Making The Most Of Dinner

[Rosebush3]

With food costs the way they are, I am searching ways to make the most of the meals that I serve. I have thought of some things, but would like your input on them, as well I am open to any and all ideas you may have.

First of all, I am mom to two children, DS12 and DD6. DD eats breakfast at school and both eat lunch at school. DS eats before school. During the week the only meals we have together are the evening meals.

I will totally admit to being bad about letting them eat and watch tv, I know that has to stop. For one it is mindless eating, and for another I am thinking that a slower-paced, sit down meal might add to the feeling of satisfaction and fullness. Do you find that sit down meals tend to fill up your family better, and longer?

Multi-course meals. The entree tends to be the most expensive part of the meal. Do you ever start with a soup or a salad, or other first course? I've been considering this with salad greens so easy to grow, as well as some other salad vegetables. I am thinking it would be a good idea. It would take the edge off their hunger so they don't just inhale the main part of the meal. It would allow more time for eating allowing them to feel full before they finish. My question is, would it really be a frugal or practical to offer that first course. The amount prepared for the main course would be smaller, but is it worth it. Do you do this? Also I am thinking a dessert course. I like to serve fruit with the kids' meals, but maybe saving it for after - again stretching out the whole dining experience, would be a good idea. Would they feel like they are getting more with having to take so long to eat it. Desserts can be simple and inexpensive, I have been collecting recipes for gelatos, sorbets and granitas, all good summertime desserts. Also very inexpensive and easy.

What are your experiences and opinions?

[AmyBoz]

We don't do a first course. Dinner is the main dish and a vegetable. For dessert, we usually have fruit. We sit together at the table as a family and eat and talk about our days. My kids are 7,4, and 2. No one ever says they are hungry again after dinner and dessert is over. They brush their teeth right after dinner and take their vitamins for the night, so they know they aren't going to eat again anyway.
Dinnertime is a special time in our home. It's just a nice time to connect.

[mommy4ever]

We always eat as a family. It makes for some interesting conversation. They things they come up with!!

Often we'll start with a salad, or something that is ready first. My kids are mindless eaters, whether the tv is on or not. It's part of their nature. Easily distracted. Whether it lessens their appetite or not, I don't know. They all are fairly robust eaters, IMO. Though i think they eat less than some of their frieds(except ds13, bottomless PIT). I don't know if you have to stretch the meal out, but I think moving dinner back to the table and eating as a family is a good thing. You get to converse with them, find out about their day, and have some very spontaneous conversations..lol. And with puberty hitting with the eldest, this is a GOOD thing. I wouldn't stretch out the time too much, at least not at first, or it might seem never ending to them. Fruit can be served after wards.

Desserts to consider - fruit crisps in the winter are wonderful. Inexpensive if you grow some of the fruit. A rhubarb in the back yard is low maintenance, rinse chop freeze and you have an easy fruit crisp. If you can get free apples, these to the same, the apples and rhubarb together are delish! You can also do large streudals, baked oatmeals with them as well. I don't know the agriculture in your area, so I have no clue what is growing there. But look into berries too. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, black berries, things that are perenial that you don't need to invest into alot. Look at hte country side, we find wildberries often. Sometimes you can cultivate them and have them in your yard too.

Consider fruit smoothies and fruit pops(blended and frozen into popsicles). Something kids adapt too easily.

You're on the right track Bringing them back to the table. Try involving them in the planning nad prep too. It's work initially but it gets easier the kids enjoy and it's a life skill for them to do so. Saves them years of adulthood struggling to figure menuplanning and shopping.

[POOTERSMOMMY]

We usually have a main entree and veggie. Dessert is often fruit or smoothies - if dessert at all. Salad is always a good filler. We often have a large chef salad alone (w/eggs, meat, cheese, ect.)

I agree with getting "free" fruit where ever possible in the summer. Growing greens and green onions, is a great money stretcher.

Tuesday I made roast - Wed.- was beef and noodles, Thurs - beef and noodles again, Fri - extra beef will be chopped with homemade dressing and cheese - stuffed into large mushrooms and baked. I love to stretch one meat into lot's of things!
Creativity is real important in this house!

[TheRootedNomad]

We eat together at the table most nights. Once every couple of weeks they get to eat in front of the TV. Like if we do pizza and a movie. Sometimes I serve in "courses". It sounds so much fancier than it is. Almost always if we have salad i'll serve it first to me and the boys (DH doesn't eat it). This started more as a way to get them to eat salad when they were little than anything else. Then there were a couple of times my timeing was off and we ended up with "coarses" by accident. Now every once in a while I do it on purpose because the boys think it's neat when we serve that way. Sometimes they'll ask mommy can we do coarses? and how many can we have?? Sometimes I'll even let them pick a number between one and 4. a coarse may just end up being bread or some grapes but htey get a kick out of it and we have a fun time at dinner. (It doesn't seem to get them to eat any different amount but they ARE paying attention to what they're eating. Most nights I just put the food on the table all at once and serve them salad first if we're having it, but if truth be told the "coarse" nights are much more fun.

[Buc-O-Mama]

Sometimes I set out cold veggies and dip about an hour before dinner time. It is a pretty sneaky way to get extra veggies in my kids and it does take the edge off their hunger before dinner. Generally, I cut up whatever we have. Sometimes it's fruit but either way I know it's good for them. Just a thought.

You may have already thought of this, but you could let them each have a night in the kitchen with you when they help with the planning, prep and cooking (for your older child). It gives them a sense of ownership, and it may make them appreciate sitting down together more when they have had a large part of it.

[MomToTwoBoys]

Lately we've been struggling a bit with the possibility of dairy allergies in myself and DS #2, Dakota. I've been looking at ways to change dinner around and remove some (if not all) dairy sources from our meals. How we've done it in the past is this:

Main meal (meat, side dish and vegetable) is on everyone's plate except for DS #1 (he absolutely refuses vegetables - it's a texture thing for him since he's autistic). I'll give both kids something to drink once they've had the first plate of food (if they want more, it depends on the meal). We never sit in front of the TV as a family. I grew up that way and while it didn't influence the way that I handle my children and their eating habits, I just keep it out for a good reason. The only time there may be an exception to this is if either DH or I have something we're doing in the living room that has us preoccupied.

I find if the kids eat something right beforehand (even if it's a cheese string or a carrot stick), they will not eat dinner. DS #1 comes home from school and wants dinner right away, so I've been making it around an hour after he gets home. After dinner, DS #1 gets his medication and both kids get their vitamins, so they know that there may be a snack later but it's not an every night thing.

I've been looking at incorporating more fruit into their diet and replacing some of the vegetables with fruit since DS #1 hates vegetables. DS #1 will help me clean up, which is a good thing!