How can you make cooking easy and fun? This is the question you should be asking if you’ve found yourself in a dinnertime rut – or cooking has never really been your thing in the first place. Here are 5 little things you can do to bring a lot more joy into dinnertime!

1. Listen to music and dance

I know you don’t need me to tell you that putting on some music can make cooking a lot more fun, but you have to accept that this is far more effective if you’re willing to dance along!

I like to choose tunes that match the cuisine. If you’ve got a music subscription service, look for a playlist that will work – I’m talking Italian folk music while you’re making spaghetti, surfer music while you’re cooking seafood, or a fun mariachi tune while you’re getting burritos ready. If the kids are studying, you might have to use headphones, but if they’re not busy, invite them to join in the fun!

2. Turn to your family for theme ideas

If you’re tired of figuring out what to cook each night, why not turn to your family for theme ideas? You could just ask the kids directly to suggest a dinner theme and see what they come up with – it could lead to a fun challenge (especially if their answer is something like “Harry Potter” or “superheroes”). Plus, it’s a lot more likely they’ll eat (or at least try) what you made. 

Alternatively, you could seek inspiration from something relevant in their life at the time. Is your daughter starting French lessons next week? Maybe she’d like to help you make croque monsieur. Are they doing a unit on the Romans in history class? Research what they ate together and try to recreate it. If Halloween is just around the corner, you could make a “spooky” meal. Planning a trip to England anytime soon? Cook some fish and chips with mushy peas to celebrate!

3. Make build-your-own food bars 

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re cooking an overly complicated dish. Having 25 steps to follow that must be perfectly timed is a sure-fire way to suck the fun out of cooking. Why not try making more “food bar”-style meals that involve more prep than actual cooking? This is one of my favourite tips to make cooking simple and fun.

There are lots of meals that lend themselves well to communal-style food bars, such as tacos, fajitas, pasta salad, and rice bowls with beans and veg toppings. Alternatively, you could just use the approach for sides (salad bar, potato bar) to accompany a simple, no-fuss main like grilled chicken or fish. This is awesome for families with picky eaters because each person can use the ingredients they like in amounts that won’t upset them!

4. Get everyone involved

When it comes to ways to make cooking easy and fun, few things are more effective than getting the whole family involved. Plus, it helps alleviate the frustration you might experience when you wish you could spend time with your kids after school but need to get dinner on the table. 

Find age-appropriate ways they can help. Younger kids might be restricted to stirring a bowl of ingredients or dumping pre-filled measuring cups out into the mixing bowl, while older kids can take on more complex tasks. No matter what they do, you’ll be enjoying some great bonding time and talking about your day together. This fosters a love for cooking and can help sharpen their culinary skills at an early age.

5. Set up a meal swap

One fun idea that will make cooking far easier for you one night a week is starting a meal swap. After all, it doesn’t get any easier than not having to cook at all! Whether you have friends or neighbours with a family the same size as yours or you decide to set up an exchange with a family member, this is a great way for your family to try dishes you wouldn’t normally make while giving yourself a night off.

It’s really simple: You just choose a batch-cooking-friendly meal for one of your weekly dinners and double it, then you trade the extra portions with your meal swap partner, who will do the same. Each of you gets an extra round of meals for your family and a night off from cooking. Win-win!

6. Join The Dinner Plan

Being a member of our meal plan subscription service allows you to have an easier time planning your meals. Not only that, but it’s a surefire way of never allowing yourself to fall into a cooking rut because I come up with all the ideas for you! All the recipes that are in our plans are simple, quick to make, and family friendly (+ nutritionist approved!)

Imagine having ready-made meal plans being prepared for you. Along with recipes, shopping lists, and meal prep guides. We also batch cook really easy recipes once a week so you can fill your freezer with meals you can plan to eat on busier days. Because, why cook more than 4 days a week, when you can choose not to? 😀

Doors are open till Thursday (22nd October). Come in and try it out for yourself. There’s no commitment, you can cancel anytime. Prices start from € 9.99 a month. You’ll save far, far more than that! I look forward to welcoming you inside our Facebook group! 🥳

>> Join The Dinner Plan <<

TESTIMONIALS

“I’m not one who enjoys cooking, and the added task of trying to decide what to make for dinner was weighing down heavily on me. I have two small kids, so I’m conscious of what we consume, but the planning part was such a challenge. The Dinner plan has eliminated the stressful part of mealtimes. It’s absolutely great!”

— Ann Marie Delicata

“I’ve meal planned before, but I was not consistent. I’d also fallen into a cooking rut and the dreaded question ‘what shall I cook’ was something I asked myself more often than not. With The Dinner Plan, I now meal plan religiously. I’m also out of the cooking rut and I’m always excited to try out new recipes every week!”

— Janice