Permission to Keep Dinner Simple

Imagine this…It’s 5:30 pm. Everyone is hungry, you’re tired after a long day at work, and someone inevitably asks the question you’ve been trying not to think about all afternoon…“What’s for dinner?”

So, here’s your reminder: Dinner does not need to be complicated to be nutritious. It doesn’t need to be made entirely from scratch or contain a dozen ingredients. And it definitely doesn’t need to look like something you’d see on Instagram. 

Think of the meal as components, not recipes. When you don’t have the time or energy to follow a recipe, aim to include a source of protein, a vegetable or fruit, and a source of carbohydrate. Add some healthy fat and flavour, and you have the foundation of a balanced meal. And remember… not every meal needs to check every nutrition box perfectly. What we eat over days and weeks matters much more than whether Tuesday night’s dinner was perfectly balanced.

Convenience foods are allowed! Rotisserie chicken, frozen vegetables, bagged salads, canned beans, jarred pasta sauce, pre-cooked grains and frozen fish can make feeding your family significantly easier. Convenience foods aren’t a failure you need to feel guilty about. They are incredibly useful tools.

• A rotisserie chicken with a bagged salad and a whole-grain roll is dinner.
• Scrambled eggs, toast and some cut-up fruit is dinner.
• Pasta with jarred tomato sauce, frozen vegetables and pre-cooked chicken is dinner.
• A quesadilla with black beans, cheese, salsa and some vegetables or fruit on the side is dinner.

Give yourself grace! Food is important and nutrition matters. But so does your time, energy and sanity. Some nights you’ll assemble. Some nights you’ll reheat leftovers. And yes, sometimes you’ll order pizza. 

• Are you ordering pizza this week? Add some cut-up vegetables or a salad. 
• Having boxed macaroni and cheese? Add frozen peas and serve it with fruit.
• Heating up chicken nuggets? Add some cucumber, carrots and a whole-grain pita.

Give yourself permission to make feeding your family a little easier. Because the best family meal isn’t the most elaborate one. Sometimes, the best dinner is simply the one that gets everyone fed.

 

 

Jenn Giurgevich is the founder of Spark Nutrition & Health, a virtual nutrition consulting business.
Visit www.sparknutritionandhealth.ca for more information.