Easy Meal Planning Tips for Busy Parents
Finding the time to prepare nutritious meals for your family isn’t easy. Yet, sharing home-cooked, healthy meals together as a family offers incredible benefits – from better nutrition and health, to dedicated time to meaningfully connect. Regular family meals are also linked to stronger emotional bonds, improved academic outcomes, and healthier social development for children. To help make weekly meal prep a little easier for you, we’ve put together a list of practical tips:
1. Keep a list of your family’s favorite recipes
Make a list of your family’s favorite meals and keep it handy, because it will save you time when you’re ready to sit down and decide what you want to make for the week. Rotate these dishes to keep things interesting, while still being manageable.
2. Plan ahead
When you’re scrambling at the last minute to figure out dinner, you’re more likely to order expensive and unhealthy takeout, waste time with multiple trips to the grocery store, or end up with cereal (again) for dinner. By planning what your family will eat ahead of time, you’ll set yourself up for success.
3. Create special theme nights
Decide one time what you’ll eat for dinner on Tuesday nights (i.e., Taco Tuesdays), and then you’ll never have to think about your Tuesday night menu again! Save yourself tons of mental energy by putting your menu on autopilot and assigning themes to each night of the week. It’s also really fun, especially for kids.
Some ideas:
- Meatless Monday
- Taco Tuesday
- Worldly Wednesday
- Pizza Thursday
- Fresh Fish Friday
4. Keep a well-stocked pantry
Stock up on versatile pantry staples like rice, pasta, canned beans, broths and spices. Buy in bulk when possible to save time and money. Before you go to the grocery store, check what you already have to avoid overbuying.
5. Batch cook and freeze
Double recipes whenever possible – such as soups, sauces and casseroles – and freeze the extras. That way, you’ll have a dinner you only have to defrost on hand for nights that are extra busy.
6. Invest in quality Tupperware
Good containers will help you keep your leftovers and produce fresh longer, reducing waste. High quality Tupperware is also easier to store and keeps your fridge looking beautiful. (You can read all about our favorite Tupperware, here!)
7. Vary your menu
Eating a variety of foods – especially fresh fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors – is not only more satisfying, it also helps ensure your family gets adequate vitamins and minerals to support growth, well-being and long-term health. Keep your meals nutritionally balanced and interesting by making simple swaps – like quinoa for brown rice, or asparagus for broccoli.
8. Involve your kids
Feeding picky eaters is probably the most challenging part of meal prep for a family. Involving your children in the planning and cooking process can increase their receptivity to trying new foods. Kids can set the table, choose a new fruit or veggie to try, or pick their toppings for pizza or tacos. Children also often need multiple exposures to accept a new food, so keep offering! The foods kids are regularly offered in childhood tend to shape their long-term preferences and eating habits, so making healthy choices now lays the foundation for lifelong wellness.
9. Take smart shortcuts
While boxed mac and cheese or frozen nuggets might be quick, they’re highly processed and often packed with sodium and lacking in key nutrients. Try smarter shortcuts that help you get nutritious meals on the table faster, without compromising your family’s health.
- buy pre-cut or pre-washed produce – such as ready-to-eat salad greens, pre-cubed butternut squash, pre-peeled garlic, already husked corn
- invest in a rice cooker for perfectly cooked grains like brown rice, quinoa and farro; or buy ready-to-microwave whole grains for instant nourishment
- look for healthier quick proteins, like rotisserie chicken, frozen edamame, and canned beans
- use grocery delivery or pickup services to reclaim grocery shopping time
10. Value your time
Last but not least – be intentional about how you spend your time. It’s the most precious and limited resource you have! Consider hiring someone to prepare nutritious meals for you on a weekly basis – it might be more cost effective and accessible than you think. Plus, it can bring unparalleled benefits: the joy of a fridge filled with family-friendly delicious and ready-to-eat meals, increased energy, reduced anxiety, improved family harmony, more time for self-care, and for the people you love and projects you care about. Services like Easyfeast pair you with a personal chef who cooks in your home and stocks your fridge with healthy, family-friendly meals for the week. Learn more about Easyfeast here!
Sources:
- https://acpeds.org/the-benefits-of-the-family-table/
- https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(14)00604-2/abstract