How to make cooking dinner less stressful for working parents

4 minutes read time.

Picture this: It’s 5 PM. The kids sound like a flock of hungry seagulls. You’re running on fumes after work. And the big question hangs in the air: “Wat eten we vanavond?” (What are we eating tonight?) For us, this question used to spark daily stress—and too often ended in a quick trip to grab kant-en-klaar maaltijden from Albert Heijn. But that changed when we discovered the power of weekly meal planning. Simple, satisfying, and surprisingly fun, it brought calm to our kitchen and joy back to our dinner table.

What is Meal Planning (and What It Isn’t!)

Before we continue, let’s be clear. This isn’t about spending your entire Sunday chopping vegetables. Instead, it’s about deciding what to eat each night. Think of it as a roadmap for delicious, home-cooked dinners. This way, you avoid relying on pre-packaged shortcuts.

Why Focus Just on Dinner?

You might wonder, why just dinners? Well, that’s where our biggest challenge was. Our mornings are (mostly) smooth. We have a serving tray buffet (more on that later!). Lunches are usually a quick broodje. However, dinner felt exhausting. By focusing here, we simplified things. More importantly, we managed to have home cooked meals every evening.

The Real Magic: More Than Just Food

Meal planning brought real gezelligheid(fun) to our evenings. Indeed, it’s about more than just the food. It’s about reclaiming your time and sanity in our busy Dutch lives.

• No More “What are we eating tonight”(Wat eten we vanavond?): Our whiteboard menu is now a clear guide. Yasmine, our budding reader, loves announcing the evening’s meal. This adds a surprisingly delightful touch of family involvement.
• A Calm Moment in the Day: Life for working parents is hectic. Yet, knowing dinner is sorted brings a daily dose of rust(rest).
• No More Food Waste: Say tot ziens(goodbye) to sad, wilted vegetables. Our plan means we buy only what we need for our home-cooked meals. Consequently, we reduce food waste and save money.
• Smarter Shopping: Grocery trips are focused and done shop once a week, armed with our plan. Therefore, we avoid daily grocery runs or last minute grocery shopping which only eats away at time we don’t have.

Our meal planning routine changes with our family’s (pressure). Therefore, flexibility is key. What works in the winter might not in the summer so don’t be afraid to experiment and find your rhythm.

Your Simple 6-Step Meal Planning Guide

Ready to ditch the afhaalmaaltijden? Want delicious, home-cooked dinners every night? Then, follow our simple six-step process:

1. Family Favourites First: Start with dishes everyone (mostly!) loves. Happy eaters mean a happier home. Of course, there might be some negotiation about spaghetti frequency!
2. Weekday Warriors: Choose quick and easy meals for busy weeknights. Think one-pan wonders or speedy pasta dishes. These don’t need hours in the kitchen. Save the fancier recipes for weekends.
3. Variety is Key: Aim for a diverse menu each week. This way, things stay interesting and everyone gets to mostly eat what they enjoy the most.
4. Embrace Leftovers: Plan for meals that make great leftovers. This is like getting a free cooking pass for the next day. Plus, it helps avoid reaching for something pre-made when you’re tired.
5. One Dish, One Love (Usually): Try not to become a short-order cook. Encourage everyone to try what’s on the menu. A little “you get what you get” can work (with gentle encouragement!).
6. Check Your Inventory: Before planning, look in your voorraadkast(Storage) and koelkast(fridge). Shop smart at your local Lidl. This will help you avoid buying things you already have for your home-cooked meals.

Where to Display Your Meal Plan (and a Pro Tip!)

Display your plan wherever works best for you. We have tried it all based on the what worked best at each phase of life. Digital on your phone notepad, and if you have a menu whiteboard like us, it works perfect. Our kids love to read for themselves what is for dinner.

(real example of our digital meal plan)

Pro Tip: Keep last week’s menu visible when making the new one. This helps with ideas. Also, it stops you from having pannenkoeken every other night (unless that’s a family tradition!).

Meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. With a little consistency, you can transform your dinner routine into a manageable or even fun experience.

Finally, if this helped your busy family life, please share it! Stay tuned for our upcoming posts. We’ll share quick weeknight recipes and reviews of handy ingredients from our local Dutch supermarkets!