Meal Prepping

Meal Prepping for Back to School Success

meal prepThe kids are going back to school, which means sports and clubs are back in session too. And that makes for some really crazy school days!

Meal prepping is my recipe to success when I know I’m going to have a busy week. If you plan ahead, it’s easy to execute a menu of healthy meals each. Here’s how to do it right.

  1. Identify four or five meals you want to prep for the week. Think about the proteins, vegetables and fiber-filled carbohydrates that you’ll include in each meal. Bonus points if you can use up food in your refrigerator or pantry as you plan out.
  2. Make a list of what you’ll need from the store. If you’re making beef tacos, try making hamburgers that week too. You can buy the beef in bulk and save money in the process!
  3. Go shopping! I love to shop at Costco for the bulk discounts and anything I won’t use in one week can go in the freezer for the following week. Plus, it’s a good place to stock up for the non-perishables your family needs on a regular basis.
  4. Once you’re stocked up, you can start prepping. I like to cook all the meat and chop all the veggies on the weekend, so it’s just a matter of assembling everything the day of. You can also prep large batches of pasta, rice and quinoa, all of which saves nicely in the refrigerator.
  5. If you’re prepping for school and from-home work lunches, make sure you have some containers on-hand to portion them out. I love these from Amazon! They’re BPA-free and microwave and dishwasher safe.

Once you’re all prepped, lunches and dinners are a cinch. The kids can grab what they want and it’s easy to cater to multiple palettes too. For example, if you roast a whole chicken, you can use it for chopped salads, quick burritos or even a stir-fry.

I am far from perfect when it comes to meal prepping. In fact, I tend to plan as the week wears on, rather than doing a bulk prep session on the weekends. But I’m learning that the more prep I do on Saturdays and Sundays, the less stressed I am and the healthier the whole family eats!

What are some of YOUR go-to meal prep tips? I’d love to learn!

xoxo - Lee

About Lee

I am a 44-year old married mom of 4. I love my family. If you’re a mom, then you know kids and a spouse keep you busy. It’s easy to forget yourself in the process of taking care of your family. My mission is to help other moms take care of themselves so they can be more available to their loved ones and lead more fulfilling lives.