Working mums are absolute legends. If you be kids are happy, educated for the day, and fed, then that’s a win.
I’m lucky enough not to be working right now, but with our first new baby the routine is all over the place. I try to cook food that can be frozen and reheated nicely, so on the chaotic nights I can pull something healthy and filling out. We’re not big takeout people.

Such an important part of our lives, our health, our well-being. Need to put the appropriate value on it. Some other things make have to give. Planning is a great start.

We do not have alot of take-away as home cooked meals we prefer!

I find I have a lot of trouble with this.

I know of a woman with a hubby and a 2 yo. They both work but hubby finishes early in the morning, mum doesn’t finish til 6pm, yet she is still expected to get dinner ready (not to mention the grandma looks after the 2 yo all day!) because hubby is too lazy. So they have takeaways 5-6 days of the week. They’re both overweight as they don’t exercise either (even their dog is fat!) I fear for the health of their daughter :/

plan and it can be as easy as a salad

I cook every night. Takeaways if we’re out and about. I know a mum who budgets as much for groceries as she does for takeaways every week. And they have a 2 yo!!!

My life is easier when I write a meal plan

I always do a meal plan which can be flexible but makes shopping and tea making easier.

meal planning is important, we have a plan but it is flexible, but we cook every night, it would be rare to ever have takeaway, my kids may have it sometimes for lunch, but dinner is family time and everyone sits around the table and then we all do the dishes and clean up together, then the evening is your own.

Thanks for sharing; meal planning is so important in this household.

easy, healthy meals or cook on the weekend and freeze for the week

I get a bit cross with myself sometimes because I know if I meal plan life is so much easier and we generally stick to the meals we plan because it is already there set to go and no thinking is involved. But when plans are not put in place it is often so we think easier to have take out or frozen dinners etc at home. But in reality the time it takes to order and wait for delivery or to go out and get a meal you could easily cook so many simple meals at home.

We try to cook as much as we can, 5 days a week usually. I stay home, hubby works full time. When we do eat out we try and go healthy such as grilled fish, hot chicken etc

I try my be to pre-prepare and plan for the week, makes it so much easier during the week.

We cook as much as we can as we are trying to save money but once a week we get take away because we are lazy LOL

Preparing healthy meals doesn’t take that long especially if you are organised and plan ahead. You can whip up a stirfry, pasta, or meat and 3 veg in under 30mins. Take away should be a sometimes food, not a staple. Pre make meals too and freeze for those nights when you are really busy. Supermarkets now offer precut veg for those who are time poor, or use frozen. There is no excuse to live on takeaway

im sorry but take away is a shortcut, its lazy and just too darn expensive these days. My hubby and i run our own business 6 days a week. we leave the houe at 6.30am and dont get home till 6.15pm we have two toddlers who need bathing dinner and bed the minute we get home. we cook every night and plan our meals to ensure they are good for us and our children. it takes no time at all to prepare good food if you pick the right things, no longer than sitting in a drive thru.

I cook all the time and now retired, when I was working I was still cooking, however we used to have the occasional fast food. More useless studies coming from a University

Looks like most of us are fans of cooking double batches and putting one lot away for a cooking free night. Not every meal has to take a lot of effort. Eggs on toast plus a few cooked veggies or quick salad is nutritious and easy. Pasta and canned tuna or salmon stirred through with a few veg again Is ok when you are short of time or energy.