Moms with teens or older kids -- when did you take more shortcuts in the kitchen?

[Janie Grace]

I look back on the mom-of-little-kids version of myself and think "she would be appalled by the shortcuts I take now." Frozen waffles, for one. Frozen DINNERS, for another (thank you Trader Joe's, for making this feel "not so bad"). Box mac-and-cheese (they like it better and I do get the "good" stuff), store-bought bread, granola bars, cold cereals, and so on. I used to have such high standards for myself and I can't figure out why I have changed. I do cook from scratch MOST nights, but cheater meals sure are nice.

 

Partly I think it's because I am legitimately busier with five school-aged kids, even though I get more sleep than when I only had little ones. I definitely drive more, especially right before the dinner hour. I am also more tired, because I'm older. And I think I have learned that I don't need to be driven by "the ideal"; I'm kind of over proving myself. But sometimes I worry that I'm just not trying as hard. My poor younger kids might be malnourished hoodlums. I can't figure out if I should just be happy that I'm somehow balancing life with kids in preschool through high school or if I need a kick in the butt.

 

So what about you? More shortcut when they were little or later?

[Snickerdoodle]

Yes, as soon as the early teen years began I noticed too that I was becoming more relaxed with meals.     I still cook from scratch a lot but we have added lots of little conveniences too.  :o  

[Ali in OR]

It's a necessity due to the kids' activity schedules. I remember when it was 1 ballet class per week held in the after school hours. Ballet is now 3 nights per week plus Saturday and it's late afternoon/early evening as is everything for middle school and high school aged kids. And that's just ballet--add in a musical for three months for that kid, soccer and cross country or track for the other, and physical therapy and swimming for my disabled kiddo. I do A LOT of driving, all around dinner prep and dinner eating time. So I cook good meals on weekends and other rare nights when it works out and just try to keep the fast food dinners to no more than 1 night per week, 2 for the extremely busy weeks. That means there are some nights of Trader Joe's orange chicken/rice/fruit or frozen ravioli with jarred sauce/caesar salad or sandwich night, etc.

[SKL]

I took shortcuts then, and I take different ones now.

 

My main grocery store is a healthy food store, where even the convenience foods are pretty good stuff.  For example, I used to buy canned organic beans'n'rice (brown rice), until one of my kids decided she would no longer touch anthing that might have possibly touched a bean.  :p  Since I am not a cook and I don't have time for that craft anyway, I spent the time looking at all the nutritious, organic / all natural options and had a pretty good thing going.  They enjoyed organic cheesy ravioli, spaghetti-os and vegetarian meatballs, several varieties of mac'n'cheese, etc.  They ate organic instant oatmeal, fruit, and milk for brunch every day.  When we went out we'd have picnic lunches with kiddy cereal bars or other organic snacks, whole fruit/veg, boxed yogurt/milk, etc.

 

When my kids entered preschool, they started to get picky, and the skinny one started losing weight, so I started compromising so she would eat.  Over the years my kids have decided they hate pretty much every healthy snack and convenience food they used to enjoy.  Whatever.  They do still like the mac'n'cheese.  :)

 

I hired my sister to take care of my kids on Sundays, and she cooks a big meal for us about 2x per month.  She brings the groceries and it's mostly whatever we ate as kids, i.e., not so healthy, but it sure tastes good, so I'm not saying anything.

 

I started giving my kids small bottles of organic yogurt smoothies for breakfast each day, along with organic fruits and a variety of starches - some organic and some not.  Yes, we do waffles and microwave pancakes.  I tried the organic ones, but my kids prefer Eggo, which their aunties buy them.  I used to buy healthy cereals, but they lost interest and now they won't eat any cereal except Cheerios (introduced by my parents).  Organic eggs, an easy meal, are on again - off again.

 

When the kids went to 1st grade and needed a packed lunch, I found stuff like organic flavored applesauce, cheese sticks, go-gurt, etc.  I was buying those cut apple servings, until my kids stopped eating them.  For a while one of mine was nuts for Tapaz hummus & pita chips, then one day she decided she hates them.  Now she eats a pepperoni sandwich each day.  Whatever.

 

I gave up on brown bread about a year ago.  Too many lunches came back home uneaten because they no longer like brown bread.  (Again, thank you aunties for offering white bread against my wishes.)

 

I still buy as many organics / healthy foods as they will eat.  But we also buy dinner out multiple times per week.

 

I make my kids exercise every day, partly to compensate for the failings concerning their diet.  They seem pretty OK.

[LibraryLover]

I am grateful for Amy's frozen bowls, and Amy's GF burritos (no allergies, my dds just prefer them). There is no way around it right now. I don't feel guilty.  We also get take out more now, but the food is mostly high quality. We have a nice Korean place nearby, so we eat sea weed, kimchee etc. That's good stuff.

