I find that when I plan out my meals ahead of time, I have a much greater chance of providing my family with a healthy, nutritious meal than when I just "wing" it. If I have something planned out, I can start preparing the meal early in the day, even if it's just to gather the ingredients together. When it's time to begin cooking, I can get the job done in a relaxed and organized manner.
On the other hand, if I wait too long to get started even thinking about dinner, only to find that I don't have all the ingredients I need or the recipe takes longer than I thought it would, then it's all too easy to give up and opt for fast food.
Try this. Next weekend, plan out a week's worth of meals and shop for everything you will need. Place the menu for the week on the fridge where everyone can see it. (Hint: The kids will complain less about Tuesday's dinner if they realize you're having their favorite on Wednesday.) Try out some slow cooker recipes that can be prepared in the morning. Try a few one-dish dinners as well. For some more ideas about healthy, easy-to-prepare meals, visit my friend Mary's sight at http://foodforbeginners.wordpress.com/.
Bon Appetit!
