Alright, mom. Stop me if you’ve heard this one:
You’ve planned your family’s meals for the week, meticulously purchased and organized your groceries, and food prepped like a boss. You’re ready for the week like nobody’s business. But then by Thursday (or maybe even Tuesday) you’re just not feeling it. You’re tired. Maybe your schedule went off the rails. Maybe it didn’t. But regardless, that dinner you planned Just. Isn’t. Happening.
Well lean in close, mama, because I’ve got something to tell you. Those nights happen to us all. For me, they predictably happen every week. And to get through them, remember this mantra:
Convenience cooking is still cooking.
Look. I get it. Nutrition is important and staying within your food budget (especially these days) is no joke. And it’s hard to compromise when you know you’re capable of doing better. But here’s the thing that I had to come to terms with – consistently throwing in the towel mid-week because I was overly optimistic about my capacity & energy means I’m not actually doing better. When I regularly default to fast food or mac & cheese because I fail to acknowledge that I’m not superwoman, I’m not doing my family any favors with my award-winning menu plan.
This post is sponsored by the Washington State Beef Commission.
So here’s how I’m combatting that. I’m being honest with myself about my personal capacity, planning for compromises when I know I’ll need them, and opting for more convenience foods. But when I compromise, I’m intentional about it. I choose the biggest bang for my nutritional buck, the biggest value for my actual buck, and foods that will seem the closest to homemade with the least amount of effort.
PC: Kristina Slaney
One thing I won’t compromise on is protein. My kids need it for their body & brain development and to keep their hunger at bay. And thankfully I can settle for both high-quality protein AND convenience with beef. A 3-ounce portion provides over half of the recommended daily value of protein and 10 essential nutrients in a 175-calorie package. Plus, my kids loooooove beef and there are so many cuts that cook up quickly to make it easy to get them the nutrition they need. Honestly, nothing else comes close to the nutrient density, versatility, and palate-pleasing nature of beef.
Now I know what you’re thinking – aren’t convenience foods more expensive? The short answer is yes. But if you’re choosing them to avoid fast food, you’re actually saving money AND making a fresher, more nutritious choice. Let’s look at the math.
When my family goes through a drive-thru, we spend about $40. (Fast food isn’t as cheap as it used to be, after all.) So I took that $40 and visited three local grocery stores -one budget-friendly, one middle-of-the-road, and one high-end, and found pre-seasoned meat or pre-packaged meal kits at all of them. Here’s what I got for that same $40:
PC: Kristina Slaney
Here’s how I stretched a few meal kits into full, filling meals:
- I paired the beef stew with a loaf of French bread. Boom. Can’t get much easier.
- The oven-roasted steak-and-broccoli dish was great with store-bought mashed potatoes (which, by the way, were on a BOGO special so they were a steal).
- The grilled steak & brussels sprouts were great with rice. And this was a great find, because it was on sale so I got the most protein for the least amount of money. Don’t always assume things are out of your budget! Look at prices!
- I threw the seasoned fajita meat into a pan with onion & bell pepper I already had in my fridge and served it with tortillas from my pantry. Easy peasy.
- The Kalbi-seasoned flank steak didn’t last because my family devoured it straight off the grill, but it would have been perfect on top of an Asian-inspired salad from the produce section.
So, start with a meal kit and add an inexpensive side dish, a loaf of bread, a bagged salad, or some raw veggies and dinner is ready with minimal effort on your part, for less than the cost of fast food, and with far better nutrition.
Because – say it with me now – convenience cooking is still cooking.
PC: Kristina Slaney
Don’t write off convenience options at the grocery store. Just because you can make your own marinade doesn’t mean you must. Be realistic about your energy cycles and work with them – not against them – when feeding your family. Stand firm in what you’re NOT willing to compromise on, like protein quality and nutrient density, and find hidden gems in your grocery store that you can “beef up” ( <- see what I did there?) to create a complete, nutritious meal.
Want some ideas for quick-and-easy weeknight meals? This collection of beef recipes comes together in 30 minutes or less so you don’t have to compromise on anything, and our own collection of on-the-go meals for busy weeknights offers even more delicious ideas. Or create your own convenience foods with batch cooking!
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Read more of Kristina’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
