my baby boy is in the nicu). and I know it is all about planning and following through. I think meals at the table are a great idea and it doesn’t have to be something fancy or complicated. The important part is that you are instilling in your son early the importance of family time. Plus he will see you and your husband healthy eating as well (even though he is young and may not fully understand yet, there are good teaching moments).
Our family has also gotten into the bad habit of eating in front of the tv – props for making a conscious effort to eat at the table!
In a perfect world, I would cook a fresh amazing meal every night, but with our crazy schedules that just doesn’t happen. I try to purposefully plan to have leftovers from most of our meals – usually I do this by doubling the protein that I make, and then having staples stocked that make turning leftovers into a new meal easier. I often utilize tortillas (tacos or quesadillas), lettuce and fresh veggies (salad), chicken stock (soup), pasta and tomato sauce (one pot dish if you add protein or veggies), etc, to help me use up leftovers but make it seem like a new meal.
Good luck! I love reading your great ideas for healthy and time-saving living. 🙂
My little guy is about to be a year old. I too struggled with meals and meal planning. We still do sometimes but it has gotten better as he is older and can amuse himself during meal times. First off – if you’re still breastfeeding those meals aren’t going to cut it. You need way more calories then that. I’d be starving an hour later if that was all I ate! 🙂 I second the crock pot idea too. I use mine at least twice a week. Also make more and freeze things that you can pull out on the days you don’t have time to cook. That is a lifesaver for us!
@Diana @ A Little Bit of Life, Thanks for the tips. I tried to diet for ONE day and my son acted hungry for hours. I ended up feeding him like 8 times that day instead of his usual 6. So frustrating when my pants still don’t fit!
Anyway, I usually eat a big lunch, snack, normal dinner and another snack before bed. I find that it is more important for me to eat often than it is to eat a lot.
@RhodeyGirlTests, Remember – it took you 9 months to gain all that weight so you don’t have to lose it all overnight either. It comes off quicker once they are mobile and you don’t get a chance to eat chasing them down!
Asparagus and eggs doesn’t have to be so bad! I like to cook up polenta or grits in the morning for breakfast and put the remainder in a greased 8×8. Come supper, I cut it into squares and lightly pan fry it. Sauteed asparagus and mushrooms hit with a little white wine and fresh thyme, a soft fried egg, and a pinch of parm layer together nicely. It can all be done in the same pan too and takes 20 minutes tops.
I do cook every night while juggling work, baby, myself, marriage, etc. I think meal planning def saves my life. I plan my proteins around weekly specials and buy any meat I plan to use at the beginning of the week. I will double purpose meat I cook for one meal so the excess will become another meal some other day that week. I try to buy veggies and fruits every other day for freshness, and keep a well stocked pantry of pastas, pulses, grains, etc. If worse becomes worst and random company shows, I always know I can cook up a quick pasta carbonara with bacon, peas and eggs and throw a salad together.
With the twins we’ve had to watch our budget so eating in, planning dinners, and making sure i cook so we don’t resort to take out has become our priority. We do at least 1 crockpot meal a week and I always make enough for leftovers for lunch for hubby and a leftover night. We just started doing solids so it takes even more planning, but like you, we want dinner family time to be a big part of our kids lives so we make it work! When we broke out the highchairs, it was easIer including the twins with dinner. We make sure they’re fed and changed (so we can actually eat haha) toss a few toys on their trays and sit down and eat a family dinner. They’ll either baby chat with us (which I love) or mess around with a teething ring or play hammer haha either way, it’s nice family time which I love! When they’re eating more solids we’re going to find a way for them to eat while we eat…I think growing a 3rd arm is out of the picture?
I really try to make a new dinner every night, but it doesn’t happen. Life gets in the way and sometimes you have to just go with the flow and do your best. 🙂
I’d say I usually cook a meal 5 nights a week, we order out or go out once and the last night is a free for all. We eat at the table most nights, unless we go out of course. My mom always had us eat together, and I’m thankful for that.
I try to make sure nothing I make takes more than 30 minutes and I’m big on reusing meals to make leftovers different. This week for example, I cooked chicken breast in the crock pot for bbq chicken sandwiches, then used some of the leftover meat for enchiladas, then used the last of it for chicken tortilla soup. Cuts down on the grocery bill and prep time, since a big portion is already make when I start cooking. But meal planning is a lifesaver too, since I need to figure out how to re-use the ingredients.
