Fredericksburg Parent

8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • November 2021 WRITTEN BY DEBRA CAFFREY practical pantry practical pantry Eating So Much! STOP STOP Let's be honest—the idea of shopping for, preparing, cooking, and clean- ing up meals every single night is overwhelming, even for someone like me who likes to cook! When you don't enjoy cooking as much, the unending task of preparing meals can be downright arduous. I hear you, and everyone deserves a night off from cooking here and there. But eating out or get- ting takeout too often is not only expensive but not as healthy as eating at home. You may be nodding your head in agreement at this notion, but doing something about it is another story. I find that most folks would love to be saving more money on dining out, but they just can't seem to stop the cycle of feeling too busy to prepare more meals at home. If you find yourself in this dilemma, here are a few of my easy tactics to help you eat at home more, even if you don't love to cook: Simple Strategies to PLAN FOR OCCASIONAL DINING OUT FIRST It may seem counterintuitive but planning your meals around when you're most busy and most likely to grab food on the go is a helpful way to avoid overdoing it in the long run. If you know that it will be impossible to cook on Tuesday based on everyone's sports practices, it's OK to plan that getting takeout might be easier that night, as long as you commit to cooking around this instance to counterbalance the money spent. Pretending that you'll be able to cook from scratch every busy night won't set you up for success but being disciplined to cook on less busy nights is a realistic way of finding balance. KEEP IT SIMPLE Meal planning and gourmet cooking do not have to go hand in hand. I think when a lot of people think of meal prep and cooking at home, they automatically feel pressured to make glamorous dinners for the family every night. Don't worry about that! The goal is just to avoid spending so much of your money on convenience food. Plan for easy meals on busy nights. If you hate cooking, grilled cheese and tomato soup, pasta and salad, an easy homemade pizza, or simple burgers on the grill require little technique and minimal prep. ENLIST THE WHOLE FAMILY'S HELP If you're trying to save money on dining out, first you'll need to commit to this as a family. Discuss when eating out is most appropriate and rewarding, such as fun day trips and vacations, and when it's not necessary. Further, to avoid feeling overwhelmed in the kitchen and to put the onus on everyone to pitch in, make sure that your kids are helping out with food prep, setting the table, cleaning up, and drying dishes. All of these smaller chores are not only a great way to teach life skills, but to alleviate your having to do everything when it comes to getting a meal on the table. Older kids and teens can help with meal planning and even have a regular night where they are responsible for making dinner!

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