{"id":7610,"date":"2012-12-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-12-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/5-ways-smartphones-simplify-mealtimes\/"},"modified":"2012-12-26T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-12-26T00:00:00","slug":"5-ways-smartphones-simplify-mealtimes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/es\/5-ways-smartphones-simplify-mealtimes\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways Smartphones Simplify Mealtimes"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re anything like me, you\u2019re a super busy parent (I think \u201csuper busy\u201d and \u201cparent\u201d are actually synonymous). Your smartphone is constantly on, and you use it for everything from phone calls to calendars to daily pictures of the kids and keeping everyone on the same page. The digital and mobile world often gets a bad reputation for taking away from quality family time. However, in many ways my phone is a life saver to get the family together around the dinner table in half the time it took in the pre-digital era.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m a total foodie \u2013 constantly thinking about what we\u2019re going to make for dinner, what we need to be eating and dreaming up ideas for meals that everyone will eat. Based on the message of Together CountsTM<\/sup>, my family doesn\u2019t see food as \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad\u201d – we enjoy balanced meals. To help me create these delicious and balanced meals I use my phone to take pictures of recipes in magazines or dishes that inspire me when we eat out, and I make notes in my phone to remind me or trigger a thought.<\/p>\n

(see also 4 Tips for On-the-Go Family Meals<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are tons of recipe apps available for mobile phones that will produce a recipe in seconds depending on your needs. A few of my favorite apps are Ziplist<\/a>, AllRecipes<\/a> and How To Cook Everything<\/a>. Together Counts also has great recipe suggestions on Pinterest<\/a> that I can access directly on my phone! I\u2019m all about anything that makes my life in the kitchen more streamlined and easier and my phone definitely helps me to do that.<\/p>\n

When I\u2019m running from practice to practice and picking kids up from school and juggling homework and time outside\u2026 it\u2019s easy to pick up my phone and be able to scroll through my pics or notes to inspire an idea for dinnertime.<\/p>\n

5 Ways My Smartphone Simplifies Mealtime<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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  1. Take pics of what\u2019s in my pantry\/fridge before making my grocery list<\/li>\n
  2. Take pics of recipes in magazines and email them to myself<\/li>\n
  3. Use recipe apps to save recipes, inspire dinner and even to provide recipes \u2013 bonus for recipe apps that will turn my recipes into shopping lists (Ziplist)<\/li>\n
  4. Use my phone as a cooking timer so I don\u2019t have to be in the kitchen and can be with the kids instead<\/li>\n
  5. Let my kids read ingredients and use the phone calculator to help me figure out amounts and practice math and reading skills<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Do you use your phone to help make mealtime or planning meals easier? What are your favorite apps or tips?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Rachel Matthews is a southern belle and author of the blog A Southern Fairytale<\/a>. Rachel was featured as one of Babble\u2019s Top 100 mom blogs in 2011 and she was recently named one of the Top 50 parents on Pinterest. Rachel is a mom to two children, who she aspires to raise with good morals, good manners, open hearts and bright futures. She currently resides in Corpus Christi with her family.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Find more meal planning suggestions at these great resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n