As a mum, we all have a lot going on.
Not only do we have to contend with the morning rush of getting the kids ready for school and dropping them off. But there is also the little matter of picking them up again later.
Of course, some of us have jobs and are expected to do much of the housework and even cook dinner. Not to mention, check in on Mum or Dad, do the groceries, and save some energy for date night!
Given how many balls we have to juggle, it’s not surprising that one or two of them might fall by the wayside occasionally.
But with kids depending on us, and their health and welfare being our main priority, it’s important we keep a handle on what we serve up for the main meal of the day.
Most mums will tell you it’s easier to make dinners on the weekend simply because they have more time available to prepare them.
So, how, then, can we make the process quicker, easier and more convenient from Monday to Friday?
Here are seven easy tips on how you can simplify weeknight dinners.
1. Order from a food delivery company
When the grass needs cutting, most of us have no qualms about calling a gardener. Likewise, if the pool needs cleaning, we have no hesitation to outsource that job to someone else.
For this reason, you shouldn’t be afraid to order your weekday meals from a food delivery company, particularly if you have a busy, daily, energy-sapping schedule.
Companies like FoodSt meal delivery in Sydney offer a range of nutritious, honest and delicious meals that taste like they’ve been home cooked.
They use fresh local ingredients and incorporate a range of gastronomic offerings, including everything from Cambodian chicken rendang and spinach & ricotta gnudi to Mexican chorizo meatballs and salmon and leek pie.
Best of all, they are delivered freshly frozen to your door. So, once defrosted, all you have to do is heat it up.
2. Have a designated takeaway/dinner night out
Just because there are five days between Monday and Friday doesn’t mean you have to cook on all of them. So, why not designate one of them as a day you’ll get a takeaway or eat out?
Tuesday is often a good day for takeaway as many eating establishments offer ‘Cheap Tuesday’ discounts.
For those who don’t fancy a takeaway, you can often take advantage of happy hour prices if you eat at a restaurant before 6 p.m., particularly between Monday and Thursday.
If you need some inspiration, here are some great places to eat in Sydney.
3. Make a schedule
One of the best ways to simplify the process of making weeknight dinners is to set up a schedule of what you will make in advance.
Although it takes a bit of forward planning, the key to doing this successfully is to develop themes such as Meatball Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays (Oops! My bad).
But seriously, if you know in advance what you will cook, you will save yourself a lot of time during the week trying to figure out what you can make.
To help you decide on an ongoing basis, it’s worth compiling a list of all the dishes you’ve made over a period of time that you can refer to.
4. Make food in bulk
One savvy way to make weekday dinners easier is to cook dishes in bulk.
For instance, instead of preparing a 500-gram pack of mince for spaghetti bolognese, why not cook 2 kg of it and divide them into separate meal portions, which you could freeze for later in the coming weeks?
If you can adopt this tactic for curries, stews, soups, lasagnas or a host of other dishes, you’ll soon have a supply of tasty meals in the freezer, ready for you to call upon whenever you don’t feel like cooking.
5. Have some signature go-to dishes
Another good tactic is to have some signature go-to dishes up your sleeves. These are quick dishes your kids love that won’t take you that long to make.
They could be anything from a trusty sausage, chips and beans to good old-fashioned pesto pasta.
Every family has a few favourite meals that can be cooked on autopilot within 10-15 minutes. So, make sure you keep them in mind for those situations when you are running late or lacking other inspiration.
6. Go Veggie (occasionally)
We are not advocating going fully vegetarian. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing so if you want to.
But, if you want to make things easy during the week at dinner time, it’s a good idea to cut out the meat every once in a while.
Meat dishes, particularly those involving beef or lamb, can take a bit of time to cook properly.
So, if you are short on time during the week, sticking to a veggie stir fry or a quick fish dish can save you a lot of time.
7. Use a slow cooker
There is nothing in the rulebook to say you have to begin making dinner when you get home.
So, why not start it earlier in the day by using a slow cooker?
Here are 100 fantastic dishes you can try that don’t involve much effort on your part but deliver sensational tastes.
