How to Survive (and Thrive!) During This Busy Fall Season

This time of year there are two types of moms:

Those who embrace the routine that the fall season brings. They breathe a sigh of relief as school starts back up, sleep and meal schedules get back on track, and pumpkin spice everything begins populating store shelves.
Those who enter fall kicking and screaming, holding onto summer with everything they’ve got. They’re not ready to give up lazy mornings, picnics on the beach, and summer spontaneity. It’s not that they hate fall. It’s just that they love summer more.

But even though these moms approach the changing season with polar opposite attitudes, they’re both in the same boat. Fall comes, school begins, sports & other extracurriculars start up, and the family schedule goes from calm to crazy almost overnight.

And without a few household management adjustments, family life can get downright chaotic.

This post is sponsored by the Washington State Beef Commission.

This year, back-to-school came with an extra twist in my family. On the same day my kids started the new school year, I went back to a traditional, out-of-the-house, full-time job for the first time in six years.

I knew it would be a challenge, but I was confident I could do it. After all, I worked full-time for my first seven years of motherhood, and at that time I was packing up bottles and diapers and baby food and a breast pump and my kids couldn’t do things like dress themselves or sleep through the night.

And even with the busy-ness and exhaustion, I still did working motherhood well, because I understood one thing: If I could manage mealtime effectively, much of the chaos would be eliminated.

PC: Washington State Beef Commission

Mom, there’s so much outside of your control this season. Practices will run late and your kid will tell you about a big project at 9pm on the night before it’s due and the kids are going to bring home all the germs from daycare. But the one thing you can control is mealtime.

A little intentionality will make a huge difference. Develop an arsenal of quick meals for busy weeknights to help avoid the drive-thru. Use your leftovers for an effortless lunch the next day. And don’t minimize the effect good nutrition has on your family’s ability to cope with a busy schedule.

One great option is beef. Beef has an abundance of nutrients like B-vitamins, zinc, iron and protein and comes in such a delicious package with relatively few calories. Among the many delicious benefits you get from enjoying lean beef, one of the most remarkable is its role in supporting health. Beef helps support a strong body by providing important nutrients to build and replenish muscles, and the protein in beef helps your family feel full and satisfied for a longer period of time. In addition, the iron and zinc in beef support healthy brain development in your youngest family members.

And if you pick the right cuts and recipes, a nutrient-packed dinner can be ready fast. Here are some of my family’s favorite quick weeknight recipes.

Beef & Asparagus Pasta Toss: A family-friendly combination of pasta, beef and simple seasoning can make the most of your vegetable drawer. This recipe is originally written with asparagus in mind, but a savvy cook can swap in snap peas or green beans. And if your family loves ground beef this is a great meal, but you could also use leftover pot roast cut into bit-sized chunks, or even thinly sliced steak. It’s the perfect combination of lean protein, bright vegetables and wholesome grains tossed together for a simple and satisfying meal.

PC: Washington State Beef Commission

Mongolian Beef: Sometimes you realize you don’t have all the ingredients for a recipe, nor do you have time to go to the store and pick them up. That’s when stir-fry style recipes can be your dinner time friend. When planning for this recipe I realized I had an abundance of fresh zucchini in the garden and rice noodles in the pantry instead of rice. The solution? Zoodles mixed in with the rice noodles to make a delicious bed for extending a nutrition-packed steak dinner. Kitchen time saver: using shaved beef makes this recipe come together quickly if you don’t have time to slice steak yourself.

PC: Washington State Beef Commission

Everyday Beef Barbacoa: I’m usually not a slow-cooker type of gal, but this made dinner so easy. I came home, shredded the beef, and Taco Tuesday came together even faster than normal and with a-whole-new level of flavor. The best part is that there were leftovers for days so packing a healthy lunch for work took no time at all.

PC: Washington State Beef Commission

Want even more weeknight recipe ideas so you can take back control of mealtime and feed your family well? Check out these meals that are ready in under 30 minutes packed with nutritious, filling beef. Fall might have our calendars crazy, but with well-fueled bodies we won’t just survive. We’ll thrive!

More great beef ideas below!