Meal Planning For Busy Moms

Most moms work out of the home at least part time, are in school, or trying to get a career launched while still attending to the main job of her life – her family. To say she’s busy is an understatement. So, planning becomes a necessity. We’ve all had the experience of getting home late to discover that not only is the frige empty of anything that inspires, but you are empty of ideas and energy. These are the nights that macaroni and cheese was made for. But, families cannot thrive on mac and cheese alone and that means heading to the store with a plan and a list in hand.

First off, there are three meals a day and it’s good to have a routine established for all three. Breakfast, they say, is the most important meal of the day, and for school age children, having something warm and nourishing in their belly makes a measurable difference in their brain’s performance. For us too. So, we have hot cereal; steel cut oats, oatmeal or multigrain cereal about 4 days a week. These healthy cereals take more time than the cold cereal, but they’re so much more satisfying and when you buy in bulk, a big savings. I put 3 cups of water in a pot and when it boils, add 1 cup of steel  cut oats or multigrain cereal. I then raise the pot away from the flames by doubling up the metal frame that your pots rest on and turn it down to low. Now it won’t burn or spill over and I’ve got 12 minutes to make lunches until cereal is ready.

Other mornings, scrambled eggs or scrambled tofu with leftover veggies and sprinkled with a little cheese, can be stirred up in about the same time. Easy for little fingers, and an excellent source of protein, especially when combined with a slice of whole grain bread. In warmer weather, we often have museli with yogurt and berries for breakfast instead of the hot cereal. Homemade pancakes and waffles are reserved for weekends in our house because they’re special treats and deserve more time to be savored.

Which brings us to lunches. Here you may need multiple strategies. If you are making lunches to go for school age children, your husband and yourself, it definitely takes some serious planning. In the colder seasons, we all love soups and hearty stews which you can pack in a wide mouth stainless steel thermos. Even though it’s extra work to warm up soup every morning, there’s nothing like some home made soup to warm and satisfy.

The main standby for lunch tends to be sandwiches and they are incredibly convenient and most kids love them up. But your sandwiches should be varied and supplemented with things that make them more interesting. Try making a wrap with avocado, cream cheese blended with chopped olives and shredded carrot or spinach. Or, try turkey with cheese and a spicy fruit chutney and thinly sliced apples or radish.

Sometimes a picky eater will eat better if  lunch looks more like a snack than a meal. Bagels with cream cheese and raisins or smoked salmon cut into bite size pieces always gets gobbled up.  Try a combo of ’string cheese’ with pre cut raw veggies with a small container of  a healthy dip like hummus and a couple of crackers. My husband likes a giant salad for lunch that I pack in a large Tupperware. A dense layer of organic spinach and greens, a scoop of chicken, tuna or 3 bean salad, some kalamata olives and a sprinkle of feta cheese and he is a happy man. He keeps a bottle of his favorite tahini dressing at his office to top it off.  You may find 5 really successful lunch combos for your kids and then, just keep rotating through them and they won’t get bored.

Dinners can be simply arranged around a threefold plan; a source of good protein, a high fiber carbohydrate, and veggies – the more colorful the better. I usually do a big shop once a week and depending on what meat and fish looks the best and is having a sale, that’s what our evening meals are based on. My husband prefers some meat for dinner every night, but he’s fine if it’s only a small amount in a stir fry or soup, or if the same meat gets dressed up differently several times in a row. One night I’ll roast 2 chickens, and we’ll eat a good part of one the first night and I remove the meat and all the bones go into the crock pot to make a soup for another night. The leftover cooked chicken might be used to make fajita strips with lots of grilled veggies wrapped in whole grain tortillas with a side of spicy beans and brown rice. The rest of the meat goes into a chicken curry salad with yellow raisins and cashews. Finally, the leftover fajita veggies get added to the chicken soup along with some rice for another hearty dinner.

I pretty much follow that pattern, buying enough of one item to stretch it into at least 3 or sometimes 4 evening meals – except for fish. I try to serve a wild fish at least once a week and we usually gobble it up in one meal. Salmon with a ginger, teriyaki sauce over rice is a big favorite, but sometimes it’s just breaded fish fillets with oven baked French fries and a vegie. One night a week we have some kind of pasta dish with a big salad, and at least one night we have a home made hearty soup with French bread. It works and it feels balanced. You will find your own special dishes that your family will cheer and it gets easier the more you stick to your basic plan.

I haven’t mentioned deserts because they are just not a regular part of our diet. I keep a fruit bowl full and there’s always yogurt or organic chips and salsa or popcorn around for munchies, but I rarely make or provide high intensity sweets for my family. We might have banana pancakes with real maple syrup on a Saturday morning – which is heaven for the sweet toothes in my home, but I try not to make either snacking or deserts a regular part of my families eating habits. Occasionally I’ll bake oatmeal cookies or make rice pudding, but those are special events. My kids do like a warm glass of something before bed to ease that transition. It can be almond sunset tea with milk and honey or just milk and honey and a dash of vanilla and cardamon to sweeten their dreams…

Hope this post helps. Let me know your tips for planning meals for your family.

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