The Family That Eats Together

Family meal times are a struggle in today's busy life and yet, mounting evidence shows us that they are more important than ever. "Consider five fundamental practices that have the power to fortify our youth: family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, family dinner together, and regular one-on-one interviews with each child," said Elder Larry Lawrence.

Moms or dads who are in charge of cooking will find that making a monthly menu plan will really help bring family meals together. This eliminates the last minute problems of trying to decide what to eat when nothing is defrosted or you don't have all the ingredients for your casserole, or not having enough time to cook the roast.

When making your monthly meal plan, use your calendar/day-planner to identify days when schedules are tight and slow-cooked meals are best, or days when you need wraps or sandwiches on the go. Is Dad gone to a business dinner one night? Have something he typically doesn't care for. Leave a few days open for left-overs (or plan a Leftover Buffet on Saturdays) or for days when things need to be shifted around. If your family doesn't like leftovers, you can freeze many things and pull them out sometime later.

Make good use of your cooking time by doubling up. Grill extra chicken on Monday to use in a Chicken Caesar Salad on Tuesday. Brown twice the ground beef you need and freeze half for another time. Simply reheat. Make twice the casserole recipe and freeze half. Next time you only need to defrost and bake.

In addition to your calendar, have your grocery list nearby when you're planning. You can make a list of things you need for each week. Keep lists on the fridge and add fresh and additional items as you need them.

With a little time planning, meal times can be stress free, delicious, more economical and a great time to be together as a family.