Meal Planning is...

Food is on everyone's mind, I believe. When you wake up..."what's for breakfast?" As you continue your day..."what's for lunch?" And then before you have finished folding the laundry..."what's for dinner?" These questions frustrate me daily!



Breakfast is no big deal because I feel like there are numerous options that my family will go for. However, lunch and dinner are another story.



I love trying out new foods, seeing what simple recipes I can find that are flavorful, and even don't mind a meat-free meal once or twice a week. Patrick likes meat and rice, and vegetables are optional. He has grown over the years and will sometimes eat a salad....covered in cheese and ranch dressing, that is. And then you have Clayton, whose preferences change from one meal to the next. And so my question is posed ... How the HECK do you plan a meal for such different tastes?!?

For example ... I made Orange Chicken the other night. You know, like the Chinese kind. It was so easy to make, with a yummy sauce. The chicken was cute into cubes and fried and eaten over rice. Clayton wouldn't touch it, but ate some rice with a cup of peaches. Patrick enjoyed it, but said it needed more flavor (after he buttered the rice, which is never done when you go to a restaurant, and added salt). I told him to put more of the sauce on it. To me, it was enjoyable. The chicken was moist with a subtle sweet, citrus-y sauce served over a bed of fluffy rice.

The day before, we got too busy and forgot to really make dinner. I made Clayton some chicken nuggets and then made beans and rice for me (not thinking Patrick would really want it, and then he would just fend for himself). I took white beans, added a can of fire roasted tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, and a little S&P. (Borrowed this idea from my friend, Jessica, who has an awesome blog you can read about here.) Well, much to my suprise, Patrick really liked it! He commented on it profusely and has referenced it over the past couple of days. Highlighting what he liked. He did mention that adding some sausage to it would have put it over the top, but loved it just the same!

So just when you think you know what they eat, the turn around and prefer something else. How does one plan?! How can I ever feel like they are getting something nutritious and home cooked?!