How I Feed My Family of 7 Without Cooking All Day

One of the things people assume about me is that I must be in the kitchen all day long.

And while I do cook a lot… I’m definitely not making three elaborate meals from scratch every single day. Even as a recipe professional, no one wants to be in the kitchen ALL. THE. TIME.

Feeding a family of 7 on real food doesn’t work unless it’s simple and repeatable. Over time, I’ve figured out a rhythm that keeps everyone fed without me living in the kitchen.

Here’s what that actually looks like for us:

I Don’t Cook 3 Full Meals a Day

This is probably the biggest shift.

Breakfast and lunch are not complicated around here. We rotate the same few things over and over, and that’s what makes it sustainable.

I don’t wake up every morning wondering what to make. We already know what we’re having.

I Batch a Few Things Every Week

Instead of cooking constantly, I just make a few bigger things once and let them carry us through the week.

• Every Monday morning, I make a double batch of my Paleo Waffles or Protein Waffles. 
  • You can either make all the waffles up, freeze, and toast up like Eggos on busy mornings. OR, if your family prefers fresh waffles, my batter stays good sealed in the fridge for up to a week! Give it a good stir and add additional milk if it got too thick. 
  • We also use them to make Paleo Pizza Waffles for easy snacks.

• I also make a double batch of protein muffins every weekend (usually on Sunday). Those are grab-and-go, easy to pack, and help fill in the gaps when we need something quick. Plus, they freeze great! I will double batch and we eat half throughout the week for breakfasts and snacks. Then, my kids grab some out of the freezer to pack in their lunches. 

This alone takes a lot of pressure off the rest of the week.

I Only Make a Hot Breakfast a Few Times a Week

I’m not making a full hot breakfast every morning—and I don’t feel bad about that.

I usually cook a hot breakfast about 3 times a week, and on the other days, we rely on what we’ve already prepped or simple options.

It keeps mornings manageable while still giving us a few cozy breakfasts during the week.

What do I make for hot breakfasts?

We rotate through a lot of things, but these are the top 5 we come back to often!

1. Paleo Waffles every Monday (see above!)
2. Hash brown Waffles are a savory spin off my boys LOVE, even reheated for snacks. So, we usually 2-3x the batch. 
3. Paleo “Buttermilk” Pancakes or Protein Pancakes. This one often is a weekend dish, as I don’t always have time to stand there and flip pancakes!
4. Loaded Breakfast Potatoes – A savory meat and potatoes dish my boys have loved for over 5 years and STILL devour with hearty “Thank you!” every time. I sometimes do a shortcut by using these frozen roasted potatoes from Trader Joe’s to save time on weekday mornings. 
5. Breakfast Pizzas – Another hearty breakfast with protein AND is handheld so they can eat it as they run out the door to school. 

What do my kids eat when I don’t make breakfast?

My kids have gotten pretty darn self-sufficient when it comes to making their own breakfasts, even on school mornings. 

Often they will make themselves eggs, in a tortilla or some kind of breakfast sandwich. My 4th son loves to cook scrambled eggs in the mini waffle iron for an easy breakfast sandwich, which he puts in a gf Trader Joe’s Everything bagel.

Or, it’s something simpler like their favorite Chunky Monkey Smoothie or cereal. Sometimes we have on hand my Freezer Granola or Paleo Granola. Or, it’s something simpler like Lovebird Cereal, which has fantastic ingredients. 

I Prep Sauces to Make Everything Easier

One thing that makes simple meals feel less boring? Sauces.

I try to prep at least one sauce every other week, and it makes a huge difference in how meals come together.

Some of our favorites are my homemade Cane’s sauce and Chick-fil-A style sauce. They instantly make basic meals feel more fun and keep everyone happy.

We also usually have homemade mayo and ranch on hand for all the sandwiches, wraps, and salads. 

Having a good sauce on hand means I don’t have to overthink the rest of the meal.

I Meal Plan Every Week

This is a big one.

I meal plan every single week, and it’s what allows everything else to run smoothly.

I never go into the day wondering what’s for dinner. I already know. And it saves money from buying what you need and using what you buy!

That doesn’t mean everything goes perfectly, but having a plan removes so much stress and decision fatigue.

If meal planning is something you struggle with, this is exactly why I created my Whole Food Family Meal Plans—to give you that same clarity without having to figure it all out yourself.

Honestly, this is one of the biggest reasons feeding a large family feels manageable for me.

And because I know meal planning can feel overwhelming, I started sharing the exact kinds of plans I use with my subscribers each week.

If you want help taking the mental load out of dinner, you can check out my meal plan subscription here.

👉 Check out my meal plans here

I Rely on a Mix of Go-To Dinners and New Recipes

Dinner doesn’t need to be new and exciting every night—but in our house, it kind of is sometimes 😄

A lot of nights, my family is actually eating new recipes I’m testing, so it’s not the same exact dinners on repeat all the time.

That said, I do have a handful of fast, easy meals in my back pocket that my family loves, and we come back to those regularly—especially on busy nights when I don’t want to think too hard.

A lot of our dinner rotation comes straight from my easy gluten-free dairy-free dinners — 80+ recipes I actually make on repeat.

Want to know my go-to fast and easy meals? 

Here are my top 5 that my family loves on repeat, all of which are gluten-free + dairy-free and can be done in under 30 minutes:

1. Garlic “Butter” Chicken Bites
2. Blackened Chicken
3. Taco Pasta
4. Teriyaki Chicken
5. Creamy Chicken and Rice

Want more easy dinners for busy weeknights?

Check out my collection of 40 recipes that are great for busy nights or meal prep! All the recipes are gluten-free + dairy-free and kid-approved. 

Having those reliable go-to meals makes it so much easier to balance the nights when I am trying something new.

I Prep Just Enough But Always Double Batch

I’m not spending hours meal prepping for the entire week.

But I do prep a few key things that make everything else easier—like those waffles, muffins, and sauces. And every time I’m in the kitchen, I try to make something extra – whether that’s a double or triple batch of dinner so we have leftovers for lunches or making a sauce while dinner simmers. 

It’s not about doing everything ahead of time. It’s about doing the right things ahead of time.

We Eat Simple, Not Fancy

Our meals are not complicated.

It’s usually some version of protein, a carb, a veggie, and a fruit. Done.

I think sometimes we overcomplicate “real food,” but it doesn’t have to look perfect to work for your family.

I Lower My Standards (On Purpose 😄)

This might be the most important one.

Not every meal is going to be amazing. Not every dinner is going to be perfectly balanced. And not every day is going to go as planned.

And that’s okay.

“Let good enough be good enough” is what keeps this sustainable.

The Bottom Line

Feeding a big family real food isn’t about cooking more—it’s about making a few smart decisions that make everything else easier.

For me, that looks like:

• Repeating meals
• Batch cooking a couple staples
• Prepping simple sauces
• Meal planning ahead of time
• Keeping things simple
• Letting go of perfection

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with just one thing—maybe a batch of muffins, a weekly meal plan, or a repeatable breakfast—and build from there. That’s exactly how I got here.

And, if you’re tired of figuring out what’s for dinner every night, my weekly meal plan subscription was created to make this easier for busy families.

Each week I share simple, family-friendly meal plans designed for real life—without spending hours in the kitchen.

👉 Join my meal plan subscription here