Family meal planning made easy
Finding Rhythm, Giving Grace, and Feeding a Busy Family
If you’re anything like me, life with kids feels a lot like a moving train—and trying to plan dinner while riding that train can get messy. Between after-school activities, growing kids, and the general chaos of daily life, sitting down to a homecooked meal some nights feels like a straight-up miracle.
But somehow, we make it happen—and honestly, it’s because we found a rhythm that fits our life, not someone else’s idea of “perfect.”
Our Real-Life Meal Planning Rhythm
We stick to a loose weekday schedule because it makes everything run smoother. With a 6-year-old son, a 9-year-old daughter, and a 9-month-old baby along for the ride, our after-school hours are filled with skateboarding club, ninjas, acting classes, dance, and musical theater (the list seriously never ends). By the time we get home, it’s already dinner time—and thank God for my husband, who loves to cook and somehow still has the energy to have dinner ready for us after working all day.
No matter how busy life gets, we make it a point to sit down together and have dinner as a family every night.
It’s one of the non-negotiables in our house. No homework battles (luckily, our kids don’t have homework yet!), no distractions—just time together, catching up over a meal.
Our weekday meals usually follow a simple pattern:
Monday: Burrito night (predictable and comforting!)
Tuesday: Pasta night
Wednesday: Stir fry, or a rotation of cabbage, gnocchi, and kielbasa
Thursday - Sunday: We mix it up based on what we’re craving.
Every meal is homecooked because I have gluten and dairy sensitivities, and we try to eat clean, whole foods as much as possible. But don’t let me fool you—our Costco freezer section gets plenty of love too. (Chicken taquitos for lunch on the weekends are a total win.)
Navigating Dietary Restrictions (Without Losing Your Mind)
Having dietary restrictions definitely shaped how I approach meal planning. I can’t eat gluten or dairy, and my daughter thrives on routine and predictable meals, so just winging it isn't really an option for us.
When I first started meal planning, it felt overwhelming. Trying to find meals that were simple, healthy, allergy-friendly, and kid-approved (without spending all day in the kitchen) was a huge learning curve.
Honestly?
I wish ChatGPT existed back then.
Now, I use AI to help brainstorm new dinner ideas, create shopping lists, and even meal plan an entire week in minutes—which has been a total game changer for our busy family.
Grace Over Perfection
Here’s the thing: I believe food is medicine, and what we eat matters. But I also believe every mom is doing the best she can with the time, energy, and resources she has. Some nights, you’ll find us sitting down to a beautiful homecooked meal. Other nights, it’s takeout from our favorite local restaurants, eaten around the kitchen island with a baby on my hip and skateboards still parked by the door.
Both are wins.
Feeding your family isn't about perfection—it’s about showing up and giving love through whatever meal ends up on the table.
If You’re Just Starting Out…
If you’re new to meal planning (or just feeling burnt out), here’s what’s worked for me:
Pick a few reliable, repeatable meals for your busiest nights. (Our burrito and pasta nights save me every week.)
Use AI tools like ChatGPT to create grocery lists and suggest recipes when you feel stuck.
Build an "Emergency Meal List"—those easy go-to meals you can throw together when the day completely gets away from you.
Leave room for flexibility. It’s okay if the plan changes. It's okay if you need backup freezer meals sometimes.
At the end of the day, meal planning is about supporting your family, not stressing yourself out.
You’re doing better than you think—and your family is lucky to have you.
