Getting dinner on the table consistently can feel overwhelming, which in turn can undermine the potential positivity of mealtime. Dinnertime can sometimes be the one place where we connect with our loved ones on a daily basis. The value of a peaceful, nourishing, and enjoyable meal makes improving our meal prep processes essential. Here are a few tips to that may help you get dinner on the table without putting you under it.

1. Pre-chop, or buy pre-chopped. This is great for the items that can sit prepped until the action starts which means you can prep these items hours, days, and some even weeks, ahead.
   • Pre-chop onions, peppers, celery etc. place in a bowl covered with a wet towel, or put in an air tight container, until cook time.
   • Peel/chop your potatoes and place them in the pot full of water so they don’t brown before cooking.
   • Cut/slice/form meat ahead of time (bonus points for seasoning or marinating).
2. Time stack. Consider the cook time on each element of the meal and start with the items that take the longest. An important piece of this tip is being sure to read recipes all the way through so that you know the timelines on all of your meal components.
   • Put potatoes to bake or roast, grill meat, and then steam veggies.
   • For salads- grill meat/prep croutons/boil eggs, then chop vegetables.
   • While things bake and simmer catch up on dishes or put your feet up for a few!
3. Batch cook. Pre-cook items that freeze well so you cook once and use twice, or more.
   • Crumbled ground beef- buy 5-10 pounds, cook into crumbled, seasoned beef. Drain and allow to cool completely then store in 1-2 pound batches for quick tacos, sloppy joes, nachos, carrots and ground meat, casserole, etc. 
   • Grilled chicken- season, grill, then freeze on a sheet pan, when frozen move to a storage container. You could even cut the chicken up for super quick salads and pastas. 
   • Burgers and meatballs- double your recipe and freeze half.
   • Rice- rice freezes really well and cold rice is the best way to make fried rice! 
   • Soups, stews, and sauces your family eats weekly or monthly- gumbo, chicken stew, and marinara sauce are great examples.
4. Have easy, family favorites as your plan B. These should be foods your family collectively enjoys, you have everything on hand most of the time, and it can easily come together in 30 minutes or less.
   • Breakfast for dinner.
   • Ramen noodles with soft boiled eggs and frozen peas and carrots.
   • Fried rice.
   • Snack plates (crackers, cheese, pepperoni, rolled ham, grapes, nuts, dried fruit, pickles, olives, etc.).
5. Ask for help. For some this is literal, for others it can be a bit more abstract.
   • Enlist your partner or other capable house mate to take on the responsibility of one aspect of a meal or a whole meal. Pro tip: when kids help in the kitchen they’re more engaged at the table.
   • Utilize meal delivery services, sometimes they are more affordable than the cost of stress.
   • Use convenience foods, that’s what they’re made for. There’s no shame (or harm) in getting your family fed.

At the end of the day it’s tough to “throw something together” so the more planning you can do the easier it will be for your future self. These tips are things I have come to depend on to get home cooked meals on the table at a “reasonable” time most nights. But, there are still nights when I’m serving dinner at 9pm or we’re each eating something random from the pantry or freezer. My number one tip for a better dinner is to eat together; whether that’s a baby drinking from a bottle or being tube fed, a toddler refusing everything but the ketchup, or a sulky tween offering a complaint with every bite. Dinner can be your best opportunity for modeling a positive relationship with food, sharing about your day, and just being together.