How do people get dinner on the table by 6:00?

[Anonymous]

Ok maybe you don’t work from home but as you can see, the vast majority of the respondents do and they start dinner preparations during the workday.

Otherwise eating dinner at 6:00 is pretty tough, barring making some combo of bland baked chicken/fish, microwaved or sautéed plain veggies and instant rice every day. Not appetizing to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They ‘work’ from home so they have all day to prep for dinner.

I'm the PP directly before you, and no I don't. I leave the house by 7:30 every day so that I can get my 8 hours in and be home by 5:30 or maybe a little earlier. Commuting sucks.

But by eating at 6, we're done with dinner and dishes by 7. I have time later that evening to prep. It's just rearranging: cook/eat then prep for the next night, rather than prep/cook/eat every night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We eat around 6. It means prep happens before hand (eg today the chicken marinade was made yesterday), then I only had to throw it in the air fryer and make the rice noodles, cut up some veggies, and done…but basically we have a handful of 30 minutes meals on rotation. We have an 8 yo who needs to be in bed by 730…

+1
This is us. Why spend 2.5 hrs cooking? Dinner at 6, start the bedtime routine at 7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all of the great ideas! I really like the cook/eat then prep for next night idea as well as eating after the kids go to bed and making extra for their earlier meal the night before. When the baby is older I'm guessing I'll make some very simple dinners like scrambled eggs on some nights. I have to say I'm impressed that people are getting home and immediately starting to cook! I couldn't do that. But I guess it gives you more time to relax after dinner instead of before.

To be fair when your kids are a little older you’re not coming home from work and having relaxation time anyways. When they are preschoolers they want to play with you, they need help going to the bathroom and getting ready for bed, etc and when they’re elementary school, they have activities and need homework help etc. So coming home from work is not some “ahhhh let’s relax!” moment.

[Anonymous]

Prep everything the night before. When you get home, just throw it all together.

Crockpot meals are also great.

[Anonymous]

I have a rice cooker and often use rice as the base starch so I don’t have to spend time on it. Like pasta takes forever because you have to boil water first. Rice noodles you soak in water are also good, and rice paper wraps.

While the rice cooks (or noodles soak) I can quickly stir fry something or saute. I know American people love the oven, but you have to sit there and have it preheat for 12 minutes before cooking even starts! I can get a fresh dinner cooked in the same amount of time it takes for DH to cook a frozen pizza. Sometimes I make the rice in the morning (machine keeps it warm and fresh all day) to eat for dinner. The next day I have leftover rice for fried rice, another quick meal.

If you’re a slow chopper, you can pre chop onions and wash all your vegetables beforehand.

[Anonymous]

Another idea is to have a few easy side options basically ready to go. Example: I keep broccoli in the freezer so I can toss that in cooking pasta to add a vegetable so I don’t need to make salad. Or keep a frozen vegetable mix you can throw in a pot with an inch of water and some butter to make a quick vegetable side while you cook a protein for dinner.

That way you have some set basics on autopilot and you’re just worrying about the variable entree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a rice cooker and often use rice as the base starch so I don’t have to spend time on it. Like pasta takes forever because you have to boil water first. Rice noodles you soak in water are also good, and rice paper wraps.

While the rice cooks (or noodles soak) I can quickly stir fry something or saute. I know American people love the oven, but you have to sit there and have it preheat for 12 minutes before cooking even starts! I can get a fresh dinner cooked in the same amount of time it takes for DH to cook a frozen pizza. Sometimes I make the rice in the morning (machine keeps it warm and fresh all day) to eat for dinner. The next day I have leftover rice for fried rice, another quick meal.

If you’re a slow chopper, you can pre chop onions and wash all your vegetables beforehand.

We have an induction range with a convection oven (air fryer) feature, water boils really quickly and the convection oven does not need to preheat

[Anonymous]

I get food on the table by about 6, sometimes a little later. DH and I both work until roughly 4:30, short commute (for me, he WFH) and close to schools/daycare. I also make exceedingly simple meals (example, tonight is chicken wings and salad - last night was a crockpot stew with 5 minute grits).

I might do something more elaborate or time-consuming on the weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a rice cooker and often use rice as the base starch so I don’t have to spend time on it. Like pasta takes forever because you have to boil water first. Rice noodles you soak in water are also good, and rice paper wraps.

While the rice cooks (or noodles soak) I can quickly stir fry something or saute. I know American people love the oven, but you have to sit there and have it preheat for 12 minutes before cooking even starts! I can get a fresh dinner cooked in the same amount of time it takes for DH to cook a frozen pizza. Sometimes I make the rice in the morning (machine keeps it warm and fresh all day) to eat for dinner. The next day I have leftover rice for fried rice, another quick meal.

If you’re a slow chopper, you can pre chop onions and wash all your vegetables beforehand.

We have an induction range with a convection oven (air fryer) feature, water boils really quickly and the convection oven does not need to preheat

Can you say more about your oven? I have a convection feature on mine and I’d say it cooks more quickly and makes food crunchy! but does need preheating time.

[Anonymous]

Spouse works 6-2 in person, gets home with the kids by 4:30, and does all the cooking.

[Anonymous]

I try to get dinner on the table by 7:30. I have two elementary aged kids. We eat and send the kids to bed at 8:30 while one of us cleans up.

I don't know anyone from cultures with flavorful food that eat at 6pm. I just don't think it's possible to impart flavor or made good tasting food that quickly. Unless it's leftovers or crockpot cooking.

[Anonymous]

Most of the meals I make take about 45 mins to prep, so I start around 5 and we eat by 6. If it helps, my weekly menu consists of the following:
1 pasta dish (usually lasts two nights)
2 meat/veggies/starch (grill chicken, pork chops or steaks or sausages)
1 Tex-Mex style meal
2 order in or eat out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all of the great ideas! I really like the cook/eat then prep for next night idea as well as eating after the kids go to bed and making extra for their earlier meal the night before. When the baby is older I'm guessing I'll make some very simple dinners like scrambled eggs on some nights. I have to say I'm impressed that people are getting home and immediately starting to cook! I couldn't do that. But I guess it gives you more time to relax after dinner instead of before.

Op, you can do all sorts of things you don't think you can right now. It's kind of the name of the parenting game. You change and adapt as your child and family grow and change. Try not to worry too much about the far off future. You're doing great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They ‘work’ from home so they have all day to prep for dinner.

Are you the same poster that is always putting "work" in quotes for folks who WFH? I've seen this recently on several threads in a couple different forums. How old are you? Why don't you think folks who WFH are working? Are you just jealous? So odd!

[Anonymous]

A mix of options.

Weekend prep.
Simplify what you eat during the week.
Grill out and have left overs.
By prepared food (WF/HT/Balducci's etc. or meal service.
Trader Joe's (watch out for high sodium content)