Meal Planning & Prepping Tips
Planning and preparing healthy, family friendly meals can feel really overwhelming. We’ve all been there. At the end of a busy day it just feels like a herculean effort trying to muster the energy to put a nourishing meal on the table. With this mind, here’s a list of 11 tips to help simplify making dinner for yourself and your family.
1. Be kind to yourself! Some weeks meal prepping may go better than others. It takes time to build up the meal planning muscle and get into a routine. There are also times when things come up and you aren’t able to meal prep or cook as you had planned. That’s OK! The important thing is that you keep working at it and continue learning more about what works for you and our family.
2. Don’t overcommit! Be honest with yourself about how often you can realistically cook during the week and have a plan for the nights that you are not cooking. For example: cook 3 nights a week, have leftovers 2 nights and order take-out food 2 times a week. Keep a list of restaurants that you and your family enjoy that have healthy options.
3. Know your audience! Keep a running list of meals that your family likes. Take some of the mental energy out of meal planning by having a list of stand-by recipes. Make sure to have some recipes that are quick and easy. You’ll be more likely to cook in a pinch if you have some simple recipes at the ready.
4. Double down on the good stuff! When you find a healthy recipe that you like, go BIG. Double or even triple the recipe. Leftovers means one less night of cooking!
5. Your freezer is your friend! Make extra of things such as meatballs that you can reheat for a quick and easy meal. It can also be helpful to freeze leftovers in individual portions to make reheating faster and to reduce waste.
6. Act as your own sous chef! If and when you have the time, cut up some produce to reduce cooking times. You’ll also be more likely to reach for fruits and veggies for snacks if they’re all ready to go. You can also make life even easier and buy pre-cut fruits and veggies at the store. Pre-cut fruits and veggies are good in your fridge for up to 5 days.
7. Spice it up! If you have a favorite seasoning blend, make a big batch to save for another time. Having a premade seasoning can make cooking lighting fast. A good example might be a blackening or fajita seasoning.
8. Maximize your oven! When you turn on the oven to cook, throw some extra veggies on a roasting pan and cook them up at the same time. Save yourself some time and some money on your energy bill. It’s always helpful to have extra roasted veggies laying around to throw into salads, eat as a side with other leftovers or inspire another meal with less prep work.
9. Batch cook your grains! Prepare brown rice, quinoa or another grain that you enjoy once a week. It reduces cooking time and mental energy to have your grain ready to go. If you have some roasted veggies and extra protein in the fridge, it makes a great base for a healthy bowl for lunch or a quick thrown
together leftover night dinner.
10. Prep your protein!. This can be done by making leftovers or as part of weekly meal prep. If you have an instant pot, it’s a great tool for making extra chicken breasts or another protein of your choosing for the week to top a salad, use for tacos, bowls, you name it.
11. Eat some eggs! Eggs are a good source of protein and vitamin D. You can make a few hard boiled eggs to have alone or to add protein to a meal. Frittatas also keep well in the fridge and are a great way to increase your vegetable intake.