Streamline Meal Prep and Grocery Shopping with Real Happy Mom Toni-Ann
Today I’ve got my friend Toni-Ann from the Real Happy Mom podcast. She talks about how she manages meal planning and prep in her super busy household. She tells us how she includes a variety of meals from her Jamacian background, American foods and her husband’s native African cuisine. It’s a pretty cool balance and fusion she has going on in her house. Plus she has streamlined a lot of the grocery shopping and meal prep processes to work really well in her household.
Transcript of the Episode
Andrea Heyman 00:00 Hi friends, it's Andrea Heyman here today with another episode of adventures and feeding my family. And today I've got my friend Toni-Ann from the real happy mom podcast, she talks about how she manages meal planning and prep. In her super busy household. She tells us how she includes a variety of meals from her Jamaican background, American foods, and also from her husband's native African culture. It's a really cool balance of fusion she has going on in her house, and I really enjoyed listening to it, and I think you will, too. Plus, she's really streamlined a lot of the grocery shopping and meal prep process to really work well in her household. But first, I want to tell you about a webinar I'll be offering on February 21, at 11am. Eastern Standard Time. This is called the non diet journey to weight loss success. And we are really going to focus on how to get off the diet roller coaster. In order for you to meet your wellness goals. We're going to retrain the negative self talk, revamp your weight loss approach, if that is your goal. And we're also going to ditch that diet mentality for good because I know I've said this in the past on the podcast, but I think most of you know that I am a registered dietician, and my specialty is weight management. But I do not like the weight loss industry in our country. And we'll talk a little bit about that too, and how it kind of feeds into this unhealthy management of our eating habits. So it's the non diet journey to weight loss success. And that, again, is on February 21, at 11am. Eastern Standard Time, you can find the link for that to sign up for that webinar in the show notes. And I'm super excited. Again, that's a free webinar.
Adventures In Feeding My Fam is a weekly podcast discussing the challenges and fun around feeding your family healthy meals. I'm Andrea Heyman and I've been a registered dietitian for over 25 years. So I know the importance of good nutrition. But I'm also a mom of three so I understand the challenges and humor that comes along with trying to make this happen. In this podcast, I'll share my tips, tricks and menus, but also share the stories and food prep failures that come along the way to interview guests will discuss family food traditions, how to strengthen bonds around the family table, as well as their favorite family recipes. There isn't one right way to feed your family. But there are countless stories, you can take bits and pieces and learn from all of them.
Toni-Ann is a wife and mom of two little boys. She's also a full time general dentist and reservist in the Navy. In addition, she's also a blogger and podcaster behind the real happy mom, Tony and understands the challenges of busy working moms and has a mission to help moms eliminate the overwhelm and enjoy motherhood. Welcome Ton-Ann to an episode of the podcast. I'm so glad you joined us today.
Toni-Ann 03:33 Yes, and I'm so glad to be here. Thank you for having me.
Andrea Heyman 03:37 You're welcome. So when I have guests on the show, I typically like to start out by asking them about the house that they grew up in as it relates to food. Did you have family meals? Who cooked who shopped all that type of stuff?
Toni-Ann 03:52 Yes. So I like this question because it takes me back to my younger days. And I was just thinking about that yesterday, honestly. So I remember in my household, my mom and dad equally cooked, you know the same amount of time. But my sisters and I, we preferred our dad's cooking. And the reason was because my dad, he would make the best meals I thought because sometimes it's three girls, sometimes he would literally make three different meals for us. So he would make spaghetti, hamburgers and pizza, like three different things for each of us versus my mom, she's a one pot meal kind of lady like she don't have time for all that. So it was really fun, you know, seeing the differences. And now I'm kind of adopted my mom's mentality. Like I'm not making three different meals, but really fun. And the biggest thing that I do remember is Yeah, my mom did do a lot of the shopping but they did cook, you know, equally, they spent, you know, a good amount of time in the kitchen. It wasn't just one person in the kitchen. Andrea Heyman 04:52 So that's really kind of ahead of the time. So I think we we see that more and more now. But in the previous generation that's a little more, a little less common.
Toni-Ann 05:04 Yeah. And when I think about it, I was just like, you know, the funny part about that whole situation, to be honest, is my mom. She was a teacher back in the day. And she actually used to teach like the home economics and teach like cooking and things like that. She was the one that actually was teaching my dad to cook. But like I said, we prefer my dad's cooking is very accommodating. Yes, yes. So it was a really interesting situation in how that all worked out. But yeah, it was pretty fun.
