Grocery shopping.
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Per pound? That would be great. They're priced cheaper than the whole chickens here, but they're about 2/3 of the size.@mamarissy busy mom, best of success to you. I think if you gradually switch your diet over it will get easier over time. My daughter keeps reminding me that the rotisserie chicken is often cheaper than the frozen. Rotisserie chicken is cheaper and more convenient. How great is that?
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She asked a question, but she didn't be asked to be told she was lazy or insulted.
While I agree that eating healthy isn't all that much harder, I do see where a single mom working two jobs would find it quicker and easier to microwave a meal than cook one, especially if there is homework to help with before getting the kids into bed. Feeding them quickly might be the priority. I cannot imagine how hard that life would be and am not going to pass judgement on someone doing what she needs to do.
The shopping, though...it really doesn't take much longer to pick up some meat and veggies than it does to pick up some Hamburger Helper and meat. Maybe a minute, maybe less.
OP, you have to decide what your priorities are. Do you want your family to eat healthy of not? Either choice is a valid one to make and the decision is yours. If you want to do the healthy thing, ask for opinions on quick and healthy meals or ones you can make ahead of time.
I fed my son a lot of junk while he was growing up. Hamburger Helper, Kraft Dinner, pizza, all kinds of stuff. Those weren't "once in a while" kind of treats. That was our diet. When I had more money, it was mostly fast food and restaurant food. I failed to make him his healthiest or to teach him good, healthy habits. It's some kind of miracle that he developed them on his own, before I did, lol. I was bad about what I fed him, but that doesn't make me a terrible mom.
If you choose microwaveable meals, it won't make you a terrible mom. You will be failing to make the kids their healthiest and won't be teaching them good habits, but maybe they'll develop them when they're older. You're still a good mom. Healthy food is not the litmus test. There is no litmus test.
Exactly what I was thinking.0 -
I think this is symptomatic. Are we getting totally helpless? So many new "services" offer "dinner tips" and this. How difficult can it be to transfer the ingredients from a recipe to a shopping list? How can anyone not know what they want to have for dinner?
Why such "anger"...
Someone is asking for help and (most) people are offering helpful tips. There's no need to ridicule or derogate someone for asking for help, just because *you* find the task in question second nature.
If don't want to contribute something helpful, you don't have to reply just to make the OP feel inadequate.
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Learn to make passata or just basic sauces make in batch these are great bases and cheap quick and easy or ragu you can simply add to pasta, or add meat and pasta or use as base for casserole, curry the possibilities are endless. Homemade chicken goujons, pitta bread pizza. Omelettes are my go to short on time meal you chuck in what you have.0
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Also - just gonna toss this out there - you don't need meat with every meal.0
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What sorts of meatless meals do children like? I'd imagine anything with cheese on it. That could be make-your-own pizza night, or baked potatoes with cheese. Kidney or black bean based chili on a bun would be easy and inexpensive. For a busy mom, this might be made with a slow cooker, double batch and freeze.
I have trouble selling tofu and lentil based meals on children and fussy husbands.0 -
What sorts of meatless meals do children like? I'd imagine anything with cheese on it. That could be make-your-own pizza night, or baked potatoes with cheese. Kidney or black bean based chili on a bun would be easy and inexpensive. For a busy mom, this might be made with a slow cooker, double batch and freeze.
I have trouble selling tofu and lentil based meals on children and fussy husbands.
Quesadillas, vegetarian chili, breakfast for dinner, tempeh tacos (they don't even notice, I've tried it), stir fried vegetables over rice in a nice sweet/sour sauce... it can be done. You have some good suggestions, too.
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vivmom2014 wrote: »What sorts of meatless meals do children like? I'd imagine anything with cheese on it. That could be make-your-own pizza night, or baked potatoes with cheese. Kidney or black bean based chili on a bun would be easy and inexpensive. For a busy mom, this might be made with a slow cooker, double batch and freeze.
I have trouble selling tofu and lentil based meals on children and fussy husbands.
Quesadillas, vegetarian chili, breakfast for dinner, tempeh tacos (they don't even notice, I've tried it), stir fried vegetables over rice in a nice sweet/sour sauce... it can be done. You have some good suggestions, too.
