Every busy mom has had this moment at some point in their lives – the fantasy that plays out in their head where the picture perfect world exists and all they have to do on a busy weekday night is to open the freezer, pull out a pre-packed meal, heat and eat.
This isn’t the perfect world, though and reality tends to be a LOT different. For the majority of us, the real world looks like unwashed dishes, hangry kids and half the ingredients for tonight’s dinner still sitting on shelves at the nearest supermarket. The stress truly is enough to warrant popping open a bottle before Wine O’Clock (which according to a recent survey is 6:59pm, by the way).
But there are options! You could:
- Hire a full-time live-in chef
- Order takeout every night.
- Learn how to Meal Prep.
Now before you throw in the proverbial towel and start looking through your options on UberEats, take a minute to read through this guide to make dinner time a whole lot easier for next time.
Let’s start with the basics… What is meal prep?
Meal prep is the process of preparing food ahead of time so that it’s readily available at mealtime and can be easily assembled to create full meals.
Meal prep differs from meal planning in that one requires making a decision about what meals will be served versus the other, that requires the actual preparation of ingredients for the meal. Either way, both processes are required steps in this guide.
What are the benefits?
For busy moms, it can be a real juggling act to get good, healthy food on the table. By planning your meals out and prepping them beforehand, you can help ease your ‘mental load’ while preparing more nourishing meals, freeing up more time and saving money in the process.
How to begin meal prepping
Let’s face it – efficient meal prepping can be overwhelming and won’t happen overnight. It’s a process that takes a lot of work but this is what I’ve found works for me:
1.Meal Plan
Use an app, a piece of paper or a printable template to outline what meals you want to prepare for the week.
Top tip: Don’t feel the need to have a different meal at every interval. Oats three times a week for breakfast is perfectly okay. In fact, it’s encouraged, seeing as oatmeal can be prepared and covered with a dish cover overnight until it is ready for serving the next day.
2.Go through your pantry / cupboards
Once you’ve laid out your meals, you may be tempted to hit the grocery store right away. PAUSE. First take a look at what you have in your kitchen. You might find that you already have all the items needed for a full meal. In that case, simply adjust your meal plan accordingly.
This also presents a perfect time to clean out your fridge 😉
3.Head to the grocery store
I highly recommend making use of a list here!
Ensure that you’ve listed down everything needed to create the meals on your meal plan and get to shopping.
Top tip: If possible, try to shop during off-peak hours to avoid long lines and hoards of humans.
4.Prep your storage containers
If you plan on meal prepping consistently, you’ll want to invest in reliable containers that are durable and easy to clean. I prefer glass to plastic.
You’ll also want to invest in some reusable homeware, such as cotton dish covers, in order to keep food protected as it cools and also keep condensation at bay. These dish covers come highly recommended.
Top tip: Pull these out shortly after grocery shopping to remind you to begin your meal prep as soon as possible.
- Chop veggies, prepare grains and prep your food for the week
Now it’s time to get into the real work! This can look different each week but the basic premise is to make sure that all the chopping, dicing and boiling is done.
Top tip:
- Don’t be reluctant to use frozen fruits and veggies as these can go a long way.
- Soak grains overnight and cover with a dish cover to allow for easy cooking the following day.
- Avoid preparing grains more than four days from the time you plan on serving them as they tend to degrade pretty quickly.
- If you are preparing potatoes ahead of time, plan to eat them within the first few days of cooking.
5.Bake, cool, store
If you are baking and roasting food, make sure that these items have cooled completely before putting them in the fridge. This is where dish covers really come in handy, as they allow food to cool without condensation and eliminate harmful toxins that may be absorbed into your food from plastic wrap.
6.Place your meal plan on the fridge and enjoy your week
Having a meal plan and food prepped can truly be life changing. And guess what? You won’t have to answer the question of what’s for dinner? anytime soon, because it’s posted on the fridge! Everyone wins!
Being a mom can mean a lot of things but being a magician when it comes to food doesn’t have to be one of them. By putting in the necessary effort and planning ahead, you can save time, money and be a lot less overwhelmed.
- The Basic Guide to Meal Prep for Busy Moms - March 18, 2022
Will really try this…. amazing
I think even a small effort like this could really go a long, smooth way! I’ll give it a try
I absolutely loved this article. Definitely going to try this in my day to day life!