I Need Easy Meals for My Kids

The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors
·2 min read

Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Sean Dooley

ON THIS WEEK’S episode of Dinner SOS, test kitchen director and host Chris Morocco is joined by Stacie Billis and Meghan Splawn, hosts of Didn’t I Just Feed You, a podcast for parents on how to ease the stress of feeding a family. In addition to kid-friendly recipes, Stacie and Meghan also offer tips on how to manage a grocery budget, help kids establish a healthy relationship to food, and get them involved in the kitchen.

Chris, Stacie, and Meghan answer listener questions like how to keep dishes appealing to kids while offering grown-ups simple ways to level-up their meals (Stacie suggests adding “flavor bombs” or finishing touches like pickled onions, store-bought salsa macha, or even salad dressing). Meghan leans into the idea of a Venn diagram dinner that includes several components and then pulling them together to suit each person eating so adults can enjoy the full shebang of sauces and toppings, like in rice bowls or noodle dishes. Stacie also throws out the cook once, eat twice strategy of making extra rice or protein to have a head start on another meal later in the week.

They also discuss recipes that can be prepped ahead before having a baby, like casseroles or breakfast sandwiches, and dishes that are nourishing in postpartum, like chicken soup and seaweed soup (Both recipes are part of a new Bon Appétit series called The Fourth Trimester, all about postnatal foods across cultures).

Listen now for more tips and tricks, like recipes to cook with kids (Stacie suggests dumplings while Meghan goes with meatballs) and how to keep your family kitchen organized. Plus, our hosts admit to some foods that they still detest eating as adults.

Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit

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