"Mom! What's for dinner?" I hear this every....single.....day! Often times people wonder if what I eat for dinner, is the same thing my whole family eats for dinner. The short answer is no. The long answer is, well....kind of, I guess? We are a family of six. We all have different schedules, people are coming and going all the time. Friends, boyfriends, neighbor kids are in and out of my house almost daily. I choose to count/track my macros. I have one daughter that does as well. I have three other kids that just want to eat pasta, pizza, Subway, Chinese food, or steak! I was a picky kid growing up and I HATED when people forced me to eat something I truly despised! So, as a Mom, I try to at least not make my kids endure that same misery, yet, I am not going to make six different meals every night! My husband....easy, he just likes food and seems genuinly impressed with anything I make! Ha! He's probably just happy there is still some food left and the kids didn't devour it all before he got home! :)
So, what do I make? How do I cook for this group that comes and goes at a moments notice? I keep things simple. I usually stock up on lean meats and fish. I make one or two different kinds in one night and pack up the leftovers for the next day. I usually have cooked pasta on hand in case someone is still hungry or didn't love that choice in meat. I cook large batches of riced cauliflower, it stays well in the refrigerator. Some days I make a big lasagna or buy one pre made from Costco. Target and Costco are great for pre made or already seasoned chicken skewers and lean meats. Bottom line is, when I cook, I make a variety of things. There are always a few options leftover if someone hates what is being made fresh that night. My daughter and I kind of plan what we want to eat since we track macros and if the other four don't like it, they eat the back up!
Here is one of my staple proteins that I eat over and over. I like it because its versatile. I use Jenni-O Extra Lean Ground Turkey and season it with Ortega taco seasoning. Easy. Taco meat. You can use it however you want! I put it on riced cauliflower a lot! Sometimes I put it on Doritos and top it with cheese. Other days as a salad. The kids usually put it in a soft shell or with tortilla chips. Bottom line it, I use it for a variety of things and it can be as macro friendly as you want. Dinner doesn't have to be complicated, keep it simple. There is always fruit on hand and the kids never tire of that!
Here is what is in the photo and one of my favorite easy meals:
- Trader Joe's Riced Caulifower
- Extra Lean Ground Turkey (seasoned with Ortega Taco mix)
- Topped with Trader Joe's Lite Mozzarella Cheese
- Drizzled with Taco Bell Hot Sauce
Try not to overcomplicate your meals!