Also, grilled cheese and tomato soup. We had that on Tuesday.0 -
I totally get it that you might not have the time and energy to sit down and plan out new healthy wonderful meals for every week. But could you do that 2-3 times a year, and then repeat over and over?
My husband and I kind of do that. Lots of inexpensive yet healthy and easy meals and we only have about 10 of them in our "regular rotation". We both throw new ideas in there occasionally but our core go-to meals sustain us much of the time and it doesn't take much effort to do our grocery list and meal planning because 3/4 of it is stuff we have every couple of weeks (or more often).
Just an idea.
Also-- remember that everyone can find their way, it's not all or nothing...it doesn't have to be ALL frozen pizza and mac or ALL organic from-scratch farm fresh meals. Find the balance that works for you. For example, we do most foods from scratch but don't give a hoot about whether things like vegetables and fruit are frozen or fresh especially if it is the difference of a couple dollars.
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Here's how I started out. Pick 2 easy things to cook -- spaghetti and tacos -- and do them both every week for a few weeks. When you brown the meat for spaghetti make double, and save half in the fridge for tacos. If you make these two easy meals every week for a month or so, they will become pretty much effortless for you, and from here on out, you won't have to think or plan to shop for or make either of those two things.
You might get tired of them after that month, which is fine. Take some time off and make them again. It's like riding a bike... you'll just remember.
Then, in a month, find one more easy recipe. Shop for it and cook it once a week for a month.
It's just about building habits very slowly. Make it easy on yourself. Baby steps!
Eventually you'll have a mental library of 10 or so go-to recipes that you can shop for and cook without a lot of thought or planning.0 -
I do not have the time nor energy to sit down and come up with healthy meals and create grocery lists for them so I know exactly what to buy at the grocery store. Between work and kids, I find is much easier to just grab a frozen pizza and some boxed Mac n cheese. How do you all find the time/motivation to come up with a grocery list and recipes and everything and stick to them?
you don't need a list of recipes...cooking good healthy meals doesn't necessitate using elaborate recipes. my weekday cooking is pretty basic stuff (not boring or bland though)...usually weekday meals consist of some kind of marinated or rubbed poultry, meat, or fish; some kind of grain or starch or legume; and a veg of some kind either steamed, sauteed, or roasted. I can make most things in under an hour (things like baking a potato or steaming brown rice take some time, but it's not like you have to be sitting there watching the stuff cook). For a quicker meal, I'll just grill up the protein and serve with veg and we always have a big batch of beans or lentils on hand as I cook big batches on the weekends...I can have dinner out in 15 minutes if necessary...no elaborate recipes.
I save more elaborate cooking and fussing with recipes and whatnot for weekend cooking...I enjoy it, but they're generally not appropriate for weeknights given the time they take and actually having to be over the stove or oven actively chefing it up.
we really don't plan our shopping around particular meals...we have staple food items in the house and we shop once per week to replenish those things for which we are low or out of plus any additional items that may have been discussed. Our staples:
Chicken
Pork Tenderloin
Ground beef
Cod
Salmon
Shrimp
Lentils
Dried legumes
Brown rice
Potatoes
Quinoa
Pasta
Oats
Cereal for the kids
Onions
Broccoli
Green Beans
Cabbage
Cucumber
Greens
Chicken stock
Eggs
Milk
Cheese
Deli Meats
Bacon
Bread
and probably more I'm missing here. we also keep a small amount of proper "junk" in the house as well...0 -
What sorts of meatless meals do children like? I'd imagine anything with cheese on it. That could be make-your-own pizza night, or baked potatoes with cheese. Kidney or black bean based chili on a bun would be easy and inexpensive. For a busy mom, this might be made with a slow cooker, double batch and freeze.
I have trouble selling tofu and lentil based meals on children and fussy husbands.
