Early in the new year we’re all full of goals, resolutions, and aspirations. I am by no means an expert on habit change or self-improvement, but I can share some tips in the area where I’ve been able to successfully maintain my goals, and that is food. Maybe then someone else can give me tips on building a better exercise routine, staying on top of my laundry, and not killing my houseplants.
When it comes to food, one of the big goals I hear people struggle with is cooking at home regularly. This I have mastered. Deep cleaning my house or sticking to a weight training routine? Not so much. But food and cooking? That we can talk about. And then we can make super easy, healthy sushi bowls in 20 minutes, because sometimes you just need dinner on the table really quickly.
For this one, you have to plan ahead. That can mean a Monday–Friday meal plan, knowing what your easiest go-to dinners are and keeping those ingredients stocked, or using your weekend for a little meal prep. Getting food on the table Monday through Friday can look different for every family, but the best way to make it happen is to have a plan. Here are some strategies that have worked really well for me:
Start with your calendar. Take a realistic look at your week. If you have a partner who shares the cooking, do this together. Decide who’s cooking which nights and what else you’re juggling. If you’re not home until 6:30, that’s not the night for beef stew. But if someone’s home from 4 on, maybe a stew or chili is a great idea. Do you have a night with almost no time? That’s the night for a super easy approach, a planned leftover, or this quick sushi bowl.
Use your weekend. At a minimum, make your cooking plan and grocery shop on the weekend. You could also make a weekend dinner that gives you leftovers or a key ingredient for a weeknight meal. A great example: kalua pork tacos on Sunday and pulled pork sandwiches on Tuesday. Or baked salmon on Saturday and spicy salmon bowls on Monday night.
Know your go-to meals. If this is new to you, don’t try to comb through cookbooks and build a menu of unfamiliar dishes. A weeknight when you’re tired and a lot is going on is not the time to take on new recipes. Start with your go-to dinners — the things you can make in 30 minutes. It’s okay if that’s spaghetti, tacos, chicken salad sandwiches, breakfast for dinner, or sloppy joes. Making those things at home is still cheaper and healthier than takeout. Create a list of what those meals are for you and build it over time. Stick to what you know on a Tuesday night, and save building your repertoire for the weekend. Maybe try one new recipe each week.
Look for recipe ideas in your downtime. I’m a big fan of the NYT Cooking section. YouTube is great for this too, as are cookbooks that genuinely focus on quick 30-minute weeknight meals — Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredients is a good one.
Try to connect with the process in an enjoyable way. I know that cooking dinner at 6:30 when you’re tired and kids are bombarding you can be less than pleasant. I certainly have those nights. But I try to think of my kitchen as a lovely space I enjoy, and I focus on the art of preparing the meal. I light candles, I put on music, and if need be, I kick the kids out of the kitchen.
Now, for a truly easy, kid-friendly, healthy weeknight dinner in 20 minutes (or however long your rice cooker takes):
Step 1: Make your rice. Or, if you really need to save time, make it in the morning and refrigerate it for later. This is especially useful if you want to use brown rice or a wild rice blend.
Step 2: Make your spicy tuna. Mix kewpie mayo, sriracha, and sesame oil into canned tuna. I use about 3 tablespoons of mayo, 1 tablespoon of sriracha, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil per can. I make two cans for my family. But you should adjust this to your taste. You can also use canned salmon or leftover cooked salmon.
Step 3: Prepare your toppings. We like chopped green onions, avocado, and cucumber. Sometimes I add sliced radishes too. However, we were out of all those things this time and it was okay.
Step 4: Assemble. Put your rice of choice in a bowl, add the tuna, and pile on your toppings. Drizzle each bowl with more mayo and sriracha to taste, then sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve with seasoned nori, I use the snack packs for this, and kimchi on the side.
What I love about this dinner is that it’s genuinely easy and yet feels really festive to my kids. I also love how customizable it is. One of my kids doesn’t like avocado. If you prefer salmon, use that. My husband doesn’t do white rice, so we make his with brown rice prepared ahead of time. Start to finish, this is a 20-minute dinner and we all need one of those in our back pocket.