When I’m super organized, I’ll also do some cooking on the weekend to get ready for the week. Usually a soup, cook beans from fresh and cook some type of grain.
I’d say do what you can but don’t kill yourself trying to do it all. My mom was a single parent and although some nights were just grilled cheese, I have fond memories of spending time with her at the kitchen table
I’m just like you where I want my food fresh. Whole Foods is literally right down the street from me and I am there almost every day getting dinner. It’s gotten much more difficult working with a new baby, but I make it work. We too have the bad habit of eating in front of the tv. I so want to get out of that habit for Ella’s sake, but it’s really tough to get my husband on board (since it’s a habit he developed at home before we lived together). Now that Ella is eating solids I usually eat with her in the morning and at night. She really likes it and it’s so cute to watch her mimic me chewing even when she’s not eating!
On another note, I know you said you are frustrated with the baby weight (even though I think you look great!) I wanted to tell you I too felt that way in the beginning, despite breastfeeding, exercising and eating healthy, nothing was budging and NOTHING fit. Once my little girl turned 6 months and I started feeding her solids regularly it literally started falling off of me. I found out that it’s really common while BF for y our body to hold onto weight because you need to to produce food for the baby, which to me is a beautiful thing in itself. You really do need to make sure you are eating enough too because it can make it worse. So don’t feel too discouraged. I spoke to a lot of moms that said the same thing. We are all different, of course, but I thought that may help you feel better.
As for making it all work I just try and prep as much in advance as possible. I still go to the store often but try and keep staples in the house. I also make all of the baby’s food and freeze it in cubes (or always have bananas or avocados handy to mash up).
Best of luck to you!
I think asparagus and eggs sound SO good! I’ve never had that! Maybe if it was a fried egg, soft in the middle with roasted asparagus…maybe some parmesan. I would totally eat that – I don’t have a baby! Your menus looks great! 😀
I have an eight month old little girl and I still find it difficult to balance it all. I used to be really picky about making meals “fresh” every day and didn’t enjoy freezing meals or reheating leftovers as much… but that has had to change! Freezing meals is of course very helpful, but so is devoting a day for prepping. I usually do our grocery shopping on Sundays while my husband watches the baby, then I spend a bit of time chopping veggies for snacks and preparing what I can for the week ahead. Cooking rice, caramelizing onions, baking potatoes, etc can all be done in advance and then warmed up for your meals throughout the week. It may not be ideal, but it definitely cuts back on the time spent each night as you are trying to prepare a meal, entertain your baby, and have quality time with your hubby!
PS- My daughter is only a few months older than your baby boy, but it really does get easier. She now sits in her highchair and plays with her toys and watched me while I make dinner. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day!
hey girlie!
I totally feel you on the meal planning.. And with my husband playing hockey, asparagus and boiled eggs wouldn’t cut it.. lol. He needs like full meals to fuel him. (Sometimes a pain in my booty when I’m content with having an omelet or something small) Right now I try to plan a couple days at a time.. the whole week just doesn’t work, but I try to grab some ground beef or something extra in case we just need to have a “taco” night or something and I don’t get the chance to get out to the grocery. Doesn’t always have to be gourmet. THe main thing is to enjoy each others company. Joakim plays with Livy while I cook and it’s a joint “discussion” when choosing something for dinner. FISH is always on the list once or twice a week. Where’s your salmon Mama?? Get those Omega-3’s! 🙂 We do some salmon, with pesto rubbed on top in the oven for 20 mins, include a fresh salad and carb (boiled potatoes, rice, etc) and ta-da! (but of course u know this).. I’m finding it almost harder now with Olivia eating foods to eat at the same time.. She is very impatient and wants the spoon NOW! lol. Always a new learning experience every day.. 🙂 And to exactly answer your question… No not always a new thing every night.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. It is difficult until they get a bit bigger! Even now (my “baby” is two) I try to prep during nap time. If I don’t, the dinner prep/homework/activities/crabby hour before dinner can be very stressful. Now that my older two are big enough (6 and 9) it often helps a lot if I have them chop veggies, unload the dishwasher, etc. That is something for you to look forward to! Oh, and I usually make 4-5 fresh dinners a week and we do leftovers on other nights and allow ourselves one “junky” and easy dinner a week (we make nachos or something like that and might eat in front of a movie).
