Tips for Smoother Mealtimes as the School Year Begins

By Veronica McCauley, RDN

Summer has flown quickly, and here we are starting a new school year. Likely a sigh of relief from parents and a groan from the kids, ready or not, here we come! The time for laid-back summertime meals and fun in the sun has come and gone, and now we face stricter schedules, earlier mornings and afternoon practices. Here are some tips to help one aspect become more manageable.

Forbes suggests that on average, ordering from a restaurant is five times more expensive than it is to cook at home. Let’s begin our week by setting a menu! Set aside time weekly to plan the menu, influenced by online recipes, family preferences or what is stocked in your freezer. Either way, set the menu! Set a small goal of 3 dinners, but work up to 5-6 meals each week. 

Another suggestion is to plan for leftovers, which will help on later evenings. Double the recipe and stick with it. If you are not much on eating the same meal two nights in a row, plan to eat it another night during the week (game nights!). Another benefit to this: leftovers tend to be more nutrient dense than something air fried from the freezer. Yes, I am a mom of 4 and we frequent our air fryer often, but if I can prepare a homemade meal and create leftovers versus cranking up the air fryer, I am in!

Meal planning doesn’t just mean dinner time! How many of you all are scrambling in the mornings getting breakfast ready, along with packing lunches and snacks? It happens more often than not, but take the time to plan for breakfast as well. Baked oatmeal and berry muffins or whole grain banana bread can reduce the stress that presents itself with school mornings. If your kids like eggs, scrambling a few eggs on the stovetop can take minutes, and can be an excellent protein option. The same is relevant for lunches! With our family, I want to reduce any morning tension, so one way that helps is packing lunches the night before. It is a timesaver, the kids are already in bed, and it makes for a calmer environment!

My final suggestion is to prep what you can, but don’t cook everything on the weekend. Plan ahead: wash and slice your produce, batch cook protein or cook the grains. That way, you aren’t stuck in the kitchen all day on Sunday, you can assemble meals based on what you prepped, and allows for flexibility if you have to pivot.

Whole Grain Banana Bread:

• 1/3 c canola oil
• ½ c honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 c mashed banana
• ¼ c milk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 ¾ c whole wheat flour
• Optional mix-ins: ½ c nuts, or chocolate chips, dried fruit

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, grease 9x5 loaf pan
2. In a large bowl, beat oil and honey with whisk, add eggs and mix, then mashed banana and milk.
3. Add baking soda, vanilla, salt, cinnamon. Add flour until just combined. Fold in mix-ins gently.
4. Pour into greased pan, sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 55-60 minutes, until toothpick inserted in middle is clean. Cool for 10 minutes, transfer to cooling rack before slicing.

Veronica McCauley is a Registered Dietitian at Owensboro Healthpark.