Hate preparing food

iWaffle

Timshel_

I have a very busy life as well. What I like to do is take a weekend day and steal an hour or two then to prep meals. I will grill up chicken breasts and freeze them. Make a large salad I can just grab some of each morning. I will make my grits for the week. ETC.

That way I can cook for everyone as usually during the week and I already have my stuff mostly ready.

skinnyforhi

I guess my issue is not even the prepping it's that I love food and want it to be exciting and pre- planing is not exciting and neither is the same lunch day after day or week after week.

Hmmm--this might be too simple, but could you compile a bunch of mouthwatering recipes that you want to try so you have a central resource to pull from when you're planning for the week?

groundhawg

http://onceamonthmom.com/

This website saved me. I dont have kids, but my husband is a farmer those can be 14 hour days, life is always crazy and weather dependent, and I have a fulltime job too.

I was already trying to practice making in bulk and freezing my food but then I found this website. Its 8.00$ a month and TOTALLY worth it.

Choose your style of food, and it makes your grocery list for you, plans almost a month of meals, and then gives you step by step instructions (and I mean, step by step, it even tells you when to reuse pans to minimalize dishes).

After one day (about 5 hours of prep, so send the kids to a movie), you have enough food for an entire month. You even print out labels that have reheating instructions n them. Its so genius and someone else did the work... well...except for the prep work. But its totally worth it, and really saved me a ton of time dyuring my month.

Also I'm a total foodie. I LOVE FOOD. I mean, I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE FOOD. its the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have YET to have a bad recipe on this site. They are all pretty tasty.

thisismeraw

If you don't want to make your own lunch why not make extra dinner and take that for your lunch? Just pack up a serving once dinner is cooked and than what's left everyone can eat. Or, make two or three extra servings at dinner.. pack up each serving and pop in the freezer. That way you can just grab what you want in the morning for your lunch.

adopt321

Depending on the ages of your kids, ask them to pack or at least partially pack their own food. My kids would love this!

briabner

Simplify breakfast like oatmeal, fruit and yogurt, milk and cereal. Make your kids pack their own lunches and or start showing them how to pack their own lunches if they are not old enough. Look up crock pot meals so that you can just dump everything in the crockpot and dinner will be hot and heady to eat when you get home. Then all you have to do is worry about packing you and your husbands lunch. I also pack my lunch before I go to bed. You may want to consider doing this too.

Akimajuktuq

I do what ever I need to do for the sake of my family's health, and that includes looking after my own health. I am a single mom and I even make condiments from scratch. Yeah it sucks a bit to spend all my weekends making food for the week, but to me, it's worth it. I like how I feel knowing that I am serving and eating healthy food.

When I want a minimum of prep, I just eat steak or pork chops and salads. Leftovers go in small dishes to be transported to school and work. It can be as hard or easy as you choose.

nvpixie

I'm the same as you. My kids are 8 and 4. I taught my daughter to make pancakes (for dinner) last night. My goal is to teach her how to make several things so when I want a break, she can do it. It's going to take some practice for her and patience on my part, but eventually she'll get it. LOL

Sometimes I just make myself the same thing I make my kids for lunch or at least make a point to prepare my lunch while I do theirs. I'm less likely to procrastinate.

I also prepare a big salad at the beginning of the week so I can just go in and get some whenever I want it. It stores well in a storage bag or bowl with a few paper towels in there for a few days. The paper towels help to absorb the moisture so the lettuce doesn't get all soggy.

When I'm having a rough day and don't feel like preparing a huge dinner, I always go for spaghetti (about once a week). It's easy and we all like it.

A little effort at the beginning of the week helps a lot. Throwing a few chicken breasts on the grill is a lot easier if they're defrosted and/or marinated beforehand.

myfrogs11

My issue is I don't have or make enough time in the mornings to make my lunch. So when I'm cleaning up dinner I always pack a whole meal of leftovers in a separate container, then in the morning I just grab it. Otherwise I'd be in the same boat, no time in the morning to put anything together, and then go spend tons of money and calories on other options.

3sak

Often, I made extra for dinner, then package it up for my lunch the next day.

SquishyLove

I purchase single servings all ready to go of salads. You can change up what you put in them. I also purchase small disposable containers which I prepackage with food for the family, I can just garb them and go. It helps with portion control.

bcattoes

any suggestions other than just "suck it up"?

If you are making dinner anyway, just make a little extra. Leftovers for lunch is the easiest!

jody664

Not sure how old your kids are, but beginning when my sister and I were in about 2-3 grade, my mom made us responsible for packing our own lunch the night before. We were also responsible for making our own breakfast. At that age, we could make toast and pour milk on cereal and any requisite clean-up that needed to happen. We could spread peanut butter and jelly on bread and throw some carrots in a baggie. My dad was also on his own. Her philosophy was that she worked 60+ hours some weeks and was making a sacrifice to fix dinner every night. We could learn to be responsible for ourselves. It only took a few times of forgetting to pack lunch the night before and being forced to eat a yucky school lunch (Salsbury steak and peas?? Ick!) for me to remember to pack my lunch every night.

ahmadfahmy

I am a mom and wife. I make breakfast for everyone in the morning (or at least over see the process). I make lunch for 2 of my kids, and sometimes my husband. I make dinner every night for everyone.

I dont want to make my OWN lunch. I want a break. I end up spending lots of money eating out and I usually make good decision but every so often I slip up.

any suggestions other than just "suck it up"?

make all your meals for the week on a saturday or sunday so all you have to do is heat it up later on.

M00NPYE

OP I understand... I have this same problem. I've made it the night before but most of the time I walk out that morning with my hands full of keys, kids, phone, purse, shoes...CHECK! I usually forget my dang lunch :frown: I have gone to the grocery store say on a Monday and just bought my lunch for the week and brought it to work since I do have a refrigerator and my own office to store things, but it seems like I spend a lot of money doing that and it's a hassle. It seems easier to just get a grilled chicken sandwich from somewhere in town. :embarassed: