When 5pm comes around at my house, opening the fridge and deciding what is for dinner is a dreaded task. The worst phrase I hear is “Mom, what’s for dinner?” Can someone else answer this question for me?
Meal Planning Challenge
In an effort to avoid a dinner time boycott, I enlisted my 5 year old son and 8 year old daughter to plan a meal. They were willing participants and eager to choose the food they like to eat. To accept this challenge, we all agreed to follow the outlined criteria. This was our first attempt, so I kept that part simple.
Meal Planning Criteria
- Vegetable
- Fruit
- Carbohydrate Choice
- Protein food
- Beverage
Who did it best?
- Corn
- Berry Smoothie
- Macaroni & Cheese
- Sausage
- Tomato
- Watermelon
- Chips
- Sausage
- Milk
- Green Beans and Tomatoes
- Orange Slices
- Croissant Mummy on Hotdog
- Water
Who does dinner at your house?
Are you ready to take the challenge to include your favorite foods and also seek for balance and variety? This challenge was a fun activity for my kids.
I am happy to say that all dinner meals met the assigned criteria. This, in part, is attributed to our many previous dinnertime discussions about what types of foods we are eating. My son knows that chicken has protein and helps him get strong muscles. My daughter knows the difference between fruits and vegetables.
Meal Planning Guide
A little pre-planning can minimizing dinnertime stress. Consider the following ideas to help:
- Include at least one food that each person will like
- Vary the color of the foods to make it more appealing
- Make foods fun
- Rotate through your favorite meals twice a week
- Include a finger food selection for kids
- Allow for help in the kitchen
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