Andrea Heyman 05:34 I love that. I love it. You know, it's really interesting. As I have more and more guests, I find that literally no family is the same every we come from different circumstances, and everyone has done it differently. Yes. So tell me how would you compare that to your household now?
Toni-Ann 05:54 Yes. So the other minor detail I left out is my parents are Jamaican. So we had some of the typical Caribbean foods like you know, the curry chicken and the chicken and cabbage and all the the nice fun things. So we did have our some of the staple Jamaican foods, but then we had our makeup is because me and my kids, my not my kids, me and my sisters, we were definitely some American kids like we like their hamburgers and french fries like a lot. So definitely learning to make some of those meals was was pretty fun. But now in our household, I'm actually married to an African man. So we have some really different meals going on in here, which is pretty fun. So I love Love, Love My husband's cooking, especially when he makes his African meals, those are the best way he tries to make American dishes enlightened, don't do that, like you're not that good at that. Just the good. And so we have a big variety. So of course we have, you know, some of the meals that he creates the his go to African meals, and then sometimes outdoor and some curry in there. And then for my little chicken nugget and fry eating kids, I will do those kind of things. So it is a big variety. Now, here in the house as far as as far as the different meals and the foods that we're creating here.
Andrea Heyman 07:13 I love that you guys have an American Jamaican African fusion cuisine going on there?
Toni-Ann 07:20 Oh, yes. Yes, lots of flavors, lots of smells? is a lot going on, for sure. I love it.
Andrea Heyman 07:28 And so who does most of the It sounds like you and your husband split some of the food preparation, but who does most of the planning and shopping and that stuff?
Toni-Ann 07:38 Yes. So I am the one that does the majority of the planning in the shopping. And I will tell you one little secret, I don't like shopping with my kids like I hate it. So I have learned to figure out a way that works for me. And now I do online grocery shopping and have it delivered to my home. And at first what I was doing was, you know, doing a lot of the planning, but I was finding that I wasn't really looking in the pantry that well, because it would be like, five, you know, bags of sugar in there that we already had. Because I keep ordering one each time we we order groceries. And it might be one time like my husband was like look like you have like so many like things like you don't even realize that you keep ordering the same thing over and over again. So now what I do is I will put things in the cart, and then I'll give it the phone my phone to him for him to review what's in the cart. And then he'll either say like, Oh, no, you already have this or you, you know, we don't need this and that kind of thing. And that has eliminated the problems. Because before I was trying to do everything myself. And again, moms Don't try to do it all yourself. You're not meant to do it on his own. Definitely utilize the help around you. And once I started getting him involved with it, it's gotten a lot better. So now we work together with the shopping part. But the planning part usually don't have that part. Andrea Heyman 09:00 Right. So it's become a really nice collaborative effort. And were you using the online shopping techniques or strategy prior to COVID? Or is this just more recent? Toni-Ann 09:12 Yeah, no, this is prior to COVID. So before COVID I was doing Yeah, I was doing online grocery shopping and delivery. Before that I was doing the grocery pickup. And then let's check this out. So I was looking at like how much time I was spending like waiting for the groceries to be put into my car and how much it cost before the grocery delivery service. And I was like, this is a no brainer. Like I'm not doing this anymore, like people are gonna deliver it straight to my house. So I started early because like I told you my little secret like I don't like shopping with my kids. So I try to stay out of the grocery store as much as possible. So yes, this has been going on for a while now. And yeah, it has been having said and then when COVID happened, it was like even better, like I really don't have to go to the grocery store now. So it's perfect.
Andrea Heyman 09:58 Sounds like you've really started streamline your system.
Toni-Ann 10:01 Yes, that system in particular, yes, I, because I've learned what I don't like in my life. And I tried to create more of that. And, and that is crying kids in stores. So I've figured out ways to eliminate that and some other things so that, you know, life is a lot easier and more enjoyable. Because, you know, like, it's life is too short to be doing things you don't like to do. Like, you got to figure out ways to make it work for you. And that is the way that I figured it out how to make that particular part of my life work.
Andrea Heyman 10:32 So when I'm listening to you talk, it's really making me think of the name of your podcast, real happy mom. And it just kind of sounds like that is your overarching philosophy, really, and you're applying that to a lot of areas of your life?
Toni-Ann 10:48 Absolutely, absolutely. Because let's just be honest, like, you can look to society, to culture to social media to tell you like how to do motherhood, and it may or may not work for you probably won't, because I've been like, everyone is a little bit different. And how we do motherhood and how we live our life, like, it has to be real and authentic to you. So I am learning to just do what's best for me. And understand that you know, what works for me may not work for everyone else, but I'm gonna make it practical. And I'm gonna make it easy for myself so that I can be truly happy and enjoy my life. Because like I said, like, life is too short, like, you can't be you know, walking around, you know, miserable and things, like, make it work for you. However, you can make it work for you so that you can actually enjoy life and be that real happy mom. That's what at least I'm striving to do.
