Last Updated on November 8, 2023 by The Smetz Files
How many times do you get asked the question, ‘what’s for dinner?’
Literally this question is the bane of my existence! Answering this question, what’s for dinner, consumes an inordinate amount of my mental effort…daily. And let’s be clear, I am no gourmet chef. I am a working mom with two active kiddos. My husband and I volunteer with local organizations and we’re frequently juggling evening meetings between kid pick ups.
Dinner is just one more thing to plan.
I am caught between the conundrum of convenience and establishing healthy habits. I try to prepare healthy-ish meals around practice and game schedules, evening meetings, and family time. Sometimes convenience totally wins out and I order ahead and drive through somewhere on the way home, too tired to evaluate the most healthy, least expensive option. Does a bag of popcorn from the snack shack at the ballfield count as a meal?!
I scour Pinterest for quick, easy meal prep ideas. I search for family friendly meals that aren’t too complicated and are easy to eat and warm up if we’re eating in shifts. A lot of times I find joy in cooking, trying new recipes, involving the kids with meal prep, etc…but sometimes the mental energy required is exhausting and I just don’t want to think about ‘what’s for dinner?!’
It’s cyclical for me.
I fall into the rut of cooking the same four or five ‘go to’ meals each week that are fairly simple to prepare, we typically have all the essential ingredients, and there tends to be less complaining from the peanut gallery (I have one selective eater and one foodie!).
Family Favorite
Homemade pizza is a weekly go-to dinner at our house. It’s easily made while the kids shower. The kids can help prepare homemade pizza and chat about their day while we wait for it to bake. It’s easy to reheat if we’re eating in shifts. The kids never complain about homemade pizza. And IF any remains it’s a nice lunch surprise the next day for leftovers. Just last week I overheard my selective eater say, “If you don’t like cheese pizza, what are you doing with your life?”
If you don’t like cheese pizza, what are you doing with your life?
My kids
Some nights it all comes together beautifully and we enjoy family dinner around the table. Some nights we’re rolling in on two wheels, warming up leftovers, reaching for cereal boxes, and hustling to eat before heading to bed and starting all over again tomorrow. Regardless, I know I’ll be thinking about ‘what’s for dinner’!
