Author, comedian, and viral sensation Kristina Kuzmic is a mom of three who’s relatable style and hilarious videos offer a candid look at the many ups and downs of parenting and life. Her refreshingly honest approach and great advice have garnered her 2.8 million followers on Facebook, and she was also appointed Natural Choice’s “Lunch Whisperer.” She partnered with the natural lunchmeat brand to share the mealtime tricks, recipes, and advice, which make her meals a success and bring balance to her family’s routine. Today, Kristina is sharing easy dinner ideas that feed our families in more ways than one.
The stress of meal preparation is something Kristina hears about from her followers all the time. As The Lunch Whisperer, Kristina encourages parents to aim for moments of connection instead of chaos with easy dinner solutions. She believes the mealtime is an amazing opportunity for meaningful family time, however the meal itself shouldn’t be a source of stress for families. By working together to create a meal and ditching unrealistic expectations, you’ve created a bonding experience instead of a stressful evening.
After a long day of school, and work, and extracurricular activities, dinner should be a fun time for the family to reconnect. While every parent wants to provide delicious and wholesome meals for their families, she has tips for parents to make those moments of connection easier:
- Give yourself a break: Don’t hold yourself to some perfect standard. A fancy, elaborate meal isn’t necessary to give your family the nutrition they need. An easy dinner with nutritious ingredients is possible! Visit TheLunchWhisperer.com for recipe inspiration.
- Get the kids involved: As Kristina puts it, “Will cooking with your kid make for a greater mess? Yes! But it will also make for a greater human and a greater connection.” Plus your kids are more likely to eat a meal they helped create. Just don’t be a perfectionist, because it will turn your kids off from helping. Give them some power in the kitchen, and a whole lot of praise, encouragement and grace.
- Get creative: Have nutritious ingredients on hand and put them together in simple recipes that leave time for family connection. Kristina likes using Natural Choice on and off the sandwich in a variety of different recipes because it has no artificial ingredients and no preservatives. See below for a few ideas to try at home!
- Know that you’re doing your best: Just be aware that your best won’t look the same every day. And that’s okay!
Need some ideas?
With National Sandwich Day being celebrated this month, we’ve got two twists on a traditional sandwich that are fun to put together, easy to customize for each family member’s taste, and packed with nutritious ingredients that don’t break the budget. Additionally, we’ve got a simple idea for a fun easy dinner night that doesn’t even require a recipe.
Sandwich Kabobs
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 slices whole grain bread
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
8 slices HORMEL® NATURAL CHOICE® Hardwood Smoked Deli Ham or Turkey
4 slices cheddar cheese
8 grape tomatoes
8 cucumber slices
4 skewers
DIRECTIONS
1. Spread bread with mayonnaise. Layer ham and cheese on 1 bread slice. Cover with remaining bread slice. Cut the sandwich into 12 squares.
2. Arrange sandwich cubes, grape tomatoes and cucumber slices onto skewers.
Sandwich Sushi Rolls
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 slices bread, crust removed
4 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
4 slices HORMEL® NATURAL CHOICE® Hardwood Smoked Ham or Turkey
4 thin slices cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons cucumber matchsticks
Toasted sesame seeds, if desired
DIRECTIONS
1. Place bread slices on cutting board. Using a rolling pin, roll each slice of bread a few times to flatten.
2. Spread each bread slice with cream cheese. Top each with ham, cheese and cucumber.
3. Roll up, jelly-roll style to enclose filling. Use additional cream cheese to seal edges. Cut into sushi-sized pieces.
4. Roll in toasted sesame seeds, if desired.
Deli Night
Are you in the zone where you don’t even want to look at the simplest of recipes? Then Deli Night is the perfect solution. Just provide the ingredients and let each member of the family build their favorite sandwich, wrap or salad for the perfect easy dinner the whole family will enjoy.
Some ideas to include:
- Preservative free deli meats
- A selection of cheeses
- A selection of bread, rolls and wraps
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Avocado
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Pesto
- Hummus