Andrea Heyman 11:41 Yeah, that's such a good philosophy. I have to say, in my younger years of parenting, I would say it took me a little bit to catch up to where you are, I definitely fell into the quote unquote, what should I do? Or how do I try to, quote be perfect, and it took a while to realize there isn't any such thing as perfect. So you might as well figure out what what works best for you.
Toni-Ann 12:09 Definitely, definitely, because and I'll be honest, like, I haven't always been this way either. Like I fell into that trap to have, you know, wanting to be the perfect mom or whatever that is, and actually losing myself to the point because I was trying to do everything and be everything for everyone that I completely lost who I was. So I didn't even know like what my favorite foods were and what I like to do for fun. Like, I didn't even know those things anymore. Because all I knew was how to take care of my kids, and how to take care of my household like that was it and but you you can't really live like that. Because I feel that as moms in particular, we have a lot of responsibility. Yes, but we have different facets and different things that makes us unique and who we are. So not only are you a mom, you know, you have this awesome role that you play in the community, and your job. You have your hobbies and things that you do is a lot of different things that make you use so yeah, definitely want to make sure that, yeah, we don't fall into that trap of trying to be the perfect mom. So I'm totally with you.
Andrea Heyman 13:12 Oh, yeah. Boy, Toni-Ann we could talk about this all day, probably. Back to food. And do you have any go to meals that you make for your family?
Toni-Ann 13:27 Yes. So my family, they are little meat eaters over here, I have slowly been switching into a vegetarian diet. And my husband and my kids, they let me know Mommy, that is great for you. But we're not eating that. And so I have pretty much perfected my steak and mashed potatoes like them. So they love that. So that is one of my go to because I can make that pretty quickly. And they'll actually really like it. And of course, like I said, You even describe it very well about the fusion with the American Jamaican and African meals here. So one of my other meals that I make on occasion when I remember it, but whenever I do make it everyone loves it is my curry chicken. They really liked that one. So those are kind of my two like go to like, I know, like if I'm in a pinch, and I know I want everyone to eat and not just kind of like pick up their food. These are the two meals. I know they will eat these for sure.
Andrea Heyman 14:19 Yeah, I love. I love that. And the curries are fantastic. We have a lot of those in our house as well. So do you make separate meals for yourself?
Toni-Ann 14:30 Yeah, so this is the thing, like my husband has kind of been getting irritated with me because usually what I'll do is I'll make their food first, and then I'll come back and create something for myself. But what I've been trying to do is just make sure that if I do make a meal, it's usually what they're eating minus the meat and then I'll substitute it for something else. But I will be honest, there have been times where I make something completely different because I don't even want to eat like steak and mashed potatoes like I want kcbs so I will make something completely different. But yeah, I'm trying to do better about that. That's one thing that I haven't perfected that one, but I'm trying to create it so that it doesn't take me too much time. But yes, it depends. Because sometimes I want what I want. And I'm gonna make it exactly what it is that I want, because I know that they're gonna be happy with their food. So I want to make sure that I have some to and not just eat a bunch of leftovers in the scraps, too.
Andrea Heyman 15:22 Yeah. Do you ever just serve them the vegetarian meals that you're making for yourself?
Toni-Ann 15:28 You know what? I did try that and they were like mommy wasted chicken. Though I just like as a just learn to just have like some protein there. Some meat there for them. And then yeah, just take it out of my plate there said and
Andrea Heyman 15:45 why did you decide to have more of a pescetarian vegetarian lifestyle?
Toni-Ann 15:50 Yes. So I watched the documentary, what the hell and that changed my life. It really changed the way I saw the food industry. It changed the way I saw food in general. And I was just like, yeah, and yeah, so I couldn't, I tried to do the whole vegan thing. I couldn't not go all the way back to just because I have been eating me for so long. It was hard for me to really find those substitutes. And I was like, I felt like I was forcing myself. But it definitely the vegetarian foods been working for me. And then I have some of my vegan days. But what the health was my inspiration behind all of that this was not something that you know, just, it's something it's not something that I've done for a long time. It's just been recently that I just started this.
Andrea Heyman 16:38 Yeah, I hear that a lot from what the health people say. I'm like, whoo, I watched that. And, and then I was convinced Yeah, that's that's a pretty compelling documentary for your Yes.
