Preparing dinner can often be a source of stress and frustration for families, but it doesn’t have to be. According to a recent study, families who regularly sit for dinner together are more likely to report higher levels of happiness, and 81% believe it lowers stress levels. However, with busy schedules and limited time, it can be challenging to make dinnertime a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Thankfully, these three tips can help make dinnertime a breeze while eating healthy food.

Plan ahead
One of the key factors in making dinnertime stress-free is proper planning. Doing this ensures you have all the ingredients you need when preparing dinner for yourself and the rest of your household. It saves you from making impulsive and potentially unhealthy choices at dinner time. First, make a weekly meal plan and grocery list. Purchase ingredients according to the foods you intend to cook for the week or more. Secondly, freeze these cooked meals in sizable storage bowls that also double up as microwavable containers. Knowing how to use your leftovers creatively will also be helpful. Also, take advantage of slow cookers, instant pots, and other time-saving kitchen tools. As you get better with your planning process, you will notice how stress-free it is to have healthy and delicious meals available at all times.

Keep your recipes simple
Quick and easy recipes that are nutritious and tasty can help you keep dinner simple. To get this right, opt for one-pan or sheet-pan meals that require minimal preparation and clean-up. Remember to use fresh, seasonal ingredients to create quick and flavorful meals. You will also find it helpful to use pre-cut vegetables, canned beans, and other convenient products to save time and effort. Since the focus here is on easy-to-make meals, try to leverage fresh spices and herbs to add an extra layer of flavor to your simple dishes. Fresh spices and herbs can help you do away with processed sauces and seasonings for as long as you want. Some simple meals to make are flank steak or chicken tenders with fries. If you’re interested, there’s a great home made french fries at eatingonadime.com you can check out for pointers. Stuffed potatoes, veggie-loaded Frittatas, and one-pot lemon garlic shrimp pasta are excellent dinnertime meals that are also easy to make.

Get everyone involved

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Involving everyone in the dinner process can make mealtime more enjoyable for everyone and can also help to reduce stress and workload. When you have children old enough to perform simple kitchen tasks, that can also be helpful. Younger kids must be supervised to enhance their safety. the more hands you have in the kitchen, the easier your dinner preparation will be. Sometimes, assigning each family member a specific task, such as setting the table, chopping vegetables, or cleaning up, is better. If your partner has more time and can cook, that would be an excellent way to get the pressure off you. Taking turns cooking dinner means you don’t have to rush home all the time trying to whip up a meal for the family. Dinnertime can be a bonding moment for the family; therefore, try to be as creative as possible to get everyone together at the table.