 

I still roast chickens, make soups, salads, grill salmon/ other fish (I make sure we get fish at least twice a week. But I don't do anything crazy but grill, or bake in oven)  t etc., but not at the rate I once did. Breakfast is usually pastured eggs in some form, and lots of avos.   I'm fine with a bit of boxed cereal as well.  (Don't tell my Weston Price friends.) And sometimes granola, which I know is not a health food, but one of my kids loves it. I get the low sugar, organic. I could make it, but I don't.  If I don't feel like sautéing veggies, I am fine simply dumping various raw greens into a salad. That's healthy and easy. I'm not above buying it already washed/bagged. Although I do have greens in my garden box. (CA)

 

I don't buy small containers of anything. If you want yogurt in your lunchbox, it goes into  little container from the large tub. Again, I could make it, but I am not right now.

 

Wait. My greatest shame: Cliff protein bars. My ballet child couldn't survive without them. She can't eat a huge meal before class, but she can't make through pilates etc and  to 7:30 without something. Sometimes she takes almonds or cashews, but that gets caught in her braces, and bugs her. My older dd also needs them. Low blood sugar issues for her, and she is one who can easily forget to eat.  Neither of them will take hardboiled eggs to class, or on the train. ;) I try to keep some in the fridge for home.

[Barbara H]

One trade off with teens is bigger appetites can be tough on the budget with a lot of convenience food because some teens can just really pack away the food. One thing we hit on in the teen years was trying to have some ready to go staples in the fridge that were cooked on the weekend and could be reheated in the microwave during the week after coming home from activities. Stuff like cooked beans and cooked rice, that can be topped with cheese and salsa and nuked. Other options like baked pasta, enchilladas, chili, rice salads, etc. can be good. This stuff is fairly carb heavy and not the world's most perfect healthy stuff, but it easy to make and it fills them up for not too much money.

 

Editing to add: I also say no way on making homemade waffles for everybody. It takes forever and if they want them they could cook them for themselves couldn't they?

[Annie G]

I'm completely the opposite. Once the kids got older I stopped using most convenience foods and shortcuts. Yeah, they ate more, but I had more time to devote to meals because I wasn't changing diapers, dressing kids, brushing their hair, fixing their plates, etc.   When the kids were little, I would plan meals but simply not have the time and energy to follow through.  Hamburger Helper and a bag of frozen veggies? Perfect. Now?  I'm more likely to make tacos (no pre made seasoning mix), make my own refried beans, chop all the lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, etc., grate the cheese, and  maybe make some Mexican rice.  And we have the fixings for taco salad for a couple of days. Why I couldn't pull this off with four young kids at home is simply because I was overwhelmed with everything.   Because I can also keep up with laundry, keep the bathroom clean, and handle household finances too.  

 

 

[Excelsior! Academy]

Surprisingly less shortcuts in the kitchen, but others elsewhere.  With a large family, convenience foods like boxed mac and cheese are much less convenient than cooking from scratch.  It would take a minimum of 5 boxes of Kraft mac and cheese for our lunch.  Opening all those blasted little boxes and cheese packages take time and lots of trash can space.  Boiling a pkg. of noodles, draining and tossing in some butter or white sauce with cheese is a whole lot easier.  Purchasing pre-filled Easter eggs, however, is much more efficient than stuffing a bazillion eggs for the homeschool egg hunt.  You won't see me judging you, though!  If it weren't cost prohibitive and *more* work for me, you bet your sweet bippy I'd be using more!!

[Mom22ns]

My ds had multiple food allergies when he was young, so absolutely no shortcuts then. I don't do many now, far less than I would have if he hadn't had allergies. Those habits just stayed with us. However, I do keep some frozen food around for ds to fix when he is home alone. He can cook, but isn't fond of it and won't bother if it is just him. Dd is vegetarian and fixes all her meals from scratch.

[Carrie12345]

More shortcuts when they were little.

I still have quite a few, but I have more time (overall) and more help these days.

With littles, I was mostly happy to meet my legal obligation to put food in front of them.

[fairfarmhand]

I bought more convenience foods when mine were smaller. More crackery snacks, boxed or frozen meals, purchased cookies than now.

 

They just aren't crazy about such things any more.

 

I did find that it's easier to cook a crock pot meal on days when I won't be home till right before supper. I also cook LARGER batches of dinners so there will be easier to reheat lunch foods in the middle of the day. I just try to plan ahead so I can have a soup ready when we walk in the door in the evening.

[KungFuPanda]

I took more shortcuts when they were little. Now that I have teenagers, I can prep a meal any time I'm home with no little kid catastrophes to interrupt. Also, I'm a decade better at cooking now. It's easier to throw together scratch meals because I've had a lot more practice.

[kewb]

My main short cut is getting my teens to cook. Saves me a lot of time :)

My main short cut, too.

