Whether you love a color-coded meal board or you’re still deciding what’s for dinner at 5 p.m., this episode is for you. Commander A (Annie) and Commander K (Katelynn) break down the differences in how Type A and Type B moms approach mealtime—and how to make it less chaotic, no matter your style.
From batch-cooking basics to “snack plate dinner” survival mode, we’re covering practical tips, mom hacks, and a little bit of real talk about mental load, food guilt, and why cereal counts as a valid dinner.
We’re talking:
The emotional and logistical chaos of feeding people
How Annie’s structured meal plans work (and what she does when they don’t)
Why Katelynn resists routines and how she’s finding freedom in gentle planning
Dinner shortcuts and realistic expectations
Whether you’re a spreadsheet-loving scheduler or a go-with-the-flow creative, you’ll walk away from this episode with tools to command your mealtime chaos.
QUOTES
“I don’t mind cooking. I just don’t like deciding.” — Katelynn
“If I don’t have a plan, I panic. It feels like failure by 4:00.” — Annie
“Sometimes dinner is just protein, fruit, and air.” — Katelynn
“When I have a plan, I eat better and feel better. It’s just true.” — Annie
“You’re not failing if you don’t cook every night. You’re feeding people. That counts.” — Katelynn
TAKEAWAYS
1️⃣ Meal planning can be rigid or relaxed—what matters is that it works for your real life.
2️⃣ Type A moms tend to crave structure and prep, while Type B moms thrive on flexibility and flow.
3️⃣ Feeding your family doesn’t require gourmet meals—sometimes it’s frozen waffles and grace.
4️⃣ You don’t need a Pinterest board to be a good mom. You just need a plan that supports your bandwidth.
5️⃣ It’s okay to outsource, shortcut, or simplify. Mealtime isn’t a moral test—it’s just food.
FEATURED CHAOS ANTHEM
"On Top of Spaghetti" – Tom Glazer
A classic, chaotic ode to lost meatballs and dinner gone sideways. This nostalgic tune captures the real-life drama of mealtime with kids—and reminds us that sometimes, the chaos is part of the fun. Perfect for the moms just trying to get dinner on the table (or off the floor).
🎧 You can find it (and all our episode anthems) on The Chaos Commanders: Season One playlists available on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
CONNECT WITH US
Tell us: Are you more Type A or Type B in the kitchen? What’s your go-to easy dinner? Share your meal planning wins (or disasters) and tag us on Instagram!
Follow the chaos in real time:
📸 Instagram: @thechaoscommanders
📘 Facebook: The Chaos Commanders Podcast
🌐 Website: thechaoscommanders.com
SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW
Love what you’re hearing? Hit subscribe and never miss an episode. If this episode helped you feel more seen (or gave you dinner ideas), please leave a review! Your support helps more moms command the chaos with us.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!