Convenience foods get a bad rap…with good reason. They aren’t the healthiest thing on the planet, and if ever they do appear in your freezer or pantry, you can be certain it is only because you have hit rock bottom as a mother. Chicken nuggets, frozen pizza, breakfast sandwiches and all their unsavory relatives serve up a dose of guilt to otherwise good moms who find themselves in dire circumstances.
But, what if chicken nuggets actually made me a good mom?
No, I’m not kidding, and I’m not here to pick a food fight.
What if I read another book to my kids because I served chicken nuggets? What if I took my toddler on a walk because I served frozen pizza? What if I played peek-a-boo or jumped on the trampoline or played one more game of tag because I could pop something quick and easy in the oven, or *gasp* – the microwave?
Certainly, we are to nourish our bodies and our children’s bodies, and certainly, cooking healthy meals is a great way to show our families we love them, but what if we gave ourselves some grace and in turn gave our families some time?
And what if we needed a bit of time? What if in order to get our mothering back on track we needed to drop a ball or two for a while? What if one of those balls we drop happens to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen?
It doesn’t have to be chicken nuggets. In fact, it can be healthy foods that are quick to serve. It can be cheese and crackers and fruit. It can be leftovers. It can be easy breakfasts, easy lunches, and popcorn for supper.
And yes, it can be chicken nuggets.
I’m not an advocate for doing things half-heartedly, but I am an advocate for doing what is right in the Lord’s eyes. Therefore, WHAT I serve at the dinner table isn’t nearly as important as HOW I serve it.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”
Colossians 3:23
What if we were destitute and I couldn’t possibly serve something organic or sprouted or whole wheat? Would I cease to be a good mom? Of course not! But, whether I feed my family meager rations or the finest grass-fed beef and organic veggies, if I serve with a spirit of discontent and a harsh demeanor, I haven’t served them at all.
So, today I will serve my family a healthy portion of joy and contentment…possibly accompanied by a few chicken nuggets.
Chris Waughtal says
I have been pondering this same idea lately-with 4 special needs kids in the house, and a dairy farm, the time I spend in the kitchen fixing homemade anything is monumental, yet my attitude is not so good-on most days, if I am being totally honest.
Thanks for another hard-hitting, powerful post:)
Alicia says
I feel no guilt whatsoever when feeding my family for those reasons! Freedom!! I’ve lived being a slave to the idol of Nourishing Foods. It’s a tool. Not my salvation. Or a guarantee of a life of health for anyone. Breathe mommas. What is our hope in anyway? Great one, Amy!!
Arline says
Preach, sista! 🙂
Alicia says
thanks Arline! You have quite the little blond cherub there in your pic!
Amy says
“It’s a tool. Not my salvation.” <--LOVE that!
Shannon Wallace says
Beautifully stated!
Arline says
Thank you for this!! So much freedom that gives me as a mom!! 🙂
Jenni says
Okay, may I ask, are the chicken nuggets you serve the ones in the picture, and if so, where do you buy them? They look really good :).
Amy says
Ha! Nope – I asked my daughter if she had any photos of the chicken nuggets we usually eat (Aldi), but she didn’t, so I found this photo online, and yes, they do look good! LOL
Rebecca says
I adopted this attitude several years ago, as a homeschooling mom of busy older kids and then adding an unexpected baby in the mix (the baby is 8 now but I liked the freedom of my plan so much, I’ve kept it). Our breakfasts consist of things I’ve prepared in advance over the weekends such as muffins or leftover meats to be reheated in our *gasp* microwave. I buy boxed Jimmy Dean sausage patties at Sam’s so they’ll last longer (cheaper there too) and I buy Aldi’s frozen biscuits. This is a little crazy but I usually don’t buy cereal but I do get it as a treat sometimes, around Christmas or the kids’ birthdays (treats). So there’s our variety and the ease of breakfast. Lunch is leftovers from supper (our suppers are THM, full of protein and veggies so when we are able to have enough to make leftovers for lunch it’s just as good as if I had cooked from scratch cause I already did…for supper). If we didn’t have enough for leftovers, we use Aldi’s lunchmeat and make wraps with lettuce or low carb tortillas, sometimes I will have bought some boxed mac n cheese and my littlest one loves that. Sometimes scrambled eggs, sometimes a canned soup–one of the healthier versions. I DO buy the frozen chicken nuggets too or frozen pizzas……for those busy weeks or for those days you just cannot pull it together (I plan for those days….I KNOW they’re going to happen). Supper is a bigger deal…it’s our main meal, usually from scratch, healthy protein, etc….THM all the way. (My husband and I eat all our meals THM…..with “franken” foods and with foods I pre cook or make sure I have on hand with THM blends or flours, etc. but the kids don’t eat strictly THM. It’s easier to follow it in summer than winter for them since they love fresh veggies though). I make THM snacks ahead of time….the chocolate or muffins or whatever and honestly don’t mind cause I have to stay on track and that’s where I fail if I don’t plan ahead.
I wish all moms would give themselves a break and quit trying to do it ALL….you can’t. God didn’t design us to do it all, otherwise we wouldn’t need Him!