My dd would not eat tofu but likes these meatless foods-
Grilled cheese sandwiches
quesadillas
minestrone soup
fassolatha soup
pasta with a meatless sauce
cheese manicotti or lasagna
lentil soup
veggie burgers
bean & cheese burritos
eggs
pancakes
french toast
oatmeal
baked potatoes
cheesey rice and broccoli casserole
baked macaroni and cheese
pbj
cereal
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vivmom2014 wrote: »What sorts of meatless meals do children like? I'd imagine anything with cheese on it. That could be make-your-own pizza night, or baked potatoes with cheese. Kidney or black bean based chili on a bun would be easy and inexpensive. For a busy mom, this might be made with a slow cooker, double batch and freeze.
I have trouble selling tofu and lentil based meals on children and fussy husbands.
Quesadillas, vegetarian chili, breakfast for dinner, tempeh tacos (they don't even notice, I've tried it), stir fried vegetables over rice in a nice sweet/sour sauce... it can be done. You have some good suggestions, too.
What are tempeh tacos?0 -
esaucier17 wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »What sorts of meatless meals do children like? I'd imagine anything with cheese on it. That could be make-your-own pizza night, or baked potatoes with cheese. Kidney or black bean based chili on a bun would be easy and inexpensive. For a busy mom, this might be made with a slow cooker, double batch and freeze.
I have trouble selling tofu and lentil based meals on children and fussy husbands.
Quesadillas, vegetarian chili, breakfast for dinner, tempeh tacos (they don't even notice, I've tried it), stir fried vegetables over rice in a nice sweet/sour sauce... it can be done. You have some good suggestions, too.
What are tempeh tacos?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempeh0 -
I buy a lot in bulk... our freezer is always stocked with frozen meat fruits veggies... I always have rice and pastas stocked and will just pick up a little here and there like dairy and produce.0
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I
tempeh 0 -
esaucier17 wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »What sorts of meatless meals do children like? I'd imagine anything with cheese on it. That could be make-your-own pizza night, or baked potatoes with cheese. Kidney or black bean based chili on a bun would be easy and inexpensive. For a busy mom, this might be made with a slow cooker, double batch and freeze.
I have trouble selling tofu and lentil based meals on children and fussy husbands.
Quesadillas, vegetarian chili, breakfast for dinner, tempeh tacos (they don't even notice, I've tried it), stir fried vegetables over rice in a nice sweet/sour sauce... it can be done. You have some good suggestions, too.
What are tempeh tacos?
Since I stopped eating meat I've had fun trying some of the "meat analogues" (mmm, sounds so appetizing!) and I have liked all of them so far. My husband is on board, my 14 year old son? Not so much. I have no objection to them eating meat if they want to - have at it - but I've yet to see my son leap into the kitchen to start cooking. So he's pretty much stuck with some of the protein alternatives I serve (not every night) - and he's coming around. They can all taste quite good with spices, sautéing, etc.
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Thank you to everyone who responded with such positive and helpful comments! I appreciate it! As for everyone else who has negativity to add, thank you too! You're all right, I'm making excuses. No more excuses. Time to just shut my mouth & do what I KNOW I NEED to do to be healthy and happy for me and my family! Thank you everyone!
Good for you. Sometimes a bit of tough love and some practical suggestions are the ticket. Best of luck.0 -
One of my favorite meals is quick red beans and rice with smoked sausage. Sautee some onion and garlic with the sausage, then throw in a can of kidney beans (rinse first) with a cup of rice and 2 cups water with some tomato bullion. cooks in about 30 mins veggies in the microwave steamer bags are a lifesaver, generally take about 6-7 minutes, depending on altitude. Cooking is as easy or as hard as you make it! And get the kids involved! I find that if they help make it, they are more inclined to eat it. 0
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beachhouse758 wrote: »I think this is symptomatic. Are we getting totally helpless? So many new "services" offer "dinner tips" and this. How difficult can it be to transfer the ingredients from a recipe to a shopping list? How can anyone not know what they want to have for dinner?
Why such "anger"...
Someone is asking for help and (most) people are offering helpful tips. There's no need to ridicule or derogate someone for asking for help, just because *you* find the task in question second nature.
If don't want to contribute something helpful, you don't have to reply just to make the OP feel inadequate.
If you want to contribute, why not just post a link to your meal planning site?-1
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