I love to meal prep. But when I first began meal prepping I dreaded it. I had to find different ways to do it to work with our schedules. We are a family of five, with three children in all different age groups and allergies. Between years of learning to cook, making life easier, and saving money I have come up with easy and healthy recipes for meal prep for my family. As a result, having meals prepped has helped make my life so much easier. I now don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen. These are five ways to help meal prep for busy mamas.
Look through your pantry first
Shop your pantry, refrigerator, and freezers first. See what food you have that needs to be cooked. Incorporate this into your meal plan for the week. I always write out what I have that I can use for my meals or snacks. I always try to keep basics, like flour, sugar, canned vegetables etc., in my pantry as well. Therefore, I have saved so much money just by looking at what I already have. Doing this is how I create my meals as well.
Plan all of your meals
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plan them all. I had to learn this the hard way when I first became a stay at home and homeschool mama. I would only plan my dinners and always felt confused about what to do for breakfast and lunch. As a result, my kids then would just eat a bunch of junk because I didn’t plan accordingly. So, every week I write down the options I can make throughout the week. I then plan what needs to be meal prepped for breakfast and lunch. It also gives my children choices for breakfast and lunch.
Choose a day to dedicate to the kitchen
The day I meal prep is every Sunday. Every Sunday, I write what needs to be made. Firstly, I plan what meals I can make altogether. Normally, I boil eggs and make homemade granola. I start those first because the eggs are easy and the granola takes the longest in the oven. As those are cooking, I’ll fix the pancakes or the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This makes my day in the kitchen go faster. Go ahead and throw on your favorite playlist and cook your favorite dishes.
Double batch one dinner a week
That is to say, doing this has saved my family so much time and money. When I am meal planning my dinners, I choose one of my dinners to double. I just buy the aluminum pans from the Dollar Tree and make the food extra in that. Then label, date, and pop it in the freezer for an easy meal at another time. I love doing this, especially in the summer when we are always doing something. It’s so easy and no extra work.
Do what works for you and your family
Most importantly, do what’s best for you. Make it simple. It doesn’t have to be picture perfect and it’s okay to repeat every week. You know what your family likes to eat and go with that. I am not one that loves to cook but I have found what is successful and less stressful. Meal prepping is supposed to make life easier so make it easy.
My go to meals
Here is a list of things I prep every Sunday
- Boiled Eggs
- Banana Pancakes
- Fresh fruit and vegetables washed and cut
- Hummus
- Cashew Sour Cream
- Homemade Granola
- Green Beans
- Baked potatoes
- Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches
- Breakfast Burritos
- Garlic Fried Tofu
- Cookies
These are just a few of my go-to meals and snacks I like to have made. Many of these recipes I have just made up or found on Pinterest. I have linked the recipes as well. Remember to enjoy it and stay peaceful.
What are some of your favorite recipes? I hope this helps you meal prep for your family.
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