Christine says
Amen! Thanks for being honest for the rest of us and I hope you don’t get bad comments on this one.
Laura says
Thanks, Amy 🙂
The Lord knows I needed to hear this!
Gracie says
Amy, Thank You for this!!!! And thank you to the other momma’s for their comments!
Becky says
Love this post! You’re on my page!
Lea says
Ah thanks for a much needed reminder…love over perfectionism. …
Diana says
Amy, I love this. Thank you. I’ve been feeling very overwhelmed lately, and food prep is a big part of that. I definitely need some food-grace (and more decluttering!!).
Happy New Year!
Diana J.
Amy says
“food-grace” – yes, yes, yes!
Josi says
Great post and great comments. I would like to give a shout out to the panko breaded chicken tenders from Costco…..thank you for coming through in those moments where something in life has gotta give and it has to be the food prep. You are much loved and appreciated in our home!!
My pediatrician used to say, “it’s not what the kids ate today, it’s what they ate this week.”
Katherine says
Absolutely agree with you on this. It’s not at all make us a bad mom if we serve our family food like this once in a while. And I hope don’t get judged easily by serving this. Great read!
Shannon Wallace says
Humbling post that is much needed, Amy. Thank you for your sincerity and honesty. It’s amazing how you have these post every so often that reflect the very innermost thoughts I’ve had! I have to wonder how many of us mommas have struggles internally with this…healthy foods sort of become an idol of sorts? It’s a false standard, and the One True Standard is loving like Christ, most importantly, our family, and of course, others too. You have absolutely hit the nail on the head! On another note, we can nourish our families very inexpensively and effectively with crockpot meals such as beans and rice. In fact, that is basically what we are having tonight for supper. Nothing fancy nor time consuming, but we took the time to think ahead and lovingly prepare! 🙂
Jennifer Capes says
I was just talking to my aunt about how much I wish grandma were around. She also raised 7 kids & I could really use her wisdom most days! I was also telling her that although most of us are a couple generations removed from being from a large family, I believe that we cause many of our own troubles. We over program our children & ourselves, we have too much stuff & we put ourselves on stressful diets like Paleo, gluten free or THM (no offense Amy) or worse, Pinterest! These are all meant with the best of intentions, by our grandmothers didn’t stress about dinner. They just made good simple food, nothing fancy. Many times families ate the exact same foods for the same meals each, with the exception of holidays & Sundays. Let’s get real. Real simple.
Julie says
Thank you for saying it like it really is!! I’ve been looked at in a bad light many times (by family) because I’ll fix chicken nuggets or something simple for my kids. It makes me question myself and if I’m being a good momma & wife. My husband says “shake it off, they are not living your life & don’t know what you do everyday so just let it go”. Its nice to hear from other moms that I’m not the only one. I guess we all have days where everythings not a textbook picture, its just hard for some to admit. Thanks for keeping it real, it helps more than you know to realize we’re not alone.
Christina says
Oh my goodness, YES! That’s the mentality behind my blog, Martha, Martha! We are worried and anxious about so many things, but only one thing is needed–Jesus. (A reference to Luke 10). We want to make wise choices, but we know that only ONE thing is ultimately important.
CATHRINE says
I’ve been feeling the same way, indeed! Preach it! Lol It’s so true! I am so torn with time and being “healthy”. I’ve made a menu plan as easy as it gets. Hopefully I can serve my family better and she’d the guilt. Xo
JC says
I go through times of doing a lot of kitchen work and times of very little. It just depends on what other balls I’m juggling. I try to take advantage of the busy kitchen time by putting homemade convenience foods in the freezer and pantry so that I have things to serve when my focus is elsewhere. However, we still serve store bought frozen pizza on a weekly basis. It’s better than fast food and cheaper. The most important thing is not beating yourself up or feeling guilty for doing what you need to do. Sometimes its harder to have grace with ourselves than giving it to others. Freedom is an important comodity that we take away from ourselves when we try to do everything perfect. Loving each other is far more important than bowing down to the god of perfection whether its keeping our houses perfectly clean or making sure every morsel of food is organic/healthy. Our children will remember how much we loved them when they are grown and how much fun we had not what they ate or how perfectly clean the house always was (unless we are fanatical and then they’ll remember in a bad way). So glad to hear others encouraging each other. Thanks for your words of wisdom!
Anne says
Amen!
kristinab says
This is an awesome perspective, especially for all of us perfectionist moms out here 🙂 I do love cooking so when I have the opportunity to make a new and creative meal it is a treat for me – but leftovers and quick healthy picnic-type meals are a life-saver (and my kids love them, as a bonus).
Tanya says
I like your post! We have a very simple meal here every Saturday. Usually deepfried food as in fries and crouqutten (they are absolutely delicious) or if I don’t have those, chicken nuggets and fries. The kids look forward to Saturday all week! For the rest of the week we eat pretty healthy around here, so I always think it doesn’t really matter to much. Most suppers we have meat, potatoes, veggies. Once a week pasta/or rice, and once a week soup for supper. I prefer to keep the meals as simple as possible so I can spend some more time with them in the afternoon. Wish you strength in raising your family!
Sarah DICKISON says
Thank you.