Calling all busy parents! Are you constantly juggling schedules, deadlines, and mealtime chaos? Here are some helpful tips to help you streamline your approach to feeding your family: Time-saving meal tips, prep ahead strategies, and a few quick recipes. Say goodbye to dinner dilemmas and hello to stress-free mealtimes.
Time Saving Meal Tips
Start your week off as organized as possible. On Sunday (or whatever day works for you), make a menu for that week (have family members pick their favorite meal and add it to the menu). Include your protein source, fruit or veggie, starch, and any other sides you are making. Shop ahead of time for everything you need, this will avoid the dreaded last-minute run to the store for the onion that you thought you had. Place items in the pantry and refrigerator together based off the recipe so the items are easy to find.
Prep Ahead Strategies
Once you have done your menu planning and shopping, now it is time to do as much prep as you can ahead of time:
- Pre chop veggies or fruit you plan on using throughout the week and store them in containers measured out for your recipes.
- Measure and store any dry goods such as pasta, rice, or beans. Canned, pre-packaged salads, or frozen items are also a time saver for recipes.
Don’t think you have to do this all alone, getting your family involved is a fun way to spend time together, have the kids help where they can with chopping (if old enough), putting things in containers, reading off items, and storing items in the fridge or pantry.
Quick Cooking Styles
The method of cooking doesn’t, and shouldn’t, be complicated when trying to save time. One pot meals, one pan meals, and crock/insta pots are a great way to save time and energy. Grab a sheet pan line with foil and place your meat, veggies, and potatoes on it, pop it in the oven and then all you do is wait. Slow cooker meals can be added to the pot in the morning turned on and will be ready for you when you get home. Insta-pots can cook most any meals in under an hour and is also a set it and forget it. Foods like chili, stews and casseroles that are “dump and cook” are also low effort meals. These are also easy meals to get your family involved to help, more help means less time!
Easy Recipes to Try (click the links)
Other Ways to Get Your Kids Involved
- Pick a color from the rainbow, go to the store and find fruits and veggies that are that color and add them to the menu for the week.
- Let them pick their favorite meal once a week.
- Get them in the kitchen to help as much as they can. Measuring, mixing, handing you kitchen tool or setting the timer. Any small thing that gets them involved will get them more excited to help!
- Let them taste things as you cook.
- Make it fun for them in any way you can think of.
Getting ahead of the business will help the week feel calmer, set days and times to get things prepped and planned. Choose easy meals that use one pot, takes less than 30-45 mins to prep and cook, crock pots and other set and forget appliances. Ultimately have fun with it and turn it into bonding time with the family and voila stress free dinners for everyone!
If you want more tips on meal planning and prep tips click here. Happy Cooking!
