• Have a week’s worth of menus ready.
Plan the week’s menus with several kid-tested and parent-approved main dishes. Do your grocery shopping for the week so you have all supplies on hand. Once you have the main entree, e.g., whole grain spaghetti and marinara sauce, all you need to do is add a vegetable or two and some fruit to complete the meal.
• Stock your kitchen.
Keep your pantry stocked with staple items such as beans, whole grain pasta, tuna, eggs, canned tomatoes, canned fruits and frozen vegetables. Add in-season produce items to round out the meal.
• Prepare multiple batches of main ingredients.
If you are cooking ground beef, it is just as easy to cook a double or triple batch that can be frozen and reheated for tacos or soup during a busy weeknight.
• Get the whole family involved.
Even young children like to be involved in the planning of the meals, so have them plan a menu of their favorites. Children are more likely to eat what is served if they play a part in making it. Setting the table, mixing vegetables in a salad, stirring cold foods and clearing the dishes afterward help kids feel involved. Make the most of family mealtime. Family meals don’t need to be complicated or time-consuming; the key is sitting down and eating a meal together. Molly Marshall is a registered dietitian at Columbus Regional Hospital and works with Healthy Communities’ Reach program. june 2010 • she magazine
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