November 5, 2025 – What’s for Dinner? Meal Planning in the Schedule

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Train Up a Child to Cook!

Training
Meal planning starts with training. And training starts with toddlers. You train them now so that they will someday grow up to be amazing kitchen helpers and cooks. When small, you push that chair up to the counter so they can stand and watch you. Then, soon, you give them the spoon and let them stir. Then eventually, you let them put their hands in the dough. That is when you teach them to clean up the counter, the floor, the cupboards, and your little one from all that dough. I understand that having children in the kitchen makes things messier and preparing meals takes longer, but the long-term result is young people who can cook well. 

All of my children had jobs in helping prepare a meal, or were in complete charge of a meal. They either had to come up with something on their own, or they would look on the weekly meal plan calendar (when I was proactive enough to have one!) They learned how to be creative with a meal based on the available ingredients and to follow directions on recipes. 

Training doesn’t have to be dull. Some favorite memories are when they created their own menu, set a nice table, dressed up, and cooked and served their parents a special meal. They also loved having themed cooking challenges with judges and prizes for several categories such as: best presentation, best taste, most creative, etc. 

Planning
Meal planning is a continual (and hopefully creative) process. Not only does a meal have to be cooked, but planned and prepared for in advance. There is pantry inventory to be assessed, brainstorming for meal ideas, lists to be made, and shopping to be done. All of your children can learn these skills as part of their schooling. There are many meal planning calendars available, or you can put a child in charge of creating one.

Moms of little ones, as you train up your child to cook, remember that day after day turns to year after year, until pretty soon that chair disappears. Suddenly, a young adult cook appears in its place. Your children will be thankful they learned to meal plan, shop on a budget, and spend a lot of time in the kitchen with you before heading out on their own. And your home-cooked meals will be what they remember long into their adulthood. 

~Deborah

“Freezer Cooking” by Malia Russell 
“Meal Planning to Save Time and Money” by Brigitte Brulz

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Heather Vogler

Passing the Baton

I miss cooking. Truly. I laugh because, when I first got married, I could barely cook boxed macaroni without soggy noodles, but desperation often breeds creativity, and that’s what has happened in the kitchen in our home. Over the years, the Food Network has given me incredible mentors. I still have yellowed recipe sheets stored away from pages saved from vintage Rachael Ray magazines. Some of her recipes are tremendous showstoppers when I bring them to events or have company. The problem is, I rarely cook anymore. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? Well, yes, and no. 

I was so eager to teach my kids to cook, as I was learning in the early years, that they have surpassed me in skill. Friends request their meals over mine. (Gasp!) I am so grateful that my kids, both sons and my daughter, are able to contribute and contribute well. Looking back, though, it was hard. Messy kitchens, spilled ingredients, curry stains on the cabinets. Teaching takes time. It takes trial and error. It takes patience. I can’t say that I never kicked them out of the kitchen because I just wanted some peace and quiet (and fewer dishes), but I quickly saw that cooking was their gift and eventually went with it. No recipes, no extra ingredients, and they began making incredible meals. 

Now, when it comes to dinner prep, I basically assign certain kids specific days, giving them free rein. Now, it is time for me to buckle down and teach my younger ones how to do it. At least now I have more recipes to choose from, created from their siblings right here at home.  

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About the author

Heather Vogler, her husband, and five children call the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia home where they homeschool and homestead. Heather has homeschooled her children from the beginning and enjoys an eclectic style of teaching. As a freelance writer she has been published in Focus on the Family Magazine, War Cry Magazine, and Brio Magazine. Heather holds a BA in Christian Ministries and currently writes at ThriftSchooling.com.  

Stacy Farrell

HomeschoolAdventure.com

Why Meal Planning Feels Impossible to Maintain—and How to Fix It

“What’s for dinner?”

If that question sends a wave of panic through your already packed day, you’re not alone. Between teaching fractions and mediating sibling disputes, meal planning can feel like one more overwhelming task.

If you’ve tried to meal plan in the past but struggled to remain consistent with it, a different approach may be just what you need.

