FOOD: PREPPING FOR SUCCESS

PREPPING FOR SUCCESS By Deirdre Johns

Let’s face it: feeding the kids is not always a piece of cake. Their limited desire for anything nutritious—unless it’s disguised—makes meal planning a challenge. And if your kids are like my son, Henry, his menu wish-list consists of chicken nuggets and corn dogs!

Busy schedules and limited time often interfere with the ability to plan and make more nutritious meals. The convenience of kid-favorite meals—often from the freezer section—can be tempting. Pop them in the microwave and voila!

I have to admit that I often fall victim to quick-and-easy meals. My family has specific dietary concerns with my husband eating vegetarian meals and my son being allergic to nuts. For me, planning meals to accommodate everyone is extra time-consuming, so I have to plan ahead in order to avoid quick, and often less-nutritious, meal choices.

While we sometimes have to grab something to eat in a pinch, we also want our kids to develop healthy eating habits. Here are some family-friendly meal ideas that will let you exercise a little more culinary creativity in the kitchen.

MEAL KITS FOR THE FAMILY. There are plenty of meal kit options, but not all kits are created equal. Take time to search for one that meets your family’s needs. Kits from HelloFresh have a “family-friendly” option while other kits may cater to a more refined palate. HelloFresh offers a variety of cuisine options, ranging from American to Korean to Greek, and meals include pasta, pork, chicken, fish, and more. Creating a menu for even picky eaters can be accomplished. Other kits, like Dinnerly, offer a family box option and are noted as “budget-friendly.” One of their “kid-friendly” recipes is for Green Enchiladas with Pinto Beans & Cheese. It’s a “one-pot” recipe with simple items, so kids can even help to make the meal. With options like these, you don’t have to sacrifice taste or time.

YUMBLE KIDS. This is another meal-kit service, but it is focused 100% on kids. I love their “picky-eater-pleasers” plates, which include some of our usual

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“go-to” meals, like chicken nuggets. The benefit? Their meal options detail a “focus ingredient.” For example, their macaroni and cheese recipe is made with cauliflower; the recipe details the benefits of cauliflower so you can be assured that “ready-made” still equals “nutritious.” These meals come fully-cooked, so you can pop them into the microwave for quick convenience, making classic freezer brands the runner up.

WEELICIOUS. This website was created with kids in mind and has a wonderful variety: vegetarian meals, easy-freeze meals, holiday snacks, foods to improve sleep, and meals for kids with food sensitivities. Users can search by ingredient, occasion, and prep time! There are plenty of cooking videos, so everyone can be involved in meal prep. The founder, Catherine McCord, says, “I want them to know that green food can be scrumptious and getting them involved in the preparation is one of

38 ParenthoodIQ.com • SPRING 2020 the best ways to do that.” The idea of “hiding” the “good” stuff makes sense and many parents resort to this tactic. What I love about McCord’s approach is teaching kids that “green” doesn’t have to mean “yuck!” This website is an all-inone winner.

MEALS THAT ARE A WIN-WIN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. Sometimes, I crave a meal that I know neither my husband or son will eat. I usually end up making two different meals for them, which means that I end up snacking on something rather than making a “real” dinner for myself. Hilton Head Island health coach Lara Jaffe Hart has a solution for this: make the staple and change up one smaller part of the meal. For example, if you are serving tacos, you can serve them on tortillas for the kids but substitute the chips with pepper halves or lettuce for the adults. Lasagna can be cooked in halves: one side spaghetti squash and one side

regular noodles. These strategies will accommodate various eaters while saving time and energy with less prep.

eMEALS. This service is a perfect recipe if you need the convenience of meal planning but want some flexibility. With a subscription, you are able to search through a variety of meal plans, which include family-inspired plans, weight management plans, and other specialty plans like Paleo or Keto. Once you select your meal plans for the week, your personalized shopping list is generated. You can shop for your items yourself (if you happen to have a kids-free moment!) or have your order prepared (integrated pickup through Amazon, Walmart, Kroger, Instacart or Shipt). You can also have your order delivered. With the number of options available, you can manage how much—or how little—time you have week to week and still prepare nutritious meals for the family.

Gone are the days of “you get what I make or you don’t get anything at all!” Catering to various dietary needs, whether it be picky eaters or food allergies, does not have to be as timeconsuming or frustrating as it sounds. There are many clever ways to create delicious and nutritious meals that everyone can say bon appetit to. PIQ

Deirdre Johns is Mom to Henry, an eight and a half-year-old lover of animals and nature. She has been teaching English for thirteen years, currently at Hilton Head Christian Academy, and has lived in the Lowcountry with her family since 2012.

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