Last week I posted about dinnertime conversation and this week I’ll stay on the topic of dinner. Our household includes three children and two parents and it’s tricky to please 5 different taste preferences for dinner every night.
About a year ago I hit the limit of comments that “I don’t like this” and “can I make myself a pb&j?” I’m the primary cook in our house and I want to serve dinners that are nutritious and that my family likes but it was starting to feel impossible. I needed a change for my mental health’s sake.
At the Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back dinner, I started asking my kids what meals they DO enjoy. Like the first-born, type-A, enneagram 1 that I am, I started a list of the meals I generally make and came up with 31, which included made-from-scratch options all the way to frozen pizza. I tallied which family members like each one and ended with only 8 meals that all 5 of us agree are awesome. This felt a little disheartening but also empowering that I know what will work consistently.
So the new plan became serving something from the 5/5 stars list on Monday and Tuesday and then the rest of the week serve other meals with lower ratings. Anyone who doesn’t like dinner from Wednesday-on has the option of leftovers from the Monday and Tuesday preferred options.
This plan has been a game changer. I’m happy to say the list of 8 is growing as we add more meals and my kids start liking some that used to be on their do not like list.
Oh and in case you’re wondering what’s on the 5/5 list:
- Chili
- Lasagna
- Popcorn Chicken
- Pork roast
- Beef over noodles
- Homemade chicken noodle soup
- Grilled chicken breast
- BLTs
- Pizza
- Spaghetti with meatballs
- Beef tacos
- Breakfast for dinner
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