Sometimes life is hard. Am I right?
Sometimes it’s a little hard…sometimes it’s medium hard…and sometimes it’s a lot hard. There seems to be no real way to avoid this. It’s just the nature of living on planet earth. Even when we make good choices, sometimes hard things find us.
We are going through a season of “hard” here at our house.
The unknown of difficult times is excruciatingly difficult. Thankfully I have a strong mind, body, faith and trust in God, family and support network. For these things, I am grateful.
Besides the unknown, the thing I find hardest during difficult seasons is that life keeps going. Time marches on. It’s such a hard reality to face in the middle of grief, in the middle of challenges, in the middle of the unknown. Time…it marches on. And, as much as we try to slow it down, it keeps moving. And we must move with it.
The reality is – no matter what we are facing – work needs done, bills need paid, kids need school, tables need wiped, toilets need scrubbed, and people need to eat.
Even though I am tired, not feeling well, my family still needs to eat. Every single day. And that can be challenging!!!! It is challenging for me right now. So, I figured I would take this time to share with you what we are doing to keep our family fed in the middle of this challenging season.
My hope is that you can use these strategies in your own life when you are finding it hard to get food on the table every night. Maybe you are not facing a medical crisis, but you are in an extra busy season of life. Maybe you are weighted down with your responsibilities or battling depression or anxiety. Or, maybe you’re just plain tired. If this is you, hopefully these strategies can help.
1. Lower your standards
I list this first because it really does start here. When going through a rough time – or a super stressful or busy time, start by lowering your standards. This is not the time to win the “brownie-baking mother-of-the-year award” or to try out for “Top Mom Chef”. It is a time to meet the basic food needs of your family in the most basic way. This does not mean to start feeding your family junk food! Just means to start by asking – what are the basic needs of my family and how can I meet them in the most basic way?
2. Simplify your meals – then simplify them even further
This is a piggy back off step 1. This is a time for SIMPLE meals. Maybe even a time for food that’s “just food” and not even a meal. Check out this blog for an explanation of what I mean. Basically, you want to break down your food needs into the simplest version of a meal that you can – and be content serving that to your family and eating it yourself.
3. Get help
Sometimes, when things are hard, we have to reach out for help. Ask yourself….Is there anyone that can pick up some groceries? Can I utilize curbside pick up? Is grocery delivery available? In the middle of hard times, it’s important to monitor the amount of energy you have available to spend on food (and other activities) and delegate as much of that out as you can. Is there someone you can call to help you with basic food prep, someone who can bring over a meal or two?
Then, of course, don’t forget to ask for help from people living in your home! Get your spouse and children involved!!! To read more about how I involve my children in the kitchen, check out this blog here. Times of crisis, time crunch, or extreme stress is not the time to train your children to help you in the kitchen. So, now may not be the time to get your kids involved – you may have to wait until things ease up a bit. Bottom line…use your creative juices to figure out how you can get the help you need.
4. Plan for shorter batches of time
I typically plan a 2-week menu and try to do the bulk of my shopping 2 weeks at a time. That is not physically possible for me right now. I am currently shopping for about a week at a time. But, during this stretch, there have been a few times that we were shopping for just 3-5 days at a time. Know that, in the end, this actually takes more time and energy – AND raises your grocery bill. But, when you simply don’t have the energy for large shopping trips right now, back it down to what you can handle.
5. If at all possible, increase your food budget
In the middle of a time when you have less time or energy to spend on food, you may have to spend more money. The cheapest store for me to shop at is Winco. Currently, I don’t have the energy for Winco, so I am shopping at smaller stores that are easier and quicker for me to get in and out of. This increases my grocery bill some. That’s ok.
I am also utilizing more convenient health food options. Things like: sliced apples, bagged salads, pre-chopped veggies, minute rice, and pre-cooked chickens. I know it is better for my budget, my health, and the environment for me to make these things from scratch. But, I can’t do that right now. Choosing healthy convenient foods IS more expensive, but ultimately it may help meet the food needs of your family with the energy available. Ultimately, it’s cheaper than getting take-out.
Which brings me to #6…..
6. If at all possible, increase your take-out budget
I’ve got to be honest. At the end of the day, when life gets really hard, sometimes you have to increase your take-out budget. If you can afford to do this, do it – with no guilt or shame. If I can’t afford to do it, I lean harder into steps 1-5.
I figured I would share with you what my family will be eating this week – while I recover from surgery. This way you can see an example of what a semi-frugal, semi-healthy, ultra-simple meal plan can look like. You may not like everything on the menu, but hopefully it will give you an example of the type of meal plan you can put together when things get hard, stressful, or too busy to a normal food plan.
Here is my menu:
- Pasta with meatballs
- Rotisserie chicken with yellow rice and salad kit
- Fried rice (using leftover chicken and rice)
- Soup (using leftover chicken and rice and adding veggies)
- Roast with potatoes and carrots
- Stew (using leftover roast, potatoes and carrots)
- Steak
- Fried rice (using leftover steak)
I know this is a heavier topic than normal around here, but hoping this helps you when you face extra busy, stressful, or challenging times.
I am so sorry you have some issues going on right now AND look at you, you still keep posting GREAT material to read and learn ! I am praying things turn around quickly for you and you heal and rest like you should. It is easy as Momma’s to just keep going….
Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. I have been resting! Man, it’s hard to rest. You never know how much stuff you do in a day until you can no longer do it!
I hope you also have some friends who will help during this time. Praying for you again today and hoping your surgery was successful, whatever that looks like.
I do! They came yesterday to clean my house! It was amazing. My mom came each day and helped with the kiddos and house. I feel blessed. Thanks for praying for me and my family during this time. That means a lot to me!
I’m sorry to hear you’re having a tough time! I love your advice and how real it is. Definitely applies to any tough life situation, health or otherwise.
Thank you! It really does apply to any of lifes’ stressful moments! Glad you enjoyed it.
Hugs and prayers!
Thank you so much for your prayers. Our family really appreciates it!
This blog post is so applicable for all of us. When times are tough, simplify everything so you can focus on the really important things!
Love you, Shelly! Your messages always resonate with me!
Yes! I agree – focus on the important things. Thanks for sharing! I appreciate you!
This is so true. Last year I was in the hospital and rehab for months. I came home but was unable to cook or do much else for many more months. I learned my husband was great at opening a can, a box or a bag. I told a friend it wasn’t really cooking but we survived just fine. Even if it was a can of soup and a peanut butter sandwich, we had food. A friend who might not cook much themselves could drop off a pizza or a bucket of chicken and it was greatly appreciated. I’ve resumed cooking but with limited stamina. Husband now realizes it’s good to have help in the kitchen and cooks more. Adjust your expectations, appreciate what you have and life will continue with joy. Life’s not always pretty, but it’s still beautiful!
Bonnie- you’re absolutely right! I’m sorry that you had to face that experience. If you’re like me, I’m permanently changed for the better from my deep, hard challenges. But, it isn’t easy! It takes a LOT of lowering standards – ha! Redifining what constitutes a meal is really important. Thanks for sharing your story. I’m happy to hear you’re on the mend!