I also have forage night a lot more then I used too.

French fries for dinner? Great idea.

[Paige]

I took more shortcuts when my kids were smaller. I could barely remember to feed myself when I had 3 under 3, so I certainly wasn't making homemade mac and cheese or waffles! 

 

Now that they're older it's easier to make the homemade stuff because the children are useful helpers and nobody is crying during the witching hour! Also, I'm more confident and skilled as a cook. When I was younger homemade brownies seemed so much more difficult than boxed, but now I can make homemade brownies in the same amount of time as the boxed for cheaper. 

 

 

[Seasider]

I could have written your post. I don't do much baking from scratch anymore (upside, now it's REALLY a treat when I do, or my girls just do it). Our grocery budget is somewhat tight and so we don't eat out all that much, but I have become a more frequent client of the local Chinese takeout place.

[Anne in CA]

We definitely did more take out and short cuts as the kids got older. Now that there is only one at home and she is a vegetarian and our restaurant is the only place to get takeout within 30 miles anyway I make a lot of fun food from blogs for just dh and I. But when we had all those activities and part time jobs we ate take out or dh and the kids made pizza on Sundays and we ate taquitos before church on Wednesday nights and Friday night was often just mac and cheese or something like it.

[Gil]

No teens here yet, but my biggest shortcuts are 1) having the kids cook 1 or 2 days a piece each week and 2) cooking in the AM.

 

We've been doing the whole rising early thing around here and it is working wonders. The boys are so productive with their school work in the early mornings and by cooking while we are in the kitchen we are able to get things done more efficiently.

[Amira]

The number of shortcuts I can take depends a lot more on where we live rather than the age of my kids. I can buy tortillas, fresh masa, tamales, tostadas and salsa in Mexico; laghman noodles in Kyrgyzstan; and bread for banh mi in DC. I make all of those things when I don't live in the right place.

 

Life got a lot simpler when people could make their own meals. I like to cook dinner but I never feel like I have to make any of the other meals, except breakfast for my youngest who leaves early for school.

[NancyNellen]

I definitely take more shortcuts now with three teens and an 11 and 8 year old...but it is primarily because we have more money now. It was not financially possible to purchase packaged foods and take-out when the kids were little. It is much more so now. I still make most things from scratch (soups, chilis, roasted chickens four at a time, and even homemade waffles - I cook them once a month and freeze), but I stock up on granola bars and cheese sticks and yogurts and things that can be grabbed and stored in a backpack during long practices, all-day track meets, horse shows, etc. 

[lllll]

..

[catz]

I am WAY more relaxed with meals now.  We are just on the go lots of evenings.  I do batch cooking.  I have decent grab and go stuff around.  If I'm going to buy something processed, I limit myself to those things that have ingredients I can identify and pronouce.  I could own a fruit farm, we go through so much fruit.  And raw veggies.  Overall, I don't feel terrible for it.  We developed some decent eating habits those early years and I think those earliest years are most important for that.  Not that what we eat isn't ALWAYS important.  It is, of course.  I just think my active teen's body is more able to occasionally digest a soda, etc than exposing a toddler to sweet stuff all the time. 

 

Now that my kids are busy, but more easy to drop off at activities, I've actually upped my batch cooking a little bit.  I can't wait until CSA season this summer. 

[Daria]

Things are really busy here, that many meals get eaten out and about.  I try and make up for all the junk DS eats outside of the house by cooking healthy stuff on the nights we're home and leaving left overs.  Also, DS has finally developed an interest in nutrition, so he's a partner rather than a reluctant participant in my healthy meals.  Given that, I'd say we eat slightly more healthily than when he was younger, at least at home.

[teachermom2834]

Definitely more shortcuts now with teens.  The schedule is a factor, as is the fact that now they can fix easy stuff for themselves.  They aren't up for cooking but they can stick a frozen pizza or taquitos or something in the oven.  I find myself buying those things just for them to make themselves and it turns into that many nights.  I think another factor was Aldi coming to town.  That kind of stuff is just cheaper there and I am more likely to buy it.

 

 

[AMJ]

Mmmmmm, Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken!  Yum!

 

When I worked a paycheck job and kids were in brick & mortar school -- lots of shortcuts meal-wise.  After I stopped working the paycheck job fewer shortcuts.  Started homeschooling, not so much shortcuts as quicker to fix meals.  Added in evening Aikido twice a week, add more shortcuts.

 

It's telling on my health and DH's, at least.  I'm looking into rectifying the dietary balance.  Springtime gets a little sparse in the fresh veggies department until the summer produce starts pouring in and the weather has been a little chilly for grilling lately, but I think I can find a way to shake things up again.  Still, I seem to be cooking on weekends (when we don't have anything booked to do) and Monday evenings, and then we eat leftovers the rest of the week or eat takeout or convenience foods.

