Busy Moms: What's your favorite meal prep strategy?

TheresaLisaJulieJean
TheresaLisaJulieJean Posts: 44 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have two children (5y/10m) and I find that weighing and measuring everything for every meal, then logging it on here is like a dull time job, so I'm looking to save some time. What are your favorite meal prep blogs/strategies? I'm looking for things that can be prepared ahead or prepared in 30 minutes or less, with little to none added fat,sugar, & sodium. Thank you in advance.

Replies

  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    8yo 6yo 8mo old. I just try to make sure everyone goes to bed full. Lol. I tried structure and planning and scheduling but it just stressed me out. Things would happen and we wouldn't eat what was made or I'd forget. I plan my groceries for the week and my meals at work and I often eat differently than them for dinner. Dinner is my smallest meal and their biggest. Plus they are picky. Parents of unpicky eaters you're blessed! Lol.

    I'm interested in a pressure cooker though. Wonder if anyone has praise for them? Sunday meal prep for the week worked ok for some things but not whole family dinners and I don't have time to cook nightly. I'm following*.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    edited February 2016
    I cook entire dishes on weekends: all different varieties of soup, chili, curry, stuffed peppers, stew, casseroles, meatballs, nuggets, burritos, meatloaves, (form raw burgers) etc and freeze them in individual portions or flash freeze to transfer to a freezer bag. On each container, I label the date and calorie count. I've done it for almost 8 years, so in the morning I can grab and go and my family always has a healthy option to warm up in minutes.

    I also make things like sauces - marinara, veggie/cheese, sofrito, bolognese, enchilada, bbq, and so on and freeze them in mason jars.

    Lastly, I make sure to have some idea of breakfast. If that means one frittata or egg muffins that I can heat and eat all week or just having a dozen hard boiled eggs on hand, so be it. I pre-log my days.

    I have a pressure cooker and it's fantastic.
  • lindsayh87
    lindsayh87 Posts: 167 Member
    edited February 2016
    Meal planning helps a ton. We make a list of the 7 dinners we are going to make for the week & shop for the ingredients we need. For breakfast I often make a batch of crock pot steel cut oats and then store extras in the fridge for the week, just add a little milk & warm it back up in the microwave & it's done. For lunch & quick stuff we just pre portion chicken into 2-4oz sections & bake a bunch at a time. If chicken is on sale we will buy a lot to bake & freeze it. Perfect for salads, sandwiches or just to eat with a side. Also cut & wash all our fruits & veggies so they're ready to go.

    The crock pot is the bomb though. We make a lot with that :)
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    crock pot
  • fattymcrunnerpants
    fattymcrunnerpants Posts: 311 Member
    Plan what I want for the week, go to the grocery store and buy all the ingredients. Then hand it over to my husband to do the grunt work :p
  • KellieTru
    KellieTru Posts: 285 Member
    MommyMeggo wrote: »
    8yo 6yo 8mo old. I just try to make sure everyone goes to bed full. Lol. I tried structure and planning and scheduling but it just stressed me out. Things would happen and we wouldn't eat what was made or I'd forget. I plan my groceries for the week and my meals at work and I often eat differently than them for dinner. Dinner is my smallest meal and their biggest. Plus they are picky. Parents of unpicky eaters you're blessed! Lol.

    I'm interested in a pressure cooker though. Wonder if anyone has praise for them? Sunday meal prep for the week worked ok for some things but not whole family dinners and I don't have time to cook nightly. I'm following*.

    Pressure cookers are awesome!! I don't use my slow cooker as much any more.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    KellieTru wrote: »
    MommyMeggo wrote: »
    8yo 6yo 8mo old. I just try to make sure everyone goes to bed full. Lol. I tried structure and planning and scheduling but it just stressed me out. Things would happen and we wouldn't eat what was made or I'd forget. I plan my groceries for the week and my meals at work and I often eat differently than them for dinner. Dinner is my smallest meal and their biggest. Plus they are picky. Parents of unpicky eaters you're blessed! Lol.

    I'm interested in a pressure cooker though. Wonder if anyone has praise for them? Sunday meal prep for the week worked ok for some things but not whole family dinners and I don't have time to cook nightly. I'm following*.

    Pressure cookers are awesome!! I don't use my slow cooker as much any more.

    I'm gone over 12 hrs a day so a lot of what my kiddos would eat (cough *chicken*) doesn't really fair well in the crock all that time. Id love a dump, cook serve so I'm looking into a pressure cooker. That time frame I can handle.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    Dump meals are my friend. Then i take the leftovers, split them into weighed portions, label and freeze. I usually have 20-30 frozen preportioned meals ready for lunch this way. I only have to weigh at dinner and snacks then too.
  • TheresaLisaJulieJean
    TheresaLisaJulieJean Posts: 44 Member
    lindsayh87 wrote: »
    Meal planning helps a ton. We make a list of the 7 dinners we are going to make for the week & shop for the ingredients we need. For breakfast I often make a batch of crock pot steel cut oats and then store extras in the fridge for the week, just add a little milk & warm it back up in the microwave & it's done. For lunch & quick stuff we just pre portion chicken into 2-4oz sections & bake a bunch at a time. If chicken is on sale we will buy a lot to bake & freeze it. Perfect for salads, sandwiches or just to eat with a side. Also cut & wash all our fruits & veggies so they're ready to go.

    The crock pot is the bomb though. We make a lot with that :)

    Can you elaborate on what you make with your crockpot? Everything I find is shredded chicken in different flavors lol
  • TheresaLisaJulieJean
    TheresaLisaJulieJean Posts: 44 Member
    mkakids wrote: »
    Dump meals are my friend. Then i take the leftovers, split them into weighed portions, label and freeze. I usually have 20-30 frozen preportioned meals ready for lunch this way. I only have to weigh at dinner and snacks then too.

    Where have you found some healthy recipes for these "dump meals"? I've never heard of that term before...

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