100% Fresh with Two Chef Mission: Meal Planning Tips for Busy Parents and Professionals

Part of building a diverse diet with variety in ingredients, recipes and meals it is inevitable that you will need to start trying out new things. This can be a challenge for your family if you have picky or more selective eaters or it can be challenging for yourself as it is new and different. In this episode we offer some insight and tips on getting others and you involved in the trying new things process.

Tips for Getting Kids to Try New Things:

Start with Familiar Flavors

Explore New Flavors with Learning about Different Cultures

Try Shopping at a Farmers Market or a Specialty Grocery Store

Always remember that when you are implementing new things into your meals that it is a change, and it takes time to get used to. Some things may take more time than others to be accepted as you try out new ingredients. It also takes more than one time of trying an ingredient before you truly know whether you like it or not (about 12 times for kids), so be patient with not only your family but also with yourself. And always remember to celebrate the wins of getting new variety added in, even if it doesn't go to plan.

The poll selection from the group is in and the winning choice was Fruit and Cheese Kits! We're excited to share some super easy, filling and delicious snack pairings. In this episode we dive into our top 4 fruit and cheese kits and some tips for quick grab and go snack prep. We also have access to our 24 Fruit and Cheese Kit Combos down below.

Want more fruit and cheese kit ideas? We have a list of 24 combinations for you to have for easy prepping. Grab your free ⁠24 Fruit and Cheese Combinations Download HERE.

Travel is not just about vacation for us. It's also a big way to continue our growth within the culinary field. While many examples we have are from outside the U.S., there is still a ton to learn throughout the different states. In this episode we do a deep dive into how travel has directly influenced our professional lives as chefs.

Learning and Immersion:

(For Tony's comment on gluten: my research did not turn up with any helpful articles on this, but there are many on guides to eating gluten free in Italy)

Why is it Necessary for Learning in Culinary?

If you're parents like us you probably have snacks in your house. Our kids are big snackers, so we are always looking for ways to make sure they are having snacks that are also nutritious. Those are the ones that we make sure that they have easy access to. In this episode we share our tips to how to set up a snack station.

Areas of Focus:

1. What snacks do you want them to have?

2. Where will the snacks be located?

3. How will it be organized?

4. What you see is what you will eat.

Need Snack organization? Grab the bins and cart links below

Storage Bins

Cereal Bins: https://amzn.to/45f31Tu

Cart Bins: https://amzn.to/4e9MZOP

Metal Utility Cart: https://amzn.to/4c53Jok

We think we can all agree that there is a ton of information that can be found on food and some of it can be conflicting or confusing. Don't eat this or that, x is the healthiest, if you don't do it this way you will fail. We have heard a lot on convenience foods and their good or bad qualities. In this episode we talk about how to utilize convenience foods while also still being aware of what is going into your meal.

What are convenience foods?

Why is reading labels important?

Look for whole ingredients.

Why frozen fruits and veggies?

Canned items.

Our Top Choices

We hope you enjoyed this episode of 100% fresh and would love to answer any questions you may have. Connect With Us Follow us: @twochefmission Join our group: ⁠⁠⁠Meal Planning for Busy Parents⁠⁠⁠ where we go live each week to discuss different cooking and meal planning topics.

Having a mealtime routine is important. Not only does it help set up and close the day, but it also gives you important time together as a family. In this episode we focus on some of the top reasons to get a routine set up.

While meals together may not happen every day as we know activities can fill up space in our schedules, it's important to make a structure around setting the time to make it happen when it can. Here are some additional tips on making a mealtime routine a bit more of a priority:

While the holidays wrap up, it's time to get back to our regular daily schedules, which we know for many of you are packed with work, kids, and activities. In this episode we share some great strategies to speed up your meal planning while also keeping it super simple for all of you have tight schedules.

Flexibility with meal planning will help customize it to your preferences, schedule and life. In this episode we talk about the top ways to utilize it and how it helps.

1. It makes your meals more adaptable.

2. It helps with stress management.

3. It allows for adjusting recipes for the season.

Our Top Tips for Flexibility

1. Look into and use batch cooking.

2. Have a backup meal plan or emergency meal in the freezer.

3. Use versatile ingredients that fit into multiple meals.

During the holidays we know there are lots of gatherings, whether for family, friends or work. Join us in this seasonal episode while we dive into our top 5 tips on Holiday Appetizers.

Bonus Thoughts: (If you want to add a little something extra)

This week we are talking about how utilizing batch cooking can be super helpful for parents and busy families when meal planning.

In this episode we discuss:

Batch Cooking Can Help With:

We hope you enjoyed this episode of 100% fresh and would love to answer any questions you may have. Connect With Us Follow us: @twochefmission Join our group: Meal Planning for Busy Parents where we go live each week to discuss different cooking and meal planning topics.