NY Mom Feeds Family of 9 and Inspires Millions Online

Mary Neilis wasn't trying to become an internet sensation when she started cooking dinner every night for her seven kids. She was just trying to avoid spending over $200 on a single takeout meal.

The 36-year-old Westchester, New York mom turned necessity into inspiration. Her TikTok and Substack page "7kidskitchen" now draws millions of views with realistic, "healthy-ish" meals filmed in the middle of actual family chaos.

In her videos, kids ranging from age 2 to 14 perch on counters, wear chef's hats, stir pots, ask for drinks, request "no tomatoes," and run through the house. It's real life, not a carefully staged cooking show.

"It's a real house," Neilis told Fox News Digital. "There's chaos going on, but I'm cooking dinner either way."

Her approach is refreshingly practical. She plans five dinners each week, usually following a simple formula: protein, vegetable, and starch. Chicken cutlets are guaranteed hits, while Italian wedding soup got mixed reviews from her kids.

When chicken goes on sale, they might eat three chicken dinners that week. When steak is discounted, fajitas appear on the menu. Fridays are for meal planning and online grocery orders.

Neilis keeps weekday mornings simple with bagels or cereal to get everyone out the door quickly. School lunches are sandwiches with cookies or chips. But dinners get her full attention, from chicken francese to coconut curry salmon to homemade Chipotle-style bowls.

She partners with her sister Bernadette, who records and edits the videos, while her husband, a New York City firefighter, manages the finances. The family-run operation has resonated with viewers by keeping everything honest and approachable.

Growing up as one of seven kids herself, Neilis learned early about feeding a crowd. Her husband is one of five. "When I became a mom, my husband was in the military, so he would sometimes be out for weeks at a time," she said. "I started cooking and just loved it."

Sunny's Take

What makes Neilis's story so inspiring isn't just her impressive meal planning skills. It's her refusal to pretend everything is perfect while still showing up every single night.

She openly shares when dishes flop. She films with kids literally hanging off her hip. She admits weekends sometimes mean Chinese food or pizza delivery.

"I'm never going to lie," she said. That honesty has created a community where overwhelmed parents feel seen instead of judged.

Her subscriber meal plans and weekly recipe roundups now help thousands of families get dinner on the table. She's stepped outside her comfort zone to try new recipes, knowing her followers are counting on fresh inspiration.

"I don't see it as a chore," Neilis said about nightly cooking. "I don't mind getting in the kitchen every night and cooking."

In a world where food prices keep climbing and family time feels increasingly squeezed, one mom's chaotic kitchen has become a beacon of hope that home-cooked meals are still possible.