It’s full-on fall here, and we’re in all the activities that come with it. Right now we’re bouncing between schoolwork, piano, basketball, soccer, and theater. Love them all for us, but apparently everyone would also like to continue eating during this time, which is keeping me busy. 😉

Fortunately, I’ve found a few things that are helping this season run fairly smoothly, and I wanted to share them with you.

When the girls were little, feeding my family was all about navigating taste preferences and maximizing nutrient density for peckish appetites. Now, as a mom to a teen and tween, the challenges have shifted to navigating wonky practice schedules and providing hearty enough portions for my growing athletes.

Check out my Feeding A Family section for all my content on feeding littles, but for this season of life, here are five things that are making feeding my family easier.

1. Grocery Delivery

If you’ve been hanging out with me for long, you know I actually love grocery shopping. Fresh out of college, I would go to my local Whole Foods just to wander the aisles and leave with nothing but a couple samples in my belly. I just love a good grocery store.

But in my current season, it makes more sense for me to order groceries and let them show up at my door. The time I save (and the money saved from the lack of impulse buys) is substantial. And I’ll give my shoppers credit, they’ve done a pretty solid job of picking out the produce!

I keep a running “need” list on our Skylight calendar so the kids can easily add things to it. Then, when I sit down to place my grocery order, I check that list and add anything else we need for the week.

It’s been a pretty solid system to keep us stocked and fed without having to make multiple trips to the store.

2. Having a Plan

Even if I’m scribbling down “slow cooker meatballs” yet again on a Thursday, it helps my mind to know that dinner is planned and the ingredients (even if it’s a bag of meatballs and a jar of marinara) are ready to go.

Some days I make a new, fun recipe. Many days I make tried-and-true favorites. And a time or two, the plan is CAVA or Chick-fil-A. But hey, at least my brain doesn’t need to be reeling with that pesky “what are we going to have for dinner?” question every day of the week.

I’ve found that having a plan doesn’t mean I have to stick to it perfectly, either. Sometimes Tuesday’s dinner becomes Thursday’s dinner because practice runs late or we end up having more leftovers than expected. That’s fine! It’s having the options ready that makes the biggest difference for me.

3. MVP Kitchen Appliances

I am a kitchen appliance gurl, but I have my favs. If I only got to keep three, I’d choose my ceramic insert rice cooker, my new(ish) clay multicooker/slow cooker, and my bread machine.

These are the appliances I reach for weekly, if not a couple times a week. They truly make feeding my family easier.

Is stovetop rice hard to make? No. Is pouring 2 cups of rice and 1 carton of Kettle & Fire bone broth into the rice cooker and hitting go, knowing the rice will be perfect and stay warm until I need it, a whole lot easier? YES.

Will searing meat, sautéing veggies, and slow cooking or braising all in the same non-toxic, 100% clay pot then having it keep warm until needed spoil you against all other slow cookers? YES.

And will making your weekly pizza dough in under 5 minutes of hands-on time or waking up to the smell of freshly baked cinnamon bread wafting through your house make you glad you have a bread machine? YES.

Long live the small appliances! 😉

4. Keeping Favorite Flavor Additions Stocked

Mateo’s salsa. Garlic Expressions. Sour cream. Melinda’s sriracha. Toby’s ranch. Primal Kitchen buffalo sauce. Kinder’s BBQ sauce. Hot pepper vinegar sauce. Ketchup. Yumyum sauce.

These are a few of our favorites that help jazz up the most basic rice bowls or wraps and turn them into a scrumptious meal that the kids will devour.

I love having these on hand because they also let everyone customize a meal to their liking. I can make a simple base of chicken, rice, and vegetables, and everyone can add whatever sauce or toppings sound good to them.

5. Expanding Beyond Being an Ingredient Household

In my truest form, I’m an ingredient household kind of woman. I’m fully stocked with dried beans and lentils, canned chicken and frozen meats, diced tomatoes, broth, multiple flours, and a drawer full of spices. I’ll make some delicious stuff with all that!

But with a 15- and 12-year-old in the house, I’ve had to branch out.

It’s unrealistic for me to always have homemade food ready to go, no matter how much I dream of being the mom who’s always prepared with homemade muffins and a pot of cozy soup and sourdough at lunchtime.

It happens sometimes, but I also appreciate having some convenient foods at the ready.

I do keep homemade meals in individual portions in the freezer (like this), but I also have frozen burritos ready to heat and eat. I buy chips, popcorn, and pistachios for quick snacks. I keep yogurt, cheese sticks, and a bowl of apples stocked in the fridge. There’s cereal and canned soup in the pantry.

Things my girls can grab and eat without having to pull out mixing bowls and preheat the oven.

Having growing kids who are hungry at all hours of the day has made me appreciate the value of food that’s simply ready to eat. I still love cooking from scratch, but I don’t need to be personally responsible for preparing every single thing that gets eaten around here.

A Few Final Tips

Beyond those five things, there are a few other little habits that help keep our kitchen running smoothly.

Have a weekly grocery shopping rhythm. I like knowing when I’m going to place my order and roughly how long those groceries need to last us. It helps me plan better and keeps us from constantly running to the store for one or two forgotten things.

Keep a running list of family-favorite meals. You know those meals everyone eats without complaint? Write them down! I love trying new recipes, but when I’m staring at a blank meal plan with zero inspiration, having a list of dependable favorites is so helpful. Nobody cares that I’m making the fam’s favorite meat sauce again.

Use leftovers intentionally. If I’m cooking chicken, I might as well make extra. Tonight’s grilled chicken can become tomorrow’s wraps, quesadillas, or rice bowls. Having an already-cooked protein in the fridge makes throwing together a meal so much faster.

Keep breakfast and lunch fairly predictable. We have enough variety to keep things interesting, but I don’t feel the need to reinvent breakfast and lunch every day. Eggs, bagels, sandwiches, leftovers, and snack plates all make regular appearances. Keeping those meals simple lets me put more of my energy toward dinner.

And perhaps most importantly, let feeding your family look different in different seasons.

I still love cooking. I still care deeply about feeding my family nourishing, delicious food. I still get a lot of joy out of making something from scratch and gathering everyone around the table. But the way that happens looks a little different now than it did five or ten years ago, and that’s OK.

Right now, making feeding my family easier means a little more convenience, a little more flexibility, and a lot less overthinking. Some nights we’re sitting down to a homemade meal with all the fixings, and other nights we’re eating in shifts between practices. Both count.

I’m curious, what’s one thing that makes feeding your family easier right now? A favorite shortcut, an appliance you swear by, a meal everyone loves? I’m always up for adding another good idea to my arsenal!