Busy Nights, Meaningful Meals: Simple Ways to Prioritize Family Time

Back to school means back to fast-paced schedules and dinner plans staying up in the air. Even though today’s busy lifestyle makes eating together a challenge, it’s worth the effort, even if it’s a few times a week. Studies show that eating with others offers numerous benefits, including nutritional, health, social, and mental advantages. When it’s families that gather around the table together to eat regularly, research supports that it can reduce the risk of depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse, while increasing self-esteem and resilience in children.

Family members of all ages eat better when they share a meal. Moms, dads, children, and siblings tend to eat more fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-rich foods, and less fast food, when eating as a family. 

Don’t complicate it, simply make it a priority. 

Choose the meal that gives you the most time to talk, connect, and nourish your body and family bond. Gathering together during the week can occur at breakfast, dinner, around the tailgate before sports practice, or over a meal at a restaurant.

The main point is that the children in your life recognize you are creating space for a dedicated time for connection, allowing family members to share their day, communicate openly, and build stronger relationships.

Dinner Do’s and Don’ts:

• Be Present: Please put away your phones and other distractions to focus on one another. 
• Ask Follow-Up Questions: Show genuine interest by asking follow-up questions based on responses. 
• Share Your Own Stories: Don’t just ask questions, share your own experiences and perspectives. 
• Be Patient: Let everyone have a chance to speak and share their thoughts. 
• Keep it Light and Fun: Don’t be afraid to ask silly or lighthearted questions to keep the mood positive. 

When you get the chance to provide a home-cooked meal and eat around the dinner table, take it; you will never get those nights back. To make back-to-school meals less stressful, remember the three S’s while menu planning: Slow Cooker, Sheet Pans, and Semi-Homemade.

Try these easy recipes for quick weeknight dinners.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops 

Ingredients: 

• 4 bone-in pork chops 
• 1 can condensed mushroom soup 
• 1/4 cup ketchup 
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt 

Directions: 

1. Whisk together the soup, ketchup, sauce, and salt in a bowl. 
2. Assemble pork chops in a slow cooker and pour the seasoning mixture over the top, covering all the chops well. 
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours, or until the meat starts to fall off the bone. 

This pork chop recipe yields a rich, gravy-like sauce, making it ideal for serving over rice, roasted potatoes, or egg noodles. They also pair well with roasted vegetables.

Sheet Pan Nachos

You can use leftover pork roast, roast beef, pulled pork, or meat from a rotisserie chicken. Or go meat-free, and add fajita vegetables. 

Ingredients 

• 2 cups pulled pork (or desired meat)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese 
• ½  cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup onions, diced 
• Sturdy corn tortilla chips

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread sturdy tortilla chips evenly on a large tray and set them aside.
3. Add pork to a (separate) sheet pan and season with cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and pepper.
4. Add a thin layer of cheese on top of the pork, and sprinkle the onions and black beans. Add another generous layer of cheese. 
5. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted (but not bubbling). 
6. Remove the pork and cheese mixture from the oven and slide it onto the chips. Add additional toppings, such as diced tomatoes, sliced avocados, guacamole, sour cream, olives, and cilantro, for a more personalized experience.

Semi-Homemade Caesar Chicken Wraps

You can choose from a variety of different chicken styles: rotisserie chicken (store-bought or homemade, pulled off the bone), diced grilled chicken breast, pulled chicken cooked ahead in the crockpot, or air-fried chicken strips/nuggets.

Ingredients

• Bagged Caesar salad kit
• Chicken of choice
• 10-inch tortillas (high fiber)

Prepare your chicken of choice. You can prepare the salad kit as suggested, or omit the dressing (or part of it) for individuals who prefer to dip their wraps into the sauce. Bundle it all up for an easy chicken Caesar salad wrap. Prep extra for quick lunches.