There are benefits of eating from home.
There are, of course, health benefits. Those are ones that anyone can see, and rightfully so. Nutritionally, eating from home is the best.
But there are other benefits, ones you need to look closer to find.
As single moms, I’m convinced we spend most of our time in survival mode. And I’m not sure that the average person understands this.
People who are not in our situation may oversimplify better choices. But I think this is more than that.
We stop at a hamburger joint because we lack energy and time.
It’s easy for someone to say what we should be doing, but they do not understand the burdens that a single mom carries.
We know eating at home saves the budget and is healthier, but we are exhausted. I’ve heard it a thousand times, and I’ve lived it.
I’m big on rethinking things. There’s no guilt for doing what you need to do to survive. Sometimes, that’s all we can muster up.
But backing up from a situation and a pattern allows us to rethink our actions without pressure and judgment.
Given enough consideration and learning how to fit this into our schedule and lifestyle, eating from home provides time and money-saving benefits.
We are implementing ways to eat from home regularly.
Stepping back from the pressure and guilt, we can see what is needed to start this new habit.
Eating from home takes more planning.
I realize this is one more thing on our plates, but rethinking our eating habits can be done in an unhurried, quiet moment.
It’s a small but needed step. The idea is not to cause more stress or pressure but to acknowledge what changes are needed.
Create a list of meals and food items that are functional and nutritious.
What kind of food do the kids enjoy? Good food at home creates feelings of security. What would tickle their little hearts or thrill their bigger hearts?
Consider ways to make this happen.
Eating at home is tricky, but if we think it through, we might be able to find a way. Crockpot dinners, frozen meals, and 30-minute meals can work for us.
Make a schedule.
A repeating list of meals helps us know what is expected of us this week. The meat for the week goes into the freezer to unthaw. This way, we are not caught off guard.
Create the grocery list.
It’s okay not to be able to do it yet. But having a list of what you want is the beginning. We are all about baby steps here. And this is a great place to start.
Implementing the plan can take a while, and that’s fine!
Find ways to create a little more breathing room.
When I first became a single mom, I rushed to activities and demands that weren’t healthy for me and these kids.
It took me a long time to understand that I needed to do things differently; you may also need to be willing to make changes that benefit your lifestyle.
You may need to consider a new schedule and ways to keep your life calmer. I wrote about it here.
Things to Consider When You First Become A Single Mom. – (singlemomoutwest.com)
List all of the benefits that will come from eating from home.
The list may include healthy choices, better financial planning, and a more unhurried lifestyle.
Having a family meal time teaches children many skills.
These include;
- Healthy food choices
- Cooking skills
- Table setting skills
- Conversation skills
- Proper dinner manners
- And a healthy sense of belonging
Having a list of benefits encourages us to implement the plan.
Research eating-from-home options.
Consider first your budget.
Good plans aren’t enough. This needs to be functional. And a single mom’s budget needs to be stretched.
Do you need to decrease your schedule to allow for a more unhurried lifestyle?
Decreasing the amount of activities and demands on your life allows for rest, family, and wholeness.
There are ways to prepare food to handle schedule demands.
These include frozen meals, crockpot meals, and 30-minute meals.
Frozen meals or once-a-month cooking.
The crockpot option.
This is a big one for me. I love being able to work and do schooling, knowing that something healthy and delicious will greet us at dinner. My mom used this and loved it!
There are also frozen crockpot meals that allow for once-a-month cooking this way.
And the infamous 30-minute meals.
When you have a plan and a schedule, 30-minute meals are an option.
The benefits of eating from home are tenfold.
Learning a new way to do life takes time. But it’s worth it.
Changing to eating from home takes more planning and a consistent food budget, but the rewards are incredible.
Eating at home teaches us about quiet evenings, food preparations, healthy lifestyles, and family time. All of these are worthwhile skills!
