Simplify September (While Nourishing Your Family)

The fall is typically a big transition period for families. As the season begins to change, our daily rhythms shift as well. Often, it means moving from a place of relaxing summer vacations, slow days at home and fun at camp, to one of more structure and routine. Parents head back to work and children begin school or daycare. No matter what your family’s routine looks like, it’s likely different from those dog days of summer. 

With transition can come a natural period of discomfort. Getting your bearings while everyone adjusts to a new routine can be painful at times. Finding ways to support this change and putting these strategies in place before the chaos hits is key to creating a smoother September. We want to work within our circle of control and simplify moments of our daily routine to free up space in which to manage those unpredictable (and challenging) events.

From a nutrition standpoint, nourishing your family during this busy time is more important than ever. Balancing blood sugar and feeding your family with the right foods helps to set everyone up for success when it comes to tackling new challenges. 

​One of the tips I suggest to families during times of busy transition is to simplify your meal plan. Find five dinners that feel nourishing but manageable and stick to them for an entire month. Yes, that’s right. The same five dinners from Monday through Friday. Could this get a little boring? Maybe, but it’s only a month and I promise that removing the guesswork from family meal planning will free up your energy to pour into something that deeply requires it during this time, like your child beginning kindergarten for the first time, or a spouse navigating a new role at work. Knowing what you’re eating on any given Tuesday night means there’s less of a chance you will turn to last-minute take out, or a less healthy option simply because it’s quick and you don’t have the brain power to come up with something better.

I know this strategy works because I use it with my own family! The first thing we do when life gets stressful is systemize our meals. Here’s an example of what that might look like for us:

Monday: Salmon, quinoa and roasted broccoli
Tuesday: Beef tacos
Wednesday: Cashew honey chicken with rice
Thursday: Sweet potato chickpea curry 
Friday: Order in 
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You’ll notice that on Friday, we’ll do take-out or head to a restaurant. That works for us and feels like a nice way to exhale after a long week, but you can absolutely throw in an easy, fun meal for Friday. Maybe you even make it work with a family movie night. The goal is to come up with a plan that feels good for your family. 

The focus should be on simplifying your routine during times of busy transition. Creating a repeating dinner plan for one full month is a great way to support this goal. You may even find that you love the simplicity and want to continue using this system beyond that one month mark. If that’s the case, try coming up with a monthly meal plan. This way, you prevent food boredom and ensure you’re still offering lots of exposure to your children, all while creating an easy meal planning system for your family. 

Psst... Did you know I offer a family meal planning service? Personalized meals with recipes and shopping lists to take the guesswork out of dinner. Check it out here!