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Nourishing Families: Simple, Wholesome Meals for Busy Parents

Writer's picture: Autism & BeyondAutism & Beyond

Updated: Dec 6, 2024


Gelatin recipe for ASD children for improved joint health

As a parent, especially one navigating the complexities of raising neurodivergent kids, you already have a lot on your plate. But let’s talk about what’s on the plate - your family's meals. In the whirlwind of school runs, therapies, and extracurriculars, it’s easy to fall back on packaged, processed meals. They promise convenience but often fall short on the nutrition our families need to truly thrive.


Here’s the good news: creating quick, nutrient-dense meals from scratch doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be empowering! With just a few fresh ingredients, you can whip up meals that support not only your child’s physical health but also their focus, energy, and emotional regulation.


Why Ditch Processed Foods?


Packaged meals might seem like lifesavers, but they often come loaded with hidden sugars, inflammatory oils, artificial additives, and minimal nutrients. These ingredients can wreak havoc on gut health - a critical factor in neurodevelopmental health - and leave kids feeling irritable or sluggish.



By choosing fresh, whole foods, you can create nourishing meals that support your family’s health from the inside out. Simple, homemade dishes made with clean ingredients provide the vitamins and minerals your kids need to thrive, giving them the fuel for better focus, energy, and overall well-being. Plus, cooking together strengthens family bonds and makes mealtime a joyful experience.


How to Keep It Simple


For busy families, the key is to focus on meals that are:


  • Quick: Ready in under 30 minutes.

  • Familiar: Using ingredients your family already loves.

  • Customizable: Easy to adapt for picky eaters or specific dietary needs.

  • Think one-pan dishes, hearty soups, or a build-your-own plate concept like tacos or salad bowls.


The Foundation of a Balanced Meal that Nourishes The Family


When planning your meals, aim to include:


  • Protein: Grass-fed meats, free-range chicken, or sustainably caught fish.

  • Veggies: Choose a colorful variety for a range of nutrients. Kids hesitant about greens? Roast them for a naturally sweet flavor!

  • Healthy Fats: Think avocado, coconut oil, or the fat from your clean meats—perfect for energy and brain health.

  • Simple Carbs: Add some sweet potato, pumpkin, or fresh fruit to round out the plate.

  • Involving the Kids

  • Involve your kids in the process! Let them choose a veggie or stir the pot. This makes them more likely to try the food and builds lifelong cooking skills.


 

A Nutritious and Delicious Recipe the Family Will Love


I’ll share a recipe that may help you and your family - simple, fairly quick, and packed with goodness. It’s perfect for those busy nights when you need to get dinner on the table without much fuss.


By swapping out the processed foods for meals made with love and real ingredients, you’re setting your family up for better health and stronger connections around the dinner table. And that’s a win for everyone!


A Delicious Recipe: Loaded Sweet Potato


Fluffy Egg Squares recipe easy breakfast food for families

This recipe is really versatile and can be a build-your-own dish where the toppings are served individually and everyone can choose what they want to add to their sweet potato before warming through in the oven.


Ingredients

1 sweet potato per person (or two if they're small or someone eats a lot <cough> Clint...!

Toppings and fillings can include:

  • cooked beef or lamp mince

  • cold cooked shredded chicken

  • fresh grated cheese to melt (pre-grated contained caking agents and other nasties so buy a block and hand grate it yourself)

  • diced tomato

  • avocado

  • sour cream

  • grated and cooked carrot and/or pumpkin

  • herbs and spices mixed into the mince

  • pure organic tomato paste stirred through the mince


​Handy items to have

Oven tray

Baking paper

Fry pan to cook mince, veggies etc

Knife to cut the sweet potato

Spoon/s to add toppings


Method

1. Simply bake the sweet potatoes until a skewer is inserted into the centre easily and it feels soft inside to the middle of the thickest part (no raw areas remaining) - keeping the skins on!


Slice the sweet potatoes long ways across the top so the slit reached about half way down, then just slightly and gently open them


If the sweet potatoes are too large for anyone in particular, you can scrape some of the cooked flesh out so there's more room for toppings/fillings and less of the starch. (Keep the scraped out flesh to use to sweeten another dish, or turn it into a dip later on)


  1. Cook the toppings/fillings that need cooking such as mince and any grated veggies


  2. Either top the sweet potatoes with all the melty-suitable toppings (eg not the avocado and sour cream for example) and warm though/melt in the oven for a short time on a high temp


    OR


    Serve up the toppings individually, keeping the oven on, and get the family members to build their own spuds before placing in the oven to then serve to eat.



​It's usually just Clint and I so I make ours the same and serve them warm and melty. But if we had others over who may want them made a bit different to ours, I would offer the build-your-own situation.


I hope this recipe gives you some inspiration and motivation to focus less on processed packaged short-term-easy-long-term-nasty ready meals and foods, and more on fresh, wholesome, nutritious and delicious meals from scratch cooked and packed with love and care.


Aimee


 

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All information and resources found here are based on the opinions of the author unless otherwise noted. All information is intended to motivate readers to make their own nutrition and health decisions after consulting with their health care provider. I am not a doctor, lawyer, psychiatrist, therapist, or your mother, and I don’t play one on the internet.


The author of this site encourages you to consult a doctor before making any health changes, especially any changes related to a specific diagnosis or condition. No information on this site should be relied upon to determine diet, make a medical diagnosis, or determine treatment for a medical condition. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.


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