Ask most moms what the bane of their existance is and nine times out of 10, it will have something to do with the stress of what to make for dinner. Like it or not, moms wind up being the default parent in most households, which means the dinnertime hustle usually falls on them — even if they just got home from work themselves.
But one dad on Reddit has flipped the script on its head after sharing that he actually takes on the nightly dinner duties himself so his wife doesn't have to. And while it isn't always easy, he's created a "cheat sheet" for figuring out what to make.
The "hack" was shared over the weekend in the popular subreddit Daddit
In his post, u/Ironwolf9876 explains that he usually does all of the cooking and meal prep in his house, which takes the burden off his wife. Based on his current work schedule, it just seems to make the most sense.
"I am very fortunate that I get off from work by 2:00 p.m. and can get some things straightened out before I pick up my son from daycare," the dad shared.
But when it comes to figuring out what he should be making for dinner, he often comes up against a common problem: drawing a blank on what to make.
Being a fairly practical guy, he decided to come up with a solution
The spreadsheet itself is divvied up into categories
There are entree ideas, like meatloaf and chicken parmesan, side dishes like scalloped potatoes, roasted acorn squash, and brussels sprouts, and even dessert options, including peanut butter pie and fruit cobbler.
"Most items have a link to a recipe that I have tried before," the dad explained, noting that these aren't all brand-new dishes to him.
That said, he's already vetted them with his family, so he knows that if he goes through the trouble of making them, they'll actually get eaten.
The system works so well, he wanted to pay it forward
"While I know there are so many of you who are far too busy to be able to cook from scratch every day, I thought this may still be helpful," the dad shared. "I am constantly updating it and adding to the list. Feel free to use it!"
In just 24 hours, the post has gotten a lot of action.
Some comments have been from people who genuinely thanked the dad for passing on such an easy, yet helpful tool for making dinnertime less of a hassle.
"Thanks for the recommendation," wrote one dad. "We need weekly ideas, but meal prep services seem stupidly wasteful and expensive."
"Always good to have some ideas," added another, who then asked the poster for some tips on making a good batch of battered fried chicken.
In response, u/Ironwolf9876 traded some insider info.
"I think it is pretty good the day of," he shared. "The coating gets a little soft when it's been refrigerated and reheated. I would also lean more towards a 2-hour brine if at all possible. Either that, or the batter itself needs a little more salt. But that is just me!"
Other dads jumped in to share meal prep methods of their own
For instance, instead of using Google docs, several said they like using apps that help them keep track of things.
"Paprika is a great app for storing recipes, grocery shopping, and ingredient inventory," wrote one dad. "It costs maybe $3, but it's so worth it."
"I recommend AnyList for meal planning, grocery, and to do lists," wrote someone else. "It is $10/year, but has been a lifesaver. The wife chooses a meal and I can add the ingredients to the grocery list and then make it all in one app."
On the other hand, some dads prefer to go non-digital
"We bought a bucket of little blank white magnets that you can write on with whiteboard markers, and a magnetic calendar," shared one user. "I write dinner ideas on the magnets and put them on the calendar."
"If we like one we save it for reuse," he explained. "I have a whole side of the fridge covered with dinner ideas and put together the menu on sundays when it’s time to shop for groceries."
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what method you choose
The point is, creating a system that lightens the load on your partner and yourself. And with that in mind, it's hard not to read through this viral thread without giving a silent clap to u/Ironwolf9876, as well as all the other fellow dads who are clearly doing their best to even out the division of labor at home.
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