‘Step Up To Dinner’

Inspiration for Creating Healthy Home-Cooked Food Every Day

By RUTH LAURENT-KOCHER | Contributing Writer

How do you feel about cooking dinner? Do you enjoy it, but simply can’t find the time? Are you tired of cooking every night or stuck in a rut with the same few meals?

Maybe it’s tough when everyone is on different schedules. Or perhaps you don’t like to cook or think you are not very good at it. It could even be terrifying for some of you.

Whatever your answer, the simple fact is most of us eat dinner every day, yet often find ourselves staring into the refrigerator at 6 p.m. in a panic or dialing up a quick take-out delivery to solve that night’s needs.

Why is this a bad thing? Who has time to make a home-cooked meal every night in a modern, fast-paced world? It’s old-fashioned and out of date, right?

In a series of four articles, we will tackle the perplexing, often stressful daily question: “What’s for dinner?”

We will explore why the home-cooked meal is under attack, what this means for our health, relationships, and environment, and why we may need a shift in mindset.

Then, we will work through a step-by-step solution to weekly meal planning, plus ideas and inspiration to consistently create healthy home-cooked dinners every day. We are going to “Step Up To Dinner.”

What’s the problem? The traditional ritual of sitting down for a family dinner is under attack from a lack of time, the insatiable desire for instant gratification and the demand for ever-increasing convenience.

You don’t have to be a doctor to see how our repeated bad food choices affect our lives. From sleep issues to attention disorders, weight gain to diabetes, the effects of a poor diet are well-known and understood by most of us.

But why aren’t we thinking about what we feed ourselves every day, and the impact on our health and well-being? Why isn’t it a priority? What’s the real problem?

Time. This is the biggest culprit, and the fact that there is simply not enough of it. Everything is at warp speed.

Evenings full of getting home exhausted from work, late or unpredictable arrival of spouses, kids’ homework and after-school activities, and different likes and dislikes all contribute to anxiety, a feeling of being overwhelmed, or just a good old dread of dinnertime.

Alternatives. There are so many easy options—fast food, take-out, prepared meal kits, boxed or frozen dinners, that is, if you can’t afford to eat out at your favorite restaurant every night.

In addition, feeding our obsession for convenience and enabled by technology, companies proudly shout they can deliver anything you want to eat, from anywhere, in less than two hours.

Culture. The stereotype of “supersized” Americans—of fast food and “on-the-go” everything—is a reality for many people today. Compared to many other countries, we spend much less time eating and enjoying our meals. The future forecast is alarming, with obesity rates expected to increase to at least 47% of the U.S. population by 2030, according to Economic think tank OECD 2019.

Attitudes. Something in our minds is in the way. Perhaps you have convinced yourself you can’t cook or just don’t enjoy cooking. It’s not a good use of your time. You are way too busy. It’s a chore, not a priority, and maybe you can afford to eat out every day.

As countries experience economic prosperity, people eat less and less at home. In fact, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, for the first time, the amount spent eating out now surpasses what we spend on food at home. But what are we actually eating?

By reaching for a quick fix, we are not in control. This food is often filled with unnecessary calories, bad fats, oils, too much salt, sugar, preservatives, genetically modified organisms and other ingredients we can’t pronounce.

We are not creating something that nourishes our family. We are not spending quality time with friends or family around a table, talking, sharing and eating. We are not teaching the next generation good habits, to learn to feed their families in a healthy, sustainable and cost-effective way—and let’s not even think about the amount of packaging, plastic, waste and other environmental effects of all of this.

So, can you quickly prepare great dinners each night of the week, balancing everyone’s likes and needs, and providing great-tasting nutritional food for your family? Can you achieve this goal and enjoy the process? Can you do this consistently week after week?

Yes, you can! Accept the challenge, take responsibility and “Step Up To Dinner.”

The next installment of the “Step Up To Dinner” series will focus on “What’s The Solution?” Palisadian Ruth Laurent-Kocher brings executive function to her personal passion for healthy home-cooked food in her first book, “Step Up To Dinner.” To arrange a group workshop, private consultation or purchase a copy of her “how-to” guide and cookbook, email ruth@uptotheplate.org or go to uptotheplate.org.