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When it comes to meal times, some days go like a dream, and others turn into a nightmare. But as parents, you have a house to take care of, a job, bills to pay, kids to take too and from clubs/school/friends… It can be pretty endless. 

Sometimes the evening meal (or any meal) can get kicked into the last place on the to-do list. 

Instead of reaching for the take-out leaflet, try employing a couple of the tips below to make your mealtimes much easier.

Photo by Frans Van Heerden from Pexels

This might sound like a lot of hard work but just bear with it. When you are cooking the meal, have a selection of quick to eat fruits and veggies on the table. Carrot batons, berries, sliced grapes, cucumbers, tomato halves and other quick nibbles. 

If the kids are hungry, they will start filling up on all the good healthy stuff, while the main meal finished off cooking. It also takes the pressure off needing to prep veggies to be cooked. 

They are reasonably cheap as grab bags in the supermarket, or you could prep a big bunch of them all at the weekend. 

Pancake! If you are having one of those days that nothing is going well, then having a premixed pancake batter in the cupboard will help you solve all manner of problems. 

You can make a quick pancake stack in a matter of minutes for any meal during the day, and go for sweet or savory toppings. 

So often the language we use to get our kids to eat something is ‘you will eat it’. That can be met with resistance, and the battle ensues. Try to say something like ‘you don’t have to eat it all’. Yes, food is a luxury, and no money doesn’t grow on trees. But if there is no pressure for the food to be eaten, often it will be enjoyed without any fuss. 

You can have some Tupperware ready to put the leftovers in so nothing gets wasted. 

Weekly meal planning is something that not only saves money, but it saves the problem of coming home and having to work out meals. You could also try out some meal boxes. Find out which one will work for you by checking out https://www.themealkitcomparison.com. 

There is a range of options for different meal styles and sizes. They make a great addition to the weekly shop too. 

While you are all sitting there, start asking questions as you eat. You will find that the kids will chat and eat. Sure, they might be a little slower, but they will usually eat more because they aren’t focusing on their food. If you have the time to turn mealtime into family chat time, then do it. 

Get them to tell you about what the learned, who they spoke to and that type of thing. You are engaging the kids, learning about their day and getting them to eat up.