The challenge of cooking for the whole family

There are many families and the most varied, therefore we cannot generalize when talking about domestic food needs. However, it is true that the most common is that a family is made up of members of different ages, sexes, activities and pathophysiological situations. This causes that at the nutritional level the needs are different for each member depending on the characteristics that we have just listed.

• It is essential to think about the base of the food and from there, if we need to make a different type of preparation or dressing, depending on who is going to consume it.
• In case of allergies or intolerances we will make food without the product in question for the whole family, whenever possible.
• A proper food education and from the first day, as well as working on understanding and respect as a family, are the best ingredients to cook for everyone with peace of mind.

Simple or terribly complex?

From the simplest situation, such as a couple without health problems or special physiological situations, there are differences if each of the members presents a different level of physical activity. Things get complicated in families where cooking is done for young children, adults and the elderly, if in addition one member has health problems, another performs intense sports activity, another has food allergies and another is losing weight ... Then the situation in the kitchen it can turn into chaos. Therefore, we will try to establish some helpful recommendations. The first thing to do is to simplify things as much as we can and this means going from food bases to accessories.

Allergies and intolerances rule

When in a house there is a person allergic or intolerant to any food, probably the most practical option is to carry out a general diet that does not contain the allergen in question. In this way, we will avoid the risk of cross contamination. The most common drawback is that the family budget skyrockets when having to buy certain special foods. If the food can be well separated and consumed separately, such as a fruit or a dried fruit, non-allergic people can incorporate it into the diet outside the family menu. On certain occasions, such as an allergy to fish, we will have no choice but to cook a different protein food for the person in question, some day of the week.

The basis of the diet we will try to be the same

We must think about the basis of the diet and from there make the "derivations", probably pasta, potatoes, vegetables, meat, fish ... they are good for all members and depending on their characteristics we will have to choose different ways to finish the cooking or season them depending on the person. The ideal would be to look for preparations suitable for everyone but if we want a greater variety we can choose this option. For example, while the family recipe may be some spaghetti with prawns, garlic and chillies, for a family member with a stomach sensitive to spice they can be prepared with prawns and zucchini. Or while in general they are prepared in carbonara, for the person who is on a diet they are prepared with a vegetable sauté or natural tomato.

Follow some general guidelines

It always helps to have a guide. We can prepare a weekly guideline that simply indicates the basic foods that are going to be cooked that day and depending on the time we have, seasonal foods, diners, etc. to vary the recipes with which we prepare those foods. For example, Monday: rice + vegetables + egg. It can be a complete salad with rice and a boiled egg or a rice with tomato and an asparagus omelette, or a Cuban rice and a vegetable accompaniment, etc.

Food education is essential

In order to achieve a balanced and healthy diet, we must teach children from day one to eat a variety of foods and have the habit of trying new things. This is not always easy but we must go looking for alternatives to achieve it as much as possible. Getting it will make it easier for us to work in the kitchen because we won't have to make special dishes because "I don't like this."

From menu or à la carte?

We must understand and respect that in a family of several members, except in special situations, you cannot expect to eat à la carte. We will be able to eat what we like the most one day, the day it is due, when we go out to eat out or in a special celebration, but in general, domestic eating should be governed by the principles of healthy eating and adapted to the family first in matters of health and physiological situations and second, in tastes. Whims should be left for specific moments.