The Secret to Simple Meal Planning

Here’s what I’ve learned—only plan your suppers.

To make this possible, establish simple patterns for everything else:

• Breakfast: Choose three options and rotate them. Maybe it’s homemade oatmeal packets, eggs, or pancakes.
• Lunch: Think simple—sandwiches, leftovers, or soup.
• Sides: Pick a handful of reliable options like dinner rolls in a jar, steamed vegetables, or simple salads.
• Desserts: Meal-prepped cookie jars, one-pot brownies, or yogurt with fresh fruit. 

When these meals run on autopilot, you free up mental space for dinner decisions.

Streamline with Theme Days

The goal here is to minimize decision fatigue, and that’s where theme days save the day. 

Instead of staring at an intimidating blank calendar, you’ll know that Tuesday is always pasta night, Wednesday is soup day, and so on. 

Start with meals your family already loves—a Pinterest recipe that adds five or more ingredients to your shopping list doesn’t simplify your life

Maybe all your chicken dishes become “Chicken Night,” or meals using rice become “Rice Night.”

Consider basing a few categories around versatile ingredients that store well and stretch your budget—pasta, beans, potatoes, rice, soup.

Keep It Practical

Remember, the goal isn’t Instagram-worthy meals—it’s feeding your family well without the daily stress of “What’s for dinner?”

Start with recipes using simple ingredients and just a handful of them. 

Your homeschool schedule is already full of important work. Meal planning should support that work, not add to your burden.

With His love,

Stacy 

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About the author

Surprised by Jesus, Stacy went from an unmarried, childless, thirty-something career woman to a Christ-following wife of more than thirty years with two sons she homeschooled K-12.

Author of more than twenty books—including the award-winning Philosophy Adventure and Food Prep Guide: A Plan for Money-Saving, Self-Sustaining Abundance in Hard Times—she loves to equip and encourage homeschool families. Visit her at HomeschoolAdventure.com and at FoodPrepGuide.com.

Heidi Mosher

Here’s What Happened in the Kitchen (Plus Meal Planning Help for Homeschool Moms)

I wish I had enjoyed cooking, but at the end of every full homeschool day, I was completely exhausted. You probably understand. So, I often turned to my homeschooling friends for meal planning help. They shared helpful ideas:

• Make a long list of all the meals your family will eat. Scratch each meal off after you’ve served it. Then repeat the list once every meal has been served.
• Determine a standard weekly menu, like Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Soup Saturday, etc. One friend incorporated this idea for breakfasts by serving oatmeal on the same day every week, eggs on another regular day, etc.   
• Think “all crockpot all the time.” Your crockpot just might be your best friend when you’re homeschooling!  
• Use an index card to simply list all of the meals you have on hand. Decide by 10 a.m. every morning what you’ll serve for supper that evening. 
• Form a habit of prepping one extra of any freezable meal so you have options waiting for busy days.
• Keep a list of quick lunches. Let each kid be the lunch picker (and helper) once a week. 

After years of incorporating the above, here’s what happened in the kitchen. During the extremely chaotic years of Meal Planning with a Revolving Door, I was convicted that the quick years of family life, which I frequently write about, are coming to a fast finish. Three of my four kids will likely move out permanently in the next year. Though everyone is capable of fending for their own meals, I desperately wanted to serve them while they are still home to serve. So I cleared my calendar of nearly all outside commitments (even worthy church efforts). I have time to cook and connect now. We’re all eating it up. 

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About the author

Heidi Mosher is honored to write for The Homeschool Minute, as it was a lifeline of her early homeschooling years. She is thankful to be the mother of four: three recent homeschool graduates and one in high school.

Meal planning doesn’t have to be stressful! With SchoolhouseTeachers.com’s Healthy Eating for Families and Home Economics courses, you’ll find practical lessons on nutrition, cooking, and time management that make dinnertime smoother and fun. Discover tips and recipes to help your family enjoy both the food and the fellowship. Explore these great courses and more on SchoolhouseTeachers.com.