What to cook when everyone’s hungry and you’ve got no time

Dinnertime for the family isn’t always as simple as whipping up a dish and setting the table. With parents already spinning so many plates, from busy work schedules to childcare duties, planning family meals can add yet another task to the mental load. 

There’s deciding what to cook, finding time to shop for the ingredients and then getting it all on the table quickly, ideally before rumbling tummies turn into tantrums. So, how can you keep meals simple and avoid dinnertime becoming endless decisions and demands? Here are a few tips that we hope will help. 

How to ease the mental load at mealtimes

Batch cook meals

Plenty of our Mumsnet users recommended batch cooking meals so you’re not prepping a new dish every day. You can get creative with recipes, turning a simple ragu into a pasta bake, a jacket potato filling or even a chilli by adding some spices and kidney beans.

“I choose two meals to batch cook on days I’m more free. Choose two easy ish meals like pasta or baked potatoes. Two nights are previously batch cooked things and then the final day is either a roast dinner or fish,” WhitegreeNcandle

Keep a short rotation of meals everyone likes

It’s great to get creative and introduce little ones to new tastes, but if a meal goes down a treat, there’s no harm in making it a dinnertime staple. 

“I made a list of all the meals I knew everyone liked, plus the ones that only one or two liked which I kept for when the others were out. I've also got an extensive list of recipes on my phone that I've found online and then tweaked,” HowardTJMoon

Get the kids involved

Parenting comes with a lot of decision making, but kids like to feel included and there’s a good chance they’ll tuck into a meal they picked. Go through the freezer and cupboards to see what ingredients you have and get some recipe ideas for the kids to select. Bonus points if they help with any food prep!

“We plan on Sundays as a family. Dc1 always picks Mondays meal and dc2 gets Wednesday. Tuesday tends to be something low prep/quick due to extra curriculars. Fridays is often homemade pizza/tacos/kebabs,” says SkeletonBatsflyatnight.

Try a recipe box

Meal-kit services take a lot of the hassle out of dinner prep. Pick the recipes you want for the week, and you'll be sent the ingredients along with the recipe instructions. The recipes tell you how long a dish takes to prep and cook, and there's often a great range of quick recipes (under 20 minutes) and easy cooking methods such as one-pots and traybakes when you're in a rush. Plus, the ingredients are pre-portioned out for each recipe, so there's no risk of food waste. 

Mindful Chef is a popular pick for families, as it focuses on nutritious dishes containing wholefoods, recipes that can be adapted for younger eaters and bigger portion recipes for those with hungry teens. The Family Box offers four portions per recipe, so it’s ideal for two adults and two to three kids.

Why Mindful Chef works for a busy family life

Let’s be honest, setting yourself the challenge of technical dishes that’ll have you sweating over the stove longer than you’re sitting at the table is a recipe for failure. After a long day at work followed by the school run, the likelihood is you’ll want easy options that work for you and the family. 

Mindful Chef’s impressive ranges of recipes look and taste amazing, but not every culinary classic has to be complicated. The range of one-pot and traybakes helps to avoid a massive pile of washing up when you’re finished, and there are some dishes that can go from prep to plated in just 20 minutes.

Teenagers can seem like they’ve got hollow legs, as well as kids going through growth spurts, but Mindful Chef has you covered with options for big appetites, such as Pork Meatball Pasta Bake, designed especially for hungry households.

Flexibility is key when it comes to meal planning, and Mindful Chef’s Adaptable options are a lifesaver when you’re catering for different tastes. They’re designed to be easily tweaked to suit your family, so with the Hidden Veg Lentil Bolognese, for example, you can either blend the carrots into the sauce or serve them on the side as crunchy crudités.

Keeps healthy food practical

Health should be a focus when it comes to dinners and all of Mindful Chef’s family recipes have at least two of your recommended five a day, plus they contain a source of fibre and protein. 

The brand uses British meat, seasonal produce, and free-range chicken. And the meals have been balanced with wholefoods, quality protein and complex carbs.

What Mumsnet testers thought of Mindful Chef

A total of 66 Mumsnet users tested Mindful Chef’s family boxes, with 89% saying they were satisfied overall. Almost three-quarters (74%) praised the high-quality fresh ingredients, 67% felt the meals were healthy and nutritious, and 64% said the boxes helped take some of the hassle out of meal planning or shopping.

“I loved the recipe boxes, they were very convenient, easy to order and there were a lot of recipes to choose from. The recipes were very easy to follow and the ingredients fresh,” one tester said.

“We loved the boxes we received, I was pleasantly surprised by how keen my children were to eat things that they previously refused but with a mindful chef twist eg pesto on potato wedges or fajita seasoning on salmon these became a new favourite dish!” another added.

Is it worth it for your family?

This is the big question. Mindful Chef certainly serves up convenient and tasty options, but will it work for you and your family?

While our Mumsnet testers were largely impressed with the convenient delivery and easy ordering process, almost half felt the family recipe boxes, starting from £42 for two meals serving four, didn’t offer good value for money, so it’s worth factoring in your budget. Some testers also found the portion sizes on the smaller side, which is worth bearing in mind if you’re feeding a family with big appetites.

However, plenty of our testers found the recipes tasty and loved the convenience the kits offered. So, if you can factor the cost into your budget, a recipe box could be a great addition to your weekly routine. Or, it may simply be a handy option to fall back on during those particularly busy weeks when meal planning is the last thing on your mind.

About Mindful Chef

Mindful Chef is the meal solution that makes feeding the whole family feel easier, not harder – with flexible, reassuring meals that children will eat and parents can feel good about.

It’s designed for real family life: low-friction, adaptable, and healthy, without arguments, guilt, or backup plans. Simply choose your meals, and all your ingredients will arrive pre-portioned straight to your doorstep. Follow step-by-step instructions to help you make delicious family recipes, in as little as 20 minutes.