Meals for When "Easy" Isn't Easy Enough

Welcome to YTF Community, a place to safely share in the challenges and joys of feeding our families. And make all of it easier!

As someone who has spent years making “easy” recipes to post on the internet and feeding three kids and myself in real life, I know firsthand how misleading that term can be. The context in which we’re cooking always matters and it’s hardly acknowledged in recipes. And often, the context around making meals when you have little kids is chaos…or at least not always the calmest.

That impacts prep time, cook time, and just the overall experience. And often, it can make the prospect or the act of cooking feel really, really, hard.

Which is to say: I know there are many times when we need easier than “easy”. We need to be able to get food onto plates and highchairs with less thinking, less doing, and more ease. Because it’s hard to enjoy parenting or the day-to-day when it all feels so endless.

Is this always possible? Maybe not, but below are my best tips for feeding everyone with a little less work.

And to help us all help each other, please comment below to add your tips too!

Skip Recipes
Serve Any Food for Any Meal
Use Prepared Foods Strategically
Remember that Fruit Counts
Ditch the Idea of “Perfect” Eaters—and Perfect Meals

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