Deciding what, and when, to eat ...
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 01:52PM 
Some of my cookbooks … most often used are the binders at the left, full of internet-based recipes, followed closely by Nourishing Traditions and the New Basics Cookbook. I’m finally facing up to something that I’ve been avoiding for a very long time. Many of the issues/confrontations/frustrations in this house are related to food. Not specifically the kind of food (other than frequent begging for dessert which I don’t offer every day) but What to make for any given meal, and getting it made before everyone is too hungry to think or even get along at all. I don’t plan ahead, or buy prepped food either, and it sucks for all of us.
I’ve been handed a nicely speedy metabolism that means I pretty well have to eat every 2 or so hours or I get cranky. My eldest is the same, but Fynn and my husband can go a lot longer without too many repercussions. The simple solution would be to plan meals somewhat ahead of time (at least know in the morning what’s for dinner, and make sure I have the ingredients) and to have plenty of healthy-enough snacks on hand so the boys can help themselves at will. The mandatory other part of that though is getting myself in the habit of stopping whatever else I’m doing when it’s time to make a meal. I really really suck at that … I don’t want to stop the productivity roll that’s inevitably started right before the magic moment at which I must stop and cook, or everyone falls apart.
Familiar with this feeling?? I sure am :)I need to add to my snack repertoire of apples and peanut butter, bananas, carrots, and pickles. Crackers and cheese is usually an option too. Most importantly though I think that given how our household rolls, I have to get a better grip on the meals long before it becomes an issue. I simply have to bite the bullet and plan a bit, at least making a roster of lunch and dinner options at the beginning of the week, preferrably before I go shopping. I’m very spoiled by the 24/7/365 bodega around the corner that carries G-free stuff, fresh fruit and veggies, and pretty much all the basics. When I decide at 6 that we’re having tacos for dinner and start speed-thawing the meat, I can send Douglas over to pick up an avocado and some sour cream. It makes it so easy to leave stuff till the last minute, but it’s not all that budget friendly, nor is it the best source of fruit and veg for us as I really try to avoid sprayed and gmo stuff.
My sister uses the Plan to Eat software, and she gave me a subscription to try out. I’ve not spent enough time in it to decide if it works for me yet or not, but as I don’t have internet available in my kitchen, I’m not sure if I can use it well without printing a bunch of stuff every week. I’ve looked at hotby6 in the past too, but my recipes don’t jive with their collections, and I don’t have any extra room to freeze pre-prepped meals.
Maybe just sitting down on Saturday mornings with my tea and a stack of recipe books is best? It’s not like I have a vast repertoire of dishes, nor do I use recipes all the time, but I have to at least flip through the books sometimes to remind myself of what the options are other than spaghetti, tacos, a bazillion kinds of soup, tortilla casserole, and lentils and rice. It also depends on what’s fresh and easily available this time of year, and what I’m craving at that particular moment. I sometimes fear that if I plan, I’ll be so not in the mood for what I have on the list when the times comes that I’ll blow it all off. Silly fear, I know. I get caught between wanting to fly by the seat of my pants all the time, and needing to plan ahead so we stay sane. The flying bit is what’s gotten us into this low-blood-sugared mess, and so something needs to change. Stat.
Anyone else struggle with this? Ideas welcomed!
E - Eat, Exercise, Energize, home life, time | tagged meals, planning
Reader Comments (6)
I have very picky eatters so this comes up all of the time. That and the fact that I run out of ideas, makes it a constant battle. I look forward to the day when I can go back to only having to worry about myself.
We subscribe to the six o'clock scramble (a weekly menu and grocery list service) for dinner, and follow it pretty well. On days when we don't feel like eating what's on the menu we usually can make something else with the ingredients on hand from one of our bazillion cookbooks. In the past we subscribed to another menu-mailer... there's a bunch of them out there.
I started menu planning about 12 years ago. I've changed how I've done it several times over the years, but I can't imagine ever not pre-planning again. It's just far too stressful for me. I started pulling out my recipe box and cookbooks once a week and did that for a long time. Then I decided that if I was going to have it all out, I might as well do a whole month's worth. I finally got tired of pulling them out even that often and made a list of the recipes I use and where I kept them and planned off of that. Now I just make sure I have meals planned up through my next scheduled trip in to town. I used a photocopied sheet the showed a whole month so I'd often plug in meals for the future when I saw a new recipe I wanted to try or remembered an old favorite. I use the PlanToEat software now and do the same thing. It's a great fit for me now that I have so many recipes entered. I keep track of appointments, etc on the same sheet and that helps me choose recipes. We have a frequently changing schedule so I don't often plan a meal that can't be changed easily without much notice.
I have the same issues. And I REALLY have a teen that goes off the deep end if he gets hungry. It's ugly. I am not a cook so what I did was started a list of the regular meals we eat and then we add to the list as I think of stuff or change things. It's now easy to decide what's for dinner because the meals ares in front of me. I used to just wander around the grocery store and throw stuff in, now I pick a few meals before I leave and get everything and it works better.... Oh, and on the two nights a week when we're running to kid's activities, I have four crock pot recipes that I use and mix up. Food that can be quickly stuffed in hungry teens mouths when they walk in the are good...
Thanks all! Glad to know I'm not alone, and now I have some more ideas to try. Crock-pot recipes ... Thanks for the reminder Leanne! I just found a new one yesterday (beer-cheese-chicken tacos, yum!) and will have to make sure there are enough of those in my rotation. Going to give Plan to Eat a go, and have (I think) solved the protein-snack-on-the-go issue by finding cheap organic beef jerky, which both my boys love!
A great menu planning website is E-Mealz. They offer a variety of menu plans, even an organic "Whole foods" store plan. It is $15.00 for a 3 month plan. There is also a $2.00 off coupon code online.