Chart Addict

[craftyashley]

So this just kind of evolved into a really cool system, and thought maybe someone could benefit from something that I've worked on. I have two small white boards on my fridge. One has the adult meals I am making for dinner each night of the week. I plan this ahead and shop accordingly. This has saved so many visits and a ton of money. The second board has a list of ideas for my kids for each meal. Here's an example:

Breakfast: Pancakes, cereal, yogurt & granola

Lunch: Grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, mac & cheese, grilled chicken

Dinner: Pasta, eggs, grilled cheese, chicken nuggets

Snacks: Apple slices, raisins, cereal bars, crackers, cheese stick, bananas

It has saved so much energy trying to have a meal ready. I make sure I have what I need, as the list changes, and their preferences changes. I always know what I can make off-hand.

[kelly23]

I've always seen and heard about people doing this but I have not gotten to implement my own yet. I definitely want to and I like your idea about doing separate kid and adult menus. Thanks for posting that!

[oilersgal]

Planning a menu is a great idea but I don't understand the need for a children's menu of their own. At what age do you anticipate they will eat "adult food"? If you send the message that you will cook them only things they like, how will you break that habit? My children have always eaten the same meals as we do and at 8 and 10 they request things like beets, spinach, salad, etc on a regular basis. I have daycare in my home and those children think it is a treat when we have 'kid fare' such as hot dogs, mac and cheese, or chicken nuggets. They also eat chicken, pork loin, stir fry, etc. I have been yelled at by a parent for serving their children asparagus (which they LOVED) because she did not want to cook it at home. In a world of increasing obesity, shouldn't we shy away from the processed 'kid fare' that has become standard and move back toward sharing a family meal that includes healthy choices that everyone eats? I am not suggesting that every kid will eat everything, but if you take away the kid menu option to fall back on they may surpise you and eat 'adult food' That in itself would also cut your grocery bill.

[craftyashley]

I don't feed the girls the same thing the adults eat because we like a lot of spicy food. Plus, they are ready for dinner right after they wake up from their nap at 4pm. My husband isn't even home by then. When my husband and I eat, they often come over and munch on a piece of our dinner. They are only two right now, so I guess when they are ready to stop napping and can go on our eating schedule then we'll eat what they eat.
On the healthy note- I make all of my stuff from scratch. I make my own mac & cheese using whole milk and real cheese. That powdered stuff scares me. I make banana pancakes from scratch using whole wheat flour and flaxseed meal. It doesn't bother me to make this stuff because my girls were preemies and need all the fat they can get. Whereas, I don't. So I make our meals with a little less of the whole milk, etc. And veggies are always served at almost every meal. So it's a balanced diet- I just used these previous examples off the top of my head.