Best Summer Ever: Day 49

August 18
Make Some Back-to-School Resolutions

 The first day of school feels a lot like New Year's if you're a parent of school-aged kids. So why not take a moment to make a few school-year's resolutions? Here's one for today:

Resolve to break free of the convenience food rut.

Treat meal preparation like a team sport. Get the rest of the family in on everything from meal planning to grocery shopping to meal preparation (.pdf).

Ask friends and family members to pass along recipes that have proven to be favorites with their families.

Do some of the meal preparation on the weekend when you’re likely to have a bit more time. Having pre-chopped veggies or pre-cooked lean ground beef can be huge time-savers on a busy weekday.

Team up with other families who are looking for ways to cook smarter. Start your own cooking club (where members get together to do batch cooking together) or organize a weekly meal swap or with a friend or neighbour.

Related:

City of Toronto: Nutrition Matters: Shopping

Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, or Preschooler by Ann Douglas. See Chapter 6 for more tips on how families are pooling resources to take the stress out of meal preparation.