Share your tips for ways to stress less with HelloFresh - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

Modern family life can be very busy - and this might mean that otherwise simple tasks like thinking about what to have for dinner or getting out of the door in the morning can become overwhelming or stressful. HelloFresh would like to hear about the tips you have for stressing less, whether this is in the kitchen or elsewhere in your family life.

Here’s what HelloFresh has to say: “HelloFresh is on a mission to help families stress less when it comes to mealtimes with the launch of its new Family Box, offering an all new range of tailor-made family-friendly recipes designed to appeal to kids, teenagers and adults alike and bring variety to dinner time. The HelloFresh Family Box has been created to reduce stress levels and help save parents time and energy. The focus in development has been to make meal planning and preparation as easy as possible, whilst serving meals that guarantee to make family mealtimes delicious, but most importantly totally fuss and hassle-free. Want to give it a try? We've got a special offer for you with 50% off your first two boxes with the code HELLOMUMS.”

Do you have tips that mean sitting down to a family dinner in the evening is an enjoyable rather than hectic experience? Perhaps you’re a pro at making tiny changes to meals so that fussy eaters are catered for? Do you and your family cook together to reduce the stress of preparing an evening meal? Maybe you ensure you’re making time for ‘me-time’ every day so that you can wind down?

Share the ways you #StressLess with HelloFresh below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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I meal plan, batch cook and I have a collection of tried and tested recipes that can be prepped and cooked in half an hour or less and I make these on the days I work (I work part time) as we don't get home till 6pm.

I find getting my food shop delivered saves me time and stress as o can order it online with a glass of wine in hand in the evening when the kids are in bed!

I cook twice as much so that I can freeze half for another day. Often I use shortcuts like frozen sliced mushrooms and peppers.

I found online last year the best thing ever for a calm start to dinner - activity placemats and colour in table cloths. I get the daughter hands washed and sat at the table. She can either have an activity mat (with wordsearches, treasure trails etc) or pens to colour the table
Cloth which is a really colourful ongoing project. It keeps her entertained while I finish up dinner and serve.

I love a good 'one pot' slow cooker meal to prepare and basically make more time to prepare meals if poss otherwise we would be reaching for the take-away menus every five minutes

Put the food in the centre of the table and serve yourself...it's more sociable and caters better for any fussiness.

I dont stress about eating as a family as such.. I stress about WHAT my kids are going to eat as they are both fussy. I stress less by putting things on their plates I know they like, I think they may like, and I know they don't particularly like but I like them to keep trying sometimes. Then at least i know they'll eat SOMETHING.

For me organising the week is key. So I try to have the school stuff ready the night before. Make the pack lunch the night before. Try and have quick meals in. Also try not to do complex cooking on a week day unless I know I have the time.

I have useful lists taped to the inside of cupboard doors in our main living area - such as a list of useful phone numbers, things to take on trips out (this was especially useful when the DCs were small), and I'm about to add a planner with all their clubs, activities and special things to take to school each day, to save stress in the morning.

I also have a master packing list for holidays in an Excel spreadsheet - a main list, plus extra sections for specific types of trips (e.g. cycling, camping, work trips...). Every time we go away I use that to make my list for this trip, only adding the things we'll actually need. Then whenever we wish we'd brought something it gets added to the list to remind me for next time! Less stress trying to remember what we need or finding we've forgotten things.

Meal plan - work out which nights of the week are busy with after school activities and therefore need quick teas, and which nights we are home earlier when I can cook better. I do a big shop on Monday for the week ahead getting everything in I need. Clock watch - everything needs to be done on time as busy family lives mean every second counts!

I do weekly meal plans and try to prepare/cook in advance, so I'm ahead of the game. I ahve no issue with people eating entirely different meals, I just want us all to eat healthy food and eat altogether

I set reminders on my phone for absolutely everything - paying the bills, when we need to leave for the DC's clubs, appointments & much more. It means I can't forget things.

I also allow more time than we need to get places - this came in very handy the other day when dropping DS2 at Beaver Day Camp & I realised I had forgotten his bag containing everything he needed

My wife and I always agree our meal plans on a Friday for the following week. We shop on Saturday and cook from scratch most evenings.
It's like a military operation with everything laid out in order and meal times pretty much set at 6pm, unless one of the kids has an after school event.
It's the one time in the day we really get to spend quality time together as a family, so we make every effort to plan ahead so we can cut down on the stress levels!

I love to cook from scratch but DD won't eat cooked veg so I buy and chop cucumber, celery and carrots at the start of the week/every few days so we have plenty to throw on the side of her plate during meals without feeling like I'm doing tons of extra prep. They also mean we adults stay off the crisps and snacks because there's always something handy to nibble on.

At the weekend there's more opportunity for DD to try cooked veg when it's not so hectic.

I really like batch cooking as it's. Great time saver when I'm working in the office. Also use to do lists a lot to keep track of what is going on in my life.

We meal plan, it keeps us to our budget. Also on days that are busy we use something from the freezer that has been batch cooked previously. With the kids coming in at different times it just saves stress.

I am a terrible cook. No natural ability whatsoever and no creative skills at all. I find it very stressful but ive recently started putting the radio on in the background as i find having some nice music playing takes away some of the stress.

I have found this thread very useful and will definitely try out other people's tips.

Finding food everyone wants to eat can be stressful, so things like fajitas where everyone can assemble their own based on what they like (or don't) is good. Can't keep up with who likes tomato etc this week and who doesn't otherwise!

I think meal planning and making sure everything is there really helps. Also love my slow cooker, love coming home to the smell of tea being nearly ready!

Oh! And date night too, once a week me and DH get something in for us after little one has gone to bed.

We use a slow cooker. I'm also planning on starting to batch cook once a month too.

On a Sunday when the DC have a number of sport activities I put a joint of meat in the slow cooker before we go out. It's ready when we get back around 4pm. I find it quite relaxing doing the veggies, Yorkshire puddings etc. with a glass of wine and The Archers on catch up. DH sets the table and we sit down to a meal around 6pm with minimal stress.

I #stressless by planning all appointments in one diary, taking each day as it comes and thinking of 3 positive things that outweigh anything negative that might have happened.

Plan in advance meals for the week and try and have quick store cupboard or freezer meal as back up. There's nothing worse than everyday having to buy in things for dinner - usually last minute.Also if things are really hectic not to beat yourself up too much about the occasional take away.

On the days when things have been completely chaotic, I try to remember that dinner doesn't have to be a gourmet feast every night and that a cold meal can be just as nutritious as a a hot one. So soup and sarnies, or Jacket Potatoes it is, with no side helping of guilt!!

If you are ever feeling stressed, a quiet calm punching session with your PT always helps! It might not actually be quiet but youll feel a hell of a lot better.