To some, it might seem like planning dinner menus for the Nine Days shouldn't be a big deal. But when we ran a survey a few months ago, we got hard numbers on how many of you really rely on meat dinners. Over half eat mostly meat dinners! Only 7% of you eat mostly dairy or parve dinners on a regular basis. So this truly is a major shift for many of you in your weekly routine.

Here's what I like to make:

Quick and Easy Maple Mustard Salmon by Erin Grunstein

Something about the maple + mustard + salmon combo is simple yet perfect.

Dinnertime Chunky Vegetable and Bean Soup by Leah Gottheim

Sometimes, my kids will actually eat vegetable and bean soup! I know, it surprises me too! They are not anti-vegetable in principle, it just has to be presented right.

Soft Blueberry Muffins by Kosher Intellegence

I made the blueberry muffin recipe knowing exactly the type of simple blueberry muffin I wanted to make, but not being able to find the right recipe for it anywhere. I used AI to help me get the proportions right. It came out perfectly!

Another thing I like to do is serve a platter of varied chopped fruits and vegetable slices. Having it pre-chopped on a platter instead of a salad makes it easy to nibble throughout the meal and everyone takes only what they like. Some types we currently like are apples, multicolored cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, Persian cucumbers, pickles, and green olives.

Bonus points if the kids who are old enough to use a knife do the slicing themselves. It's a great opportunity for them to get more comfortable in the kitchen and feel independent.

And let's be real, for whoever is in a picky mood- there is always one, there are Kosherific fish sticks in the freezer for a backup plan.