Quality Time.
It is something that we all strive for in our families. Between school, work, and other activities, it can be hard to achieve the right balance that provides quality time for the family as a whole. One of the best times to connect as a family after a busy day is dinner. That’s why I’m partnering with the Kraft Heinz Food Company to talk about how to fit in family meals on busy weeknights.
Numerous quality conversations have occurred around the dinner table in our home. I enjoy the little things that I discover about my kids through the course of dinner conversation. I find out who likes art class, who thought math class was boring, and who played during nap time. All of these details give me insight into who my child is and what they like.
While I’m sure that we all agree that family meals are essential, squeezing them in can be a challenge. My children are still in elementary school, but I know that this challenge is particularly poignant in high school when after school activities, group projects, and sports become priorities to kids. Throw parents’ work schedules in the mix, and family dinner time can be a pickle!
I enjoy cooking and presenting a home cooked meal to my family. Yet I also know that if I wait for the perfect, no-rush evening, we would rarely have family dinner. Here are three tips on fitting in family dinner on busy weeknights.
–Deliberately leave open times for dinner. When looking at the “big picture” of weekly activities, deliberately leave time open for family dinner. Try to have at least a few times a week when everyone can be home and around the dinner table.
–Schedule it in. We schedule everything else in our planner. Why not dinner, too? This is especially important with older kids (although it works well with my spouse, too). Let everyone know when dinner is and what time they should make sure to be home.
–Give yourself a break from cooking. Utilize meal ideas that are already prepped and ready to go. For elementary school aged kids, the KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Frozen Dinners are a neat option. They include the KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese that kids enjoy plus a protein and a fruit or vegetable. They do not contain artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
The KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese with Grilled BBQ Chicken and Carrots variety is my daughter’s favorite. She likes the taste of the chicken, and carrots are her favorite vegetable, making it a meal that she enjoys. Of course, she can’t go wrong with any of the KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Frozen Dinners!
The KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Frozen Dinners are now available at Publix. The four varieties, KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese with Whole Wheat Chicken Nuggets and Broccoli, KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese with Grilled BBQ Chicken and Carrots, KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese with Chicken & Beef Meatballs and Apples, and KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese with Roasted Chicken and Broccoli, are located in the frozen aisle.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Kraft Heinz Food Company.
I will definitely pick some of these up! I feel like certain nights of the week are SO rushed and this would be a huge time saver.
That is so great! I had no idea that Kraft had moved into little mac and cheese based meals like this. I have to get some for the fam.
Eating a microwavable meal is better than going through the drive through that is for sure. Sure the kids love eating them.
I have never seen these before! They would probably do for a good after school snack too!
I have never seen these before but I am definitely going to do them. There are nights that we just don’t have time to do anything and something like this would be perfect.
These look so good! My daughter will really like them. She’s always been a fan of Kraft mac and cheese. I’ve seen these in stores, so I’ll pick one up the next time I’m out.
I had no idea about these. My kiddos love mac and cheese. I have to add this to my grocery list. Thanks for sharing!
We actually have family meals most nights, except like tonight when life is insane lol These are great tips
Kraft Dinner was always such a treat and convenience growing up. My sister and I would always make some together.
We are big about eating together as a family. We have it scheduled every day so we can spend that time together.
We recently purchased these for the first time and my girls love them. When they are hungry after school, they easily pop it in the microwave.
When our daughter was in her growing years, we made it a family rule to be at the dinner table. Sometimes that dinner table was McDonalds, but we always sat down and ate together.
Oh my goodness, yes! I have some stock of this at home because I like it and it’s so easy to prepare.
This is the busiest time of year for us and I love meals that are quick and easy. We’ve recently tried these and they were a hit. I’m going back to stock up.
Yes I would like to get free from cooking some days this Macorni and cheese sounds like great idea.
We just saw thees at Publix tonight! We have been eating out a lot while our kitchen remodel is in full swing but I bet my son would love these.
We are huge Kraft Mac n cheese fans here but I hadn’t seen the frozen dinners yet. We will have to try them!