The big holiday meals are coming! And, if YOU are the one responsible for planning, shopping, prepping, cooking, and cleaning these meals can be SUPER stressful. We asked real mamas living with chronic illnesses to share their best tips and ideas for making holiday cooking more manageable.
Delegate, Plan Ahead, and Accept Help
“Honestly? I generally don’t host the biggest meals in my family. We usually do Christmas morning at our house, which is more casual. Since we have our big meals at my sister’s or my mom’s, I always make sure I can contribute a dish and I try to help with cleanup as much as I can – but with lots of communication over the years they also understand that some years it’s difficult for me!” – Mariah
“I limit the number of people I invite.” – Phyllisa
“Accept help, because that help creates family memories and that’s what the holidays are all about.” – Christina
Use Shopping Hacks
“Get items delivered if you can.” – Eileen
“Spend a little extra if you can and buy your veggies pre-cut! It is truly a game changer! This is the only time of year I splurge on that and it’s totally worth it!” – Stephanie
“Paper plates! You can buy decorative ones to feel fancy. Or compostable ones to feel less guilty.” – Jennifer
Pace Yourself
“Prep ahead of time. Shop early, cut veggies ahead of time, and cook desserts the day before.” – Christina
“I spread the cooking over a couple of days so my body won’t give out.” – Phyllisa
“Sit while prepping – I pull a chair into my kitchen to work on.” – Eileen
Consider Cooking Hacks
“Have one special dish that takes more effort to make, and all the rest should be easy dishes that throw together in minutes. There is nothing wrong with store-bought (looking at you, Costco Scalloped Potatoes).” – Kelly
“OVEN BAG. They are life changing. You do not need to take the turkey out of the oven to baste it and it’s done quicker, it’s also tastier. Sometimes when I cook a turkey in the oven bag I don’t need to carve it, the meat just falls off the bone.” – Eileen
“My husband plans on frying our turkeys, so that clears up space in the oven and isn’t a long process.” – Christina
Don’t Forget About Cleanup
“I budget a cleaning service for the day after because my husband likes to host the same 22 people every year.” – Shipla
“My husband does the dishes after every holiday meal to ease the stress and burden. I rest the day after the holiday having either leftovers or we order out.” – Phyllisa
