Because picky kids and burnout don’t care about your meal plan
A pediatrician once told me that as long as the kids are getting a variety of foods over a three day period, they’re good. That advice saved my sanity. I can relax if every meal isn’t perfectly balanced. Maybe tonight is carbs and tomorrow is fruit and the next day is a veggie. I also make sure they take their vitamins and drink plenty of water.
Some nights I parent like a Pinterest mom. And some nights I parent like a woman holding this household together with caffeine and sheer force of will. When I’m in exhausted survival mode, especially as a single mom, “proper” family meals feel like a luxury. Everyone wants something different, my picky eaters want food that doesn’t touch, and I’m not trying to cook four separate dinners like a short-order chef at midnight.
This is where microwaveable single servings become my absolute lifeline. I’m talking the heroes that live in the pantry and save my peace on the days when the tank is empty.
There are the classics like single-serve mac and cheese cups and Rice-A-Roni microwave cups. Compleats meals have been a lifesaver! Even cereal and oatmeal have gotten smart and come in portioned bowls. Kids love feeling independent and I love not scrubbing another pan.
Other individual lifesavers include cup-of-noodles, mashed potato microwave cups, Chef Boyardee bowls, microwavable quinoa bowls, frozen mini pizzas, individual chicken pot pies, fiber snacks, microwaveable ramen bowls, fruit squeeze pouches, granola bars, bagged popcorn, fruit cups, Go-Gurts, beef sticks, cheese sticks, peanut-butter cracker snacks, and premade deli roll-ups. Basically, if it comes in a little cup or wrapper and doesn’t require mental energy, I’m in.
And in case you need permission, microwave popcorn is a perfectly acceptable dinner option! Especially if paired with a protein shake or an apple or something to make you feel better about it.
Finger foods make a great children’s charcuterie. Sliced pepperoni, mixed nuts, rolled turkey lunch meat, crackers, grapes, apple slices, cucumbers, sliced cheese, pretzels, olives, popcorn chicken, mini muffins, you name it. Kids love a tray of bite-sized things they can mix and match. And you can use whatever you already have.
The air fryer has been another lifesaver. Food cooks in a fraction of the time. It’s nothing to throw in a handful of chicken nuggets or a single frozen burger patty. And it all tastes better. My kids think I’m a gourmet chef when really I’m just reheating things at lightning speed.
There are a few other survival mode tricks that keep my kitchen running without burying me in dishes. One is using compostable plates, bowls, cups, and utensils. I started during COVID when I was cooking four meals a day for six people, and I will never not have this staple in my kitchen. Cleanup is instant and it buys me time and mental energy.
Other ideas include keeping a basket of grab-and-go snacks the kids can choose from, buying prewashed veggie packs, keeping a fruit bowl on the counter, and treating breakfast foods as dinner whenever you need an easy win. Scrambled eggs, frozen waffles, microwave pancakes, or a toaster bagel count as a meal. Your kids are fed. You are fed. Peace restored.
Survival mode meals aren’t about perfection. They’re about keeping everyone alive, hydrated, and semi-nutritionally balanced while you ride the waves of real life. This is Functional-ish living at its finest.
If you want more real-life parenting hacks from a messy mom just trying to keep the remote where it belongs, grab my book Functional-ish: Real Life Hacks From A Messy Mom Just Trying to Keep the Remote Where It Belongs.
