What’s for Dinner?

“What’s for dinner?”

Do you ever dread that question?  We sure did.

We were trying to eat healthy, bored with dinner ideas, too busy to make the time, too tired to be creative…and the kids didn’t like anything.

• We knew we needed to eat healthier.
• We knew we should probably cut back on convenience foods & eating out.
• We knew we needed to eat more vegetables.

But, let’s get real. With work and life…who has the time to plan nutritionally-sound meals every week, let alone cook them? (And, even on those rare occasions when you do find the time, you run out of energy. Right?)

And then, what happens?

Our Story…

At our house, with both of us working full-time and two busy daughters, there was a point when we realized we were eating out about three times a week (sometimes four). Even when we did eat at home, there was always some kind of box involved in our meal.

Convenience was king.

We tried our best to make the healthiest choices at our favorite eateries or while reading labels in the store, but we weren’t getting any healthier. In fact, each year, we felt ourselves slipping further away from picture perfect health. We worked out regularly, but never got lasting results. Our kids were picky and we couldn’t get them to eat a bite of vegetables, let alone the USDA’s recommended half plate serving.

Luckily, along the way, we made some discoveries that got us out of the endless cycle. We started learning about food and nutrition. And the more we studied, the more we began to realize that many of the foods we thought were ‘healthy’ were the very foods keeping us from our goals. We were shocked to say the least – especially after trying to do our best for so long.

That’s when we made a commitment to get serious and make some changes – for ourselves and our family.

• We made a conscious effort to eat at home just one more time each week.
• We started learning how to cook whole foods in a healthy way.
• We experimented with new recipes.

Eventually, we found new family favorites and before long “What’s for dinner?” was no longer a dreaded question, but one we all looked forward to every day. No one can wait to get home for dinner these days. In fact, some of our best family memories have been around the dinner table.

That’s not the only change at our house. It is crazy the changes that we’ve made in our health and our habits. We still marvel at the quantity of vegetables we (yes, even our kids) devour on a daily basis – even more so, we marvel at how great we feel.

We got really good at meal planning and super efficient in the kitchen. We even went so far as to become nutritionists so we could go out and teach others what we’ve learned. (You don’t have to go THAT crazy, but you can certainly benefit from all of the stuff we’ve learned.)

Bottomline: if this kind of change can happen at our house, we know you can do it, too! You just need the tools that make it easy.

Which gave us this idea…

How would it help if dinner was already planned? What if you had access to over 130+ recipes that are healthy, delicious and simple? And, what if each recipe came with step-by-step instructions and a weekly grocery list, too! Imagine – just push a button, print a grocery list and follow the instructions. Wouldn’t that make life easier?

That’s why we created The Kitchen Skinny Menus

In 2012, we spent an entire year in the kitchen. Cooking, experimenting and planning an entire year of healthy dinners. Not just for us, but for you!

• 130+ delicious, healthy, nutrient dense recipes
• 52 weekly menu plans that provide plenty of variety
• Categorized grocery lists that make shopping easy
• All with family in mind – less time in the kitchen, more time around the dinner table

Even to this day, we still use this tool to plan all of our dinners. We go to the store just one time each week. We plan our meals and assemble our grocery list in just minutes. We cook amazing, delicious food that everyone looks forward to. And, our bodies have never looked or felt so good.

We think it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, but that’s because it’s changed our lives so dramatically. Our kids – our health – our energy. What’s really cool though is to be somewhere and have a total stranger approach us and tell us how using this tool was so helpful to them and their journey to a healthier life. Knowing that we are helping other families…it makes that whole year in the kitchen worthwhile!

As you think about 2015 and your goals – we invite you to check it out. For less than the cost of one nice dinner out, you can have an entire year of dinners – at your fingertips. Just think of the time you’ll save, the fun you’ll have, and the magic that can happen for your family both in terms of your health, but also by making What’s for Dinner? the best question of the day.

Join us in the kitchen this year at www.thekitchenskinnymenus.com or Follow us on Facebook at: facebook.com/thekitchenskinny