(NC) As schedules get busier, it's the perfect time to slow down, gather around the table and enjoy comforting weeknight dinners that bring the whole family together. It doesn’t take an elaborate setup; here are some simple techniques you can try:
Keep meal planning simple
There’s a difference between simple and boring. It’s still important to keep things interesting—you can consider themed suppers, such as taco Tuesdays, to give family members something fun to look forward to while removing some of the guesswork for you. Having a few go-to recipes ready before the week begins can take the guesswork out of dinnertime.
One trick is to plan a couple of meals that share ingredients. This helps make your grocery list simpler, cuts down on prep and can minimize food waste. Many proteins are versatile enough to do this with. For example, one pack of Maple Leaf chicken breasts can slot into a few meals through the week; a cream sauce pasta on Monday, pulled chicken tacos Tuesday, chicken stew on Wednesday.
Set aside time for supper
In order to enjoy more connection at suppertime, it’s important to respect that time itself. Really, what you’re doing is creating a meaningful ritual for your family. Smartphones are a particular distraction to consider dealing with. You can have a rule in place where everyone leaves their phones on silent, outside the room where you’ll be eating—if you do this, it’s important to set the example and always leave your phone out of family mealtime.
Having a designated time and space to eat can also encourage more mindful eating. It gives people the opportunity to slow down and listen to their bodies—it takes a little while for the sensation of being full to reach from the stomach to the brain.
Make the most of mealtime
Family bonding can start well before everyone sits down at the table. You can get family members involved in the meal in safe, fun ways—for example, if supper has a side salad, young ones can help sprinkle in some of the ingredients, toss it or even select the dressing. One trick is to give everyone a small job: one person gets out the glasses, one puts out the utensils, one grabs the plates.
Sitting down together at the table helps focus everyone on each other. You can encourage conversation with some open-ended questions; for shy or introverted kids, try asking about an interest of theirs that you genuinely want to hear about. One supper—and the conversations—are over, clearing the table together can make supper feel like a shared experience from start to finish.
When you let go of the pressure to make everything perfect and put the focus back on being present, you can turn weeknight dinners into a small ritual your family looks forward to. You can find meal inspiration and tips at mapleleaf.com/proteinpower.