Eating dinner together every night is important to me too. Take-out only once a month? I am impressed!
It’ll get easier as Raffi can sit and entertain himself for bits of time. That said, I do a fair amount of crock pot meals that I throw together during my lunch (half) hour the days I work. Or I wait to cook until my husband gets home and takes the baby. I also try and prep things when I can. I will chop during naps and throw things back in the fridge throughout the day. I also pre-prep a lot of items. I have frozen bags of pre-chopped onions, celery, green peppers, and carrots that I will chop massive quantities of on the weekends when the husband can watch the baby, and then freeze on cookie sheets (so they don’t stick together), and then put into ziplock bags so I can just grab handfuls at my convenience. There are MUCH fewer “fresh” items. I rely on my freezer heavily.
I’ve been so baaaad the last month or so with grocery shopping, meal planning and cooking. I will say though, that it will be easier to get dinner on the table when Raffi gets a little older. Even though B is mobile and can get out of my line of sight easier, she can entertain herself and is more independent so I can cook while she’s playing. And two words: Crock Pot!!!
I only cook fresh dinners about 2-3 times a week. I do a lot of pre-cooking on the weekends, so I always have rice, roasted veggies, grilled protein, and chopped veggies on hand to make quick meals.
I don’t have a baby yet, but with one on the way in May, I’m trying to keep this habit and not put too much pressure on myself.
I just birthed my seventh baby five weeks ago. Before he was born I made and froze 15 meals. Between the frozen meals and the meals that were brought by friends and family, we were well fed for several weeks and are only now having to get back into the routine of daily meal preparation. Being a family of 10 (my mother lives with us, too) makes “lazy” meals an impossibility. 🙂 I cook every single day–breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That said, I don’t demand perfectly fresh food at every meal. I use frozen foods, keep my pantry well-stocked, and recognize that food sits in warehouses before it ever gets to the market. It can either sit in a warehouse before I buy it and use it the same day, or it can sit at my house before I use it a few days after I bought it. Either way, unless it came from my garden, it has been sitting around somewhere.
That said, I recommend you let go of your “fresh meal” goal and simply work on building the habit of sitting together at the table. One new habit at a time is plenty–especially considering that you’re going back to work soon–that’s going to be just hard! Once sitting at the table is solidly entrenched, you can work on other goals. And be gentle with yourself. One or two really fresh meals each week is a great start, and you can work your way up from there as you feel capable.
You’re doing a great job! I have a 9-month-old, and things have just now gotten back to normal. In the beginning, we would make 2-3 large meals each week and eat leftovers like crazy! Even now, we still only make about 3-4 meals. We’re very big on eating salmon since it doesn’t take long at all to cook. We usually make that, throw some veggies in the steamer, make a salad and we’re good to go! Meal planning also helps alot and so does the crockpot. It definitely gets easier as they get older, though!
I can completely relate to your post. I’m at a complete loss on how to explain how my mom prepared new meals for us every night and did all that she did. I have just resorted to accepting that I can’t ever meet her even half-way at her awesomeness.
I do repeat meals and I honestly do freezer/make-ahead meals. It makes me feel more balanced. I know I can’t cook meals everyday but as long as I know there is something to eat for the family, I can deal. 🙂
On youtube there is a lady with a channel called candidmommy she has some excellent video’s on cooking healthy food with a toddler and baby and how to juggle it as a working mom.
I plan a weekly menu every Sunday and go shopping Monday. When Mia was little I did a lot of crock pot meals and soups but now I usually cook when Jake gets home and can play with her. She enjoys shopping, especially now that she can sit in the cart and I think it’s a good experience – pointing out what everything is. I don’t think you should feel bad to just leave Raffi on his mat when you’re cooking because in one of the classes I took with Mia the instructor stressed how important it is for the baby to have “down-time” – not nap time – where they are just kind of chilling so they have time to process everything that they do during awake time. At least that’s what I tell myself because Mia spends a lot of time in the car!
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