Soup
Those of you who knew me growing up or knew my mom…you know she was busy. You could say every weekday was a manic Monday for us. She was a full-time corporate lawyer and a single mom (she and my dad got divorced when I was very young). She left for work when I left for school and didn’t get home until 8PM each night.
When I was young, I had a babysitter to stay with me between school and when my mom got home. She was okay having someone there to keep me safe, but she wanted to cook my meals as much as possible. So, often, she’d make a big pot of soup on Sunday. She knew I would have healthy, mom-made meals when she was commuting home from New York City.
This is a genius mom-hack. Soups are typically extremely easy recipes. This ratatouille soup is a staple in our house and it’s ALL veggies! Even if your special needs kiddo won’t eat this, the rest of the family needs healthy fuel to face life’s challenges.
Even if you’re a stay-at-home mom, sports schedules and after-school activities can mean that it is tough to get into the kitchen right before everyone is STARVING at night. Having soup as a fall-back makes sure everyone will get some veggies in them.
Ideas to make dinner fast and stress-free:
- Grilled cheese and raw veggies with dip (something easy they like paired with a few veggies)
- Chef salad ‘bar’ (don’t mix together all the ingredients so your picky eaters can choose)
- Breakfast for dinner (a big pan of protein-packed scrambled eggs takes about ten minutes to make)
- Baked potato bar (make the potatoes on a free day and warm them in the microwave), add bacon or leftover shredded chicken for protein, broccoli for veggies and shredded cheese! Yum!
- Taco night (cook the meat ahead and prep the extras in Tupperware in the fridge)
- Frozen leftovers because every time you cook, cook double (same work, double the dinners)
- Order a pizza – everyone wants you to order a pizza anyway…just not every night.
Remember, it’s about balance. If you love to cook, it is an inexpensive way to help your family stay healthy and fit. Still, you won’t have time to make a fresh meal from scratch every night. Using these strategies, you can get a quick healthy meal on the table with less stress.
Because, no matter your workload, those pesky kids ALWAYS need dinner. Wink.
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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