[LisaKinVA]

During the past 2 years, way more shortcuts than I'd like. But, we are getting back on track. Soon, my freezer will be filling with prepped meals (crock pot and 1 skillet), smoothies, and bread mixes/doughs, with salad makings in the fridge. Those become my short cuts. But, I'm sure we'll still have fish sticks and hot dogs. I'm so looking forward to it.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Not shortcuts exactly but more crockpot/casseroles as we too are busy five nights a week at dinner time. I keep more snackish/quick foods around for the kids' incessant snacking. The days of a cookie and banana doing it are over. When the 13 yo is playing soccer or running or the dancer gets home late or they're in a show and get home at 11:00 I'm not going to say anything if they microwave a hamburger or make a pizza.

[The Girls' Mom]

It has been the opposite for us.  When mine were small, I didn't know/care as much about what we ate, plus clingy twins made cooking miserable.  We ate a lot more frozen convenience foods and boxed type meals.

 

As they got older, hung on my legs less, and I became more health conscious, my cooking habits changed and I cooked from scratch most of the time.

 

Now that *I* am back in school, it seems some of the convenience foods are slipping back in.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

Huh, well see I don't see frozen waffles as a short cut.  I can't imagine homemade waffles being so much healthier and better than frozen.

 

I'm not a good example.  I only have 2 kids and I love to cook. 

 

 

[DawnM]

I make the kids help. 

 

I usually assign one kid to cut up the lettuce (we buy the 6 heads of romaine at Costco) and wash it and get it ready.

 

I admit I don't have a lot of variety these days, but my shortcuts tend to be things like NOT being fancy.  I typically have a salad, a meat, and a carb......and don't mix them other than a few things like burritos or burgers.

 

So, salmon, rice, and salad, all separate.  Or chicken, baked potato, and salad, all separate.

 

I just make it easy.  

 

We do buy a few frozen pre-made things.......Kirkland Pizzas, Pot Stickers, and once in a while orange chicken or some form of Chinese (can't be worse than take out.)

 

But mostly I just do simple.

 

PS:  And a lot of the reason I make waffles instead of buy frozen is due to COST.  I have tried to find simple ways to do things because it cost so darn much to buy pre-made.

[elegantlion]

my kitchen life shifted when ex and I separated, ds was 15. There had been several issues around mealtime with him here and I needed time and space to sort through it all. Ds and I have similar eating habits and prefer to eat a few smaller meals during the day. Also, because I'm at school and he sleeps late our eating cycles are not aligned. My dinner may be his lunch. 

 

I do simple. He can cook and made his own dinner after I went to bed. 

 

I hate cooking. Still I try to do something together a few times a week. 

[catz]

Huh, well see I don't see frozen waffles as a short cut.  I can't imagine homemade waffles being so much healthier and better than frozen.

 

I'm not a good example.  I only have 2 kids and I love to cook. 

 

Well, in the case of waffles, I think it depends on what you're making vs. what you can or do buy.  Lots of frozen waffles are just white flour, cheap fat, artificial colors and preservatives.  You can buy more whole grain, minimally processed frozen waffles but they're probably pretty expensive.  When I make waffles, I use a whole grain flour mix, ground flax, organic eggs and milk, and a healthy oil.  I sometimes throw in chopped walnuts or almonds to up the protein profile. 

 

I am definitely a shortcut person, but I do not buy frozen waffles.  I make a large batch of batter about once a month and use it up over 4-7 days. 

 

[FloridaLisa]

I actually take less shortcuts now as well. Mostly that's b/c I've slowly gotten more healthy in our eating. When I first stayed home, I was all about making it work Tightwad Gazette style, so lots of pasta and no organics. 

 

Now my shortcuts are that we just don't have as many sit-down dinners. Once my older kids starting with sports, we would eat later or eat in shifts or (after dh died) eat in front of the tv.  And I'm with AnnieG and Excelsior that b/c of the quantity my boys eat, it just makes sense to eat from scratch. We do tend to have simple meals and meals that I know off the top of my head. I experiment less and try new gourmet recipes less. 

 

Lisa

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Does "I'm not going to be home tonight.  You're on your own for dinner" count as a shortcut?  

I love having teenagers.

[nd293]

I think I take less shortcuts now that the kids are older. I'm very aware that the behavior I'm modelling for them in terms of what I cook (food choices, portion sizes) will be what they take forward as the starting point for their adult lives, and that it will have both health and financial implications for them. I'd say that dh and I had an unhealthy phase when we were first married, then when we had little kids I certainly relied on some shortcuts like prepared baby foods and crowd pleasers like chicken nuggets and fish fingers. But over time I've reverted to the sort of from-scratch cooking I grew up with, although with the addition of lots of international foods and cookbooks! I have a repertoire of quick meals (20-30 minutes), as well as homemade freezer meals or meals I can prepare ahead of time.