I asked my mom if she would share her memories of growing up in a large family (she’s one of 9 kids)  in the 1950s-60s and what it took to feed everyone. 

My mom wrote, “It was always a challenge feeding a large family.  In the summer growing up, we ate what was growing in our garden—green beans, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, and always a huge amount of strawberries. We had so many strawberries that sometimes it was our main meal!”

My mom (Nana Alice) has this advice for parents who are trying to keep to a budget: “When I was raising my own 5 children, to keep our budget on track we had a plant-based casserole one night and a meat dish the next night, always served with veggies and salad.

This helped me keep the grocery bill in check”.  She reminds me that parents do the best they can to create meals that suit almost everyone, but someone will usually be disappointed: “Let them know that one of their favorite meals will be served up the next night so they can look forward to it”.

Wise words from Nana Alice 

Snack idea: homemade cookies & a glass of milk