no way around it

I (we) need to cook. I was just reading something I didn't want to know and really already did but didn't want to face: the food that's easiest and tastiest to our family is really bad for you. (Read the article by clicking here.) Fast food was a big treat when I was a child - going to Hardee's or Burger King was a special event! It was rare. For E, I think she knew what the drive-thru was before she could talk. One of the first full sentences I remember her uttering was "that thing going to talk to you" as we approached the drive-thru. So of course I wasn't surprised to find out about our high cholesterol. No wonder, for a lot of things.

All the "tips" I read for getting a two year old to eat better involve preparing food at a more advanced level than making a sandwich or putting something frozen on the toaster oven. And I do not want to invest the time and effort (thinking, planning, learning, modeling...) but I need to. I have a plan to start simply and I know it's not rocket science. You who offer advice to "throw this in with that" when making dinner just don't understand how little we cook at our house. There's no menu planning, and the 3 of us don't eat the same meals or even at the same time. ANY effort is going to to be extraordinary for us. Boiling pasta or making a salad pretty much feels like it takes too long to me! I have just an hour window when I get home from work before it's time to give E her bath and start getting ready for bed. She needs to be asleep by 7:30 or 8, ideally, and starts being over-tired-unreasonable around 7.

So my first efforts will have to be on the weekends. Food, money, and energy will be wasted, but I'll try.

(By the way, I'm not asking for advice here, because it overwhelms me. Just making a public statement to boost my commitment!)

*sigh*