By TMoM team member Dani Luft

“Mooooooom!!!  What’s for dinner?”
“Mooooooom…..When is dinner going to be ready?”
“Mooooooom, I’m starving!!”

Does this happen at your house too?   I think my kids have “dinner-dar” meaning they have this radar that goes off  about twenty minutes before we are about to eat and they cannot.wait.one.more.second.to eat or they are going to pass out from starvation.  Even if I get creative by putting out a plate of healthy vegetable “hors d’oeuvres” so they can snack before dinner this sometimes happens.  Then after cooking a wholesome meal, they eat two bites and say they don’t like what I’ve made, leading to frustration. I know we aren’t the only family this happens to, so read on!

My family recently went to a beautiful North Carolina beach for a long weekend.  We got back late Sunday night and after unpacking, doing a zillion loads of laundry, packing lunches for Monday and getting everyone ready for the week, the last thing I wanted to think about was what we were going to eat for dinner on Monday night.  Enter Zoës Kitchen.  I looked online at their vast menu and was pleasantly surprised at all of the healthy options that would appease every member in my family.  I ordered the Family meal which consists of your choice of an entrée (they provide the choices—meat, fish, and vegetarian), two sides, a HUGE Greek salad, and pita bread and hummus.  My kids loved the steak, rice, and dipping the pita bread in the hummus. There was so much food that we even had lunch leftovers.

The best part about this take out meal from Zoës is that not only did I not feel guilty about the food because it was healthy and filling, but there was no prep time and virtually no clean up.  We were able to spend time together as a family after dinner and before bedtime. Usually this time is spent clearing the table, doing dishes, and the kids fighting because it is that time of the evening.  With Zoës take out, I simply called and ordered the food, and dinner was on the table in 30 minutes.  They have a fabulous mobile app, too, so you can order from the soccer field, or wherever you are, and pick up your meal on the way home.

We are all busy.   Give yourself a break both from cooking and cleaning and give Zoës Kitchen a try.  Then come back to this blog and you can tell me how nice it was to spend quality time with your kids during the week when you aren’t stressed about getting a nutritious, light, and tasty meal on the table.

Sponsored by Zoës Kitchen