Weekdays can be so packed and busy; work, kids’ activities, social events. We all struggle with it; lack of time. Especially when you have kids. After a long day at work, you pick up your kids, come home and then it hits you: “I need dinner on the table, like right now!’. ‘Not take-out again!’ you think. ‘I want something healthy but quick, something that everyone in my family will enjoy’. Meal planning will help you with this. I know, it doesn’t sound sexy. But it will make your life so much easier. Plan your weekday meals in the weekend and buy whatever you can ahead of time.
I actually really like to plan my meals ahead of time. It clears up space in my head; one thing less to think about. I also love to make big batches of things (tomato sauce for example); use a bit the day you make it, store some in the refrigerator for in a couple of days and freeze the rest in family size containers for later. Once the works, three times (or more) the joy! Ready to get started!?
In ‘How to get dinner on the table quickly‘, I have mentioned a few helpful tips already. Here is the complete list of things that will help you with family friendly meal planning:
Don’t start from scratch when you just began meal planning
Start with your go-to meals. Make a list of your favorite easy to prepare meals as a starting point. Add recipes as you go along.
Make a weekday meal plan list
Like I said, start with your go-to meals. The ones that you all enjoy and are easy to make. Now once a week sit down (doesn’t have to be long; let’s say 10 minutes) and search for recipes that you can add to your meal planning list. Get inspired! Also, over time, go over your list and take off what hasn’t worked out. You can do it as simple as search for recipes on Instagram and archive them by clicking on the bookmark symbol (you can actually categorize them when you do it this way!). Now you have a portable recipe list. And/or you can do the same on Pinterest.
Have kitchen essentials handy
Stock up on kitchen staples that you use often; (brown) rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, beans, chickpeas, tomato paste and so on. This makes meal planning a lot easier.
Check your fridge
Before you make your meal plan for the week, check what you still have in the fridge (and freezer). Incorporate this in your meals; #zerowaste
Get organized!
Like I mentioned above, check your fridge before you make your meal plan for the week. Now make a plan. What are you making each day? Write it down and plan what you can make in the weekend ahead of time so that during the week you have to spend less time in the kitchen. And make grocery lists. Yes, LISTS! When I meal plan, I make a grocery list for the things I can buy ahead of time and everything I need for weekend prepping. Apart from that, I make weekday lists; things I can only buy on the day itself (certain veggies for example).
Tip: call your lists ‘General’, ‘Monday’, ‘Tuesday’ etc and stick them on your fridge.
Make large batches
Making more of a dish at the same time doesn’t make you spend (much) more time in the kitchen. It’ll save you time, because you will have (an) extra meal(s) in your freezer which you only have to heat up. So make a large batch and use containers that are exactly ‘your family’s size’; just enough for all of you for 1 meal. Divide what you’ve made over these containers and freeze them. This can be an entire meal (lasagna for example) or it can be a time consuming part of it (for instance your own homemade oven roasted tomato sauce) so you only have to cook pasta on the night of the planned meal. I usually do this in the weekend so you spend less time in the kitchen on weekdays.
Keep it simple
When you are planning your meals keep it simple; don’t plan an entire different dish for every day. You will be making so many batches of different foods on the weekend you will go mad. It’s ok to have leftovers the next day (or even better two days later so you are not eating the same meal 2 days in a row). And do what I call ‘chameleon meals’. One dish converts into another the next day. Let me explain: for example you make a large batch of oven roasted tomato sauce. Large enough for one night of pasta with meat(less) balls in that tomato sauce and another night of soup made out of the leftover sauce. If you make a large enough batch of (meat)balls (from beans from scratch) you can then use the left over balls in a burrito bowl another night. Make tortilla soup with the left over beans from scratch and TA-DA! you have planned 5 meals*!
Let your kids help you out
Even though it seems to take longer when they help you, it will keep them occupied (so less chance of a meltdown right before dinner). Give them an easy job; one that you don’t have to supervise. This might take a while, but once there is a routine they will start asking you if they may help. Trust me, it happened to me. Depending on their age (mine are 6 and 8) they will understand that when they help out dinner will be on the table faster. Also by making them help out in the kitchen, they are more likely to eat their (self prepared) dinner. In this post you can read all about why you should have your kids help out in the kitchen.
Consistent meal planning makes for a happy family! I hope these tips will help you get going. Trust me, you will be successful. Meal planning will put a smile on your face as well!
Let me know how you do. Have my tips been useful? Are you still struggling with it? Leave a comment and I will answer your question. Tag pictures of your weekday meals @familicious.kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #familicious.kitchen. Sharing is caring!
We are serious about healthy meal planning! It really makes life easier. Give it a go. Get started and make your own meal planning recipe list. For more inspiration, we are mentioned together with 29 other meal planning food blogs on: https://blog.feedspot.com/meal_planning_blogs/ Need help? We can help you out to get you started and create personalized meal plans for you. Just leave a message below! Or start with these 10 favorite family weekday meals which are all easily planned ahead of time!
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