If you’re trying to stay fit and healthy while balancing a busy schedule, friends, family, work, and hobbies, you’ll know that mealtime can often fall to the wayside. Dinnertime often becomes the busiest part of the day, instead of providing an opportunity for rest and nourishment. Whether you’re rushing home from work, throwing something together for hungry kids, or trying to Cuisinart together something in the fridge, it’s easy for dinnertime to feel more like a scramble than a relaxing meal.
The good news? A stress-free dinner is totally possible and can even be a fun, tasty, and rewarding experience. With a few smart habits, simple prep steps, and some key nutrition shortcuts, you can make dinnertime feel a whole lot easier (and healthier). Here’s how to take the stress out of your evenings—starting tonight!
1) Don’t Plan Every Meal—Just Plan Dinner
If you’re not a fan of meal planning and don't have time for it, you can focus on just one meal out of the day. Throw together some basics like yogurt, fruit and granola for breakfast and healthy grains, lean meats, and veggies for lunch. Grab them on the go without worrying over every bite. Then focus on dinner, which is the meal that usually involves the most effort, ingredients, and cleanup.
Try this simple dinnertime routine:
Choose 3 to 5 easy dinners for the week that use similar ingredients and aren’t too far out of your comfort zone to make.
- Write down the ingredients you’ll need.
- Head to the grocery store once, cook throughout the week as desired, refrigerate, and you’re ready to go.
That’s it! Even a loose meal plan can save you time, reduce waste, and prevent the 6 p.m. panic of what to make for dinner.
2) Keep Your Dinner Formula Simple
If you’re not sure what to actually plan for dinner, you can try this meal prep trick that works like magic: Create a go-to dinner formula that works for your household’s budget and flavor preferences. Here are a few to consider:
- Protein + Veggie + Carb
- Stir Fry + Rice + Sauce
- Sheet Pan Meal + Salad
The goal is to create a structure without limiting your options. Taco night could involve shrimp instead of ground beef or veggies or turn into breakfast burritos for dinner. Or pasta night could be a traditional spaghetti one week and a veggie-packed pesto bowl the next. As you get accustomed to the combinations that work best, your grocery list and prep time will get easier.
3) Readjust Your Prep Time Expectations
Comparing yourself to Sunday meal-prep warriors can just frustrate you and make you feel like you've failed before you’ve begun. Instead, do a little prep like
- Chopping up some veggies
- Pre-cooking a grain
- Marinating some chicken
- Making a sauce in advance.
- Washing lettuce for easy salads
- Cooking a batch of quinoa or rice to use all week.
- Roasting a sheet of veggies to reheat and repurpose
Even 15 minutes of prep while you’re waiting on the laundry or watching a show can give you a head start on the week.
4) Unapologetically Embrace the Shortcut
Remember that not every meal you put on the table has to be made from scratch. Not only is it okay, but it can dramatically reduce your stress and food waste and give you more control over your nutrition. Consider taking healthy shortcuts like keeping a rotisserie chicken, frozen veggies, microwave grains, and pre-made sauces on hand to save your sanity and still maintain your goals for balanced nutrition.
Some other MVPs to keep on hand:
- Low-sodium or organic jarred pesto or curry paste
- Canned beans or lentils
- Frozen stir-fry blends
- Pre-chopped onions and garlic
When in doubt, remind yourself that you don’t earn extra points for doing it the hard way. Instead, you should work smarter instead of harder and longer.
5) Add a Little Nutrition Support
Dinner is a great time to dive into the whole foods, but what about the rest of your day? If you’re short on time or don’t always hit your nutrition standards, you can incorporate a few thoughtful supplements to help round things out:
Protein Powder
If you’re used to skipping breakfast and your lunch is a snack, whey protein powder can go a long way to help you meet your daily nutrition needs without whipping up an extra meal. Add a scoop to a shake, stir it into your morning oatmeal, or blend it into a fruity smoothie bowl after dinner. As a bonus, whey powder can also help you stay full and supports muscle recovery for those who are in training or super active.
BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids)
If you’re a bodybuilder, athlete, or just active, BCAAs can give you a much-needed energy boost in the afternoon. They help support muscle function and reduce soreness while curbing cravings if you’re prone to reaching for a midnight snack.
Collagen Powder
Adding collagen powder to your morning coffee, tea, or morning drink helps support your skin, hair, joint health, and digestion. It’s flavorless, easy to stir into your drinks, and boosts your energy without changing up your routine.
Organic Greens Powder
We know that sometimes it’s difficult to get enough healthy, green veggies onto your plate at dinner. Incorporating an organic greens supplement can help you get those missing nutrients. Mix it into water, juice, or a smoothie.
It’s important to remember that none of these are meant to replace meals, but they can give you peace of mind and take a more balanced approach to dinnertime.
Get Help Streamlining Your Nutrition with WAYT Nutrition
The secret to stress-free dinners isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. Take small steps, plan just enough for your meal, use smart shortcuts, and fill in the gaps with the right nutritional support. Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding your entire family, these small changes can make your evenings smoother and your meals more satisfying. Shop our entire menu of supplements now.