Toni-Ann 16:50 And let me tell you, like, I like, I don't even like I love bacon, and like pepperoni and all that stuff. Like now, I don't even I guess because it's been too long since I've had it. Like, I don't even really pray for it like I used to. So I know for some people, they'll start and then revert back. But for me, I've been good. I've stayed this this road since watching the documentary.
Andrea Heyman 17:11 Okay. And so what are you planning for dinner tonight, I guess for yourself and for the rest of your family dinner tonight.
Toni-Ann 17:19 So there is some leftover rice in there. I'm really thinking about doing some fried rice, because I haven't had some fried rice and wow, something about doing some fried rice and just adding either some steak or chicken for them. And then for me, I'm gonna find some way to kind of spruce it up and do something a little different. But yeah, fried rice is is on the menu for tonight.
Andrea Heyman 17:40 Yeah, I was just gonna ask what do you put in your fried rice?
Toni-Ann 17:44 So I do have some tofu in there that I really need to use up because my husband's irritating because I keep buying tofu and I don't finish it. So I think I may try to to do the tofu again. Cuz the last time I did, I wasn't really happy with it. But I make a really good tofu scramble that I love. But actually putting the tofu in my fried rice, I haven't figured out how to make it taste the way I want. So I'm gonna try to get it tonight. And I'll let you know how that goes.
Andrea Heyman 18:09 Yeah, I'd love to hear I would say making the tofu separate. And then somehow, maybe some spices. And then at the very end combining it would be my guess.
Toni-Ann 18:18 But yeah, I don't know. I'm gonna test it out. Now see?
Andrea Heyman 18:23 All right, do you guys have family meal traditions? Like, since you're eating all different meals? Like do you are not all different meals since you eat us kind of a different meal? Do you sit down all together and eat together? Or is it kind of in ways, Toni-Ann 18:38 so usually, I try to at least get the kids bed because usually they're the ones that's always hungry. So I will try to at least get their food on the table. And then work can be my husband afterwards. But most of the time, we can get everyone at the table at the same time. My husband likes to sit down with me and eat and he literally will not eat unless like I have my food and I'm ready to eat to like, it makes me mad sometimes because the food will get cold. And I'm like, please eat your food. Like I promise I'm coming. I'm taking too long, you know, trying to prepare something for myself. But yeah, it's definitely sitting down with my husband, especially for like breakfast because what I like to do is like feed the kids in the mornings, on the weekends, in particular, feed the kids and let them go about their way and go play whatever. And then me and my husband, we sit down together and we have breakfast and that's our time to kind of talk and, and have some time together before we get our day started. So that is one thing we do for sure. on a regular basis.
Andrea Heyman 19:33 That's actually really sweet. I love that and I actually think it's adorable that your husband waits for you for dinner.
Toni-Ann 19:40 Yes, yes. Like at first I used to be annoyed but then I'm like, he really wants me to eat with him. So let me get it together.
Andrea Heyman 19:47 I think it's probably also cultural. Like there's probably a component there. Is that right?
Toni-Ann 19:55 I need to question him about it. I want to say there is a bit yeah, he's been like this forever though, since we started dating, he's always been like that. Yeah, well,
Andrea Heyman 20:05 I take it for the good. Very sweet bill, Tony. And this is fantastic. I love talking to moms and seeing how everyone balances their meals differently. And it's always interesting. And I learned something new every single time. So thank you. I really appreciate it.
Toni-Ann 20:24 Thank you. Thank you. I really appreciate you having me.
Andrea Heyman 20:28 And you mentioned your your real happy mom philosophy a little bit. But tell us a little more about where our listeners can find you.
Toni-Ann 20:38 Yes, for sure. So definitely, you can find me on the real happy mom, podcast, wherever you're listening to this podcast. I will be there at real happy mom. And you can also find me online. I am on Instagram in particular, that's my favorite place to hang out at real happy mom.
Andrea Heyman 20:53 Thanks again, Tony. And this is fantastic.
Toni-Ann 20:56 Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Andrea Heyman 20:59 Isn't Toni-Ann fantastic. I love her perspective and how she's figured out good ways to streamline the tasks of grocery shopping, and meal prep that really work in their family. That's something I really love about doing this podcast is listening to other moms talk about how they have figured out how to balance things in their life. And I think it's fantastic that there are so many ways to do it. And really, I've learned a lot from that. If you liked this episode, please rate review and share with a friend. This is how we get the word out and continue to build a strong supportive mom community. Because I know I certainly know I can use a good supportive mom community. Also remember that I'm always available for nutrition consultation and coaching. If you want more information, you can hop on a discovery call again, all those links will be in the show notes. You can hop on that free discovery call with me to see if you're a good candidate to work with me. Until next time, take care