Remember all those old TV shows that had the family sitting down to dinner and fighting over the salt while attempting to find out how school was? Yeah, me too, although from what our customers tell us, the real thing is turning out to be a thing of the past. After-school activities, long workdays, and longer commutes — no wonder it’s harder and harder for families to eat dinner together. Everyone feels it…the stress of jobs, kid activities, homework demands all topped with trying to get a healthy meal on the table nightly. 

Why is it so important to eat dinner together? There are many (scientifically proven!) benefits to eating together including better family relationships, healthier food choices, stress relief, better grades, and even increased household savings (eating out is expensive!). Want to start making it a habit, but don’t know how to start? Just set a goal (twice a week, maybe?) and build from there. 

So what can you do to get dinner on the table quickly? Don’t worry, you don’t have to be June Cleaver in the kitchen! With a few key tips, you can pull it off:

• Keep it simple and focus on easy favorites your family already has like chili, pasta, or tacos
• Keep ingredients for healthy meals on hand 
• Use a crockpot (or Instapot) to put everything together before leaving in the morning
• Grab take-out or pizza and set the table as usual — it’s still going to be quality time together
• Get everyone involved in the meal planning, preparation, setting the table, and dish duty — many hands make light work

As soon as kids head back to school, the question we get asked a lot at this time of year is, “What’s an easy, fast way to cook seafood the whole family will like?” The good news is that seafood is one of the easiest proteins to cook and we’ve put together a quick list of fun ideas with links to recipes to help you out:

• FISH STICKS: Use tilapia, its mild flavor gets a kid’s thumbs up. Include plenty of dipping options for a fun, interactive meal  Or instead of sticks, cut into nuggets – we all KNOW kids like those! 
• BAKED SCALLOPS: Introduce the family to sweet bay scallops in this creamy garlicky delight.  
• FISH TACOS: A classic that you can use to introduce new types of fish.  
• SESAME ORANGE SHRIMP: Orange juice, sugar and soy sauce make this a sweet dinner time treat for the younger diners. 
• TUNA CASSEROLE: Even picky eaters will devour this creamy, noodle-filled dish! If you have extra time, you can make the cream-of (insert favorite flavor) soup from scratch, which can be a fun cooking lesson for the kids! 

And when thinking of quick dinner ideas, don’t forget about the ease of freezer meals. Yes, fish can be freezer-friendly, too — but not how you might think!  Prepare everything needed like cut up veggies for stir fry, broths for soups and chowders, etc. Then add the fish while heating. Fish cooks quickly so you get the best of all worlds…time-consuming prep is pre-done and the fish is cooked to perfection!

You’ve heard it said that it’s “all in the name”? Often the simple mention on “fish” sends picky eaters over the edge. When asked, “what’s for dinner”, think of fun meal names or just leave

“fish” out of the reply (“we’re having tacos”, “tonight’s dinner is naked spaghetti”)  Be creative!

And remember, many favorites can easily incorporate fish to add nutrition without changing the taste. Mac-n-cheese is still ooey-gooey great with shrimp, or tuna added, pizza still rocks with a little salmon on it, and tacos are still crunchy with monkfish!