As a mom I often get a lot of decision fatigue. I especially get decision fatigue around mealtime. I really struggle coming up with ideas day after day for 3 meals a day plus snacks for my entire family. Breakfast and lunch, even with kids at school, is meals for 6 and dinner for 7. (I let my husband fend for himself for breakfast and lunch.) It is exhausting to be able to constantly come up with ideas and to keep it healthy. Not only are there meals, but snacks for the kids that I need to add in, especially when trying to fuel them for all of their activities.
So, I am not here to give you an exact meal plan. (I know that sometimes I wish someone would just give me the meals so I don't have to think...) But I am here to encourage you and help you figure out what works best for your family.
My family is full of different opinions when it comes to food. Breakfast is really hard for me because I have 5 kids with 5 opinions. I have one child who would prefer leftovers from dinner for his breakfast and so often I let him do just that. The others like a few different breakfast foods, but we would never be so lucky that they all like the same ones. So I will do a few breakfast each week that I make them eat even if it isn't their favorite. I will do a "smoothie bowl" where I add protein and some fats to the fruit smoothie that I make. I make it thick so it can go into a bowl and then I let the kids add some higher protein granola that has the healthier fats in it to help support their brains as they go to school. I often make protein pancakes and will have them eat those as well. I will make the whole package and freeze the leftovers so on off days, I offer those, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, toast, chicken or turkey sausage, etc... I try to encourage low sugar and high protein and healthy fats for their breakfast. I don't keep cereal on hand very often and so that is not our go to, but think about what works for your family and what your kids might like.
For dinners, I really encourage you to keep it simple. The fewer the ingredients, the quicker, and it is often a more healthy meal. I try to find a protein- chicken, ground beef, steak, pork loin, turkey or chicken sausage, etc... I then add a vegetable or two and decide if it will be raw or cooked and then a grain, starch, legume or a combo of them- rice, potato, sweet potato, protein pasta, lentils, chick peas, beans, etc.. These can be a burrito bowl, a sheet pan meal, just done on the grill or the stove, or sometimes a soup or a stew is made. (I make those maybe once a week depending on how cold I am in the winter.) I think that keeping it simple keeps it healthier and easier for you as the mom.
Hang in there! You have got breakfast, lunch and dinner times, no matter how many opinions are shared with you about what is liked and not liked. Let me know if you have any ideas of your own that have helped you feed and fuel your family in a nutritious way. Also, shoot me any questions. Good luck feeding your families and staying sane while doing it and meeting all the demands.
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