Taco Tuesday for a busy weeknight...

Before I give you the recipe, I have to let you in on a secret...the success of most weeknight meals starts when you grocery shop! I will also say this, I don't meal prep in the traditional sense and I don't strictly plan out my meals for the week either. Because yes, we are human and what we want will change (who REALLY wants to have the same lunch/dinner five days in a row?) We as adults don't prefer this and children definitely don't either.

I know you are thinking, well then how do you grocery shop without a plan? First, I have meals that are on the dinner rotation list (items that I know are easy and that I typically end up craving throughout the week). Second, I get ingredients that I know I can use for multiple recipes.

When it comes to meal prepping, I make sure all my fruits and vegetables are cut up and easily accessible. I also make sure I have a few protein items prepped as well. I am vegetarian and will shred and bake tofu, therefore, I can add different seasonings and utilize it throughout the week. Prepping the ingredients you buy, is the key to success if you ask me.

Now, I know grocery shopping and prepping is overwhelming, however, it is the best place to get your children involved. I LOVED going grocery shopping with my mother as a kid. It got me so excited to be a part of the process. Especially for your little ones and toddlers, this is a great way to label and describe different foods, introduce them to new social settings, and give them choices on the items they want.

Okay, as promised here is the easiest taco recipe you could ask for :)

Ingredients:

- Protein source ( I used high protein tofu that was shredded and tossed in a packaged taco seasoning and baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes but ground beef or turkey works well too!)

- Black beans

- Frozen corn (the fire-roasted corn from Trader Joe's is my favorite)

- Homemade pickled onions (if anyone is interested in this recipe let me know and I will share because it is one of my staples that is always in my fridge!)

- Avacado

- Tortillas

- Cheese

- Lettuce

Assembly:

- This is my favorite part about taco Tuesday... after you have all your ingredients you can assemble them however you want! Do you have one child who would rather throw all their ingredients into a bowl and scoop from there? How fun! Or would their sibling prefer everything neat and assembled nicely just as tacos are supposed to be? That's fine too! Open a discussion with your children and even give the new ways to assemble tacos funny and new names. The possibilities are endless.