Before I had kids of my own, I thought that some day I’d be driving my mini van through the drive thru on the way home from work with meals to make my kids happy. I knew those little toys would make me their hero for a bit, and they’d gladly eat whatever food came along with it.

The kids came along. And the mini van too. And busy weeks at work that left me drained and competely exhausted at the end of the week. Coming home on a Friday night, the last thing I wanted to do was make dinner.

Not much has changed today. I’m still tired come Friday night and would rather spend time with my family who I haven’t seen enough of all week.

What has changed is that I know that the food that I make at home is so much better for my family. When I know what ingredients go into our meal, and they’re all real foods, I can feel good that my kids are getting a healthier meal. That makes me a happy mama.

Since I know I’m still going to be tired on a Friday night, I plan a super quick and easy meal for that night. Some of my go-to Friday night meals include:

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Finger Licking Good Baked Chicken

Mummy’s Ramen Noodles

Bird’s Nests

Last week, some friends and I started talking about a No Fast Food Friday theme to encourage families to eat at home on Friday’s. Driving by the drive thru, as my pal Rob puts it, means healthier food for our family, and is better for the environment. Have you heard of Meatless Mondays? This is really similar! Small changes towards healthier eating, can add up to big change.

Mummy’s Ramen Noodles

We’re still working on the idea and how to get word out, but we’ve already made the commitment in our home. What do you think? Could you skip the drive thru this Friday?

Check out what Jen wrote about No Fast Food Friday. My other friends involved are Rob, Melissa at Little Locavores, and Kristen at Dine and Dish.