Back to School season is here, and we know many moms struggle to get it all done, especially chores like meal planning. Houston Moms is here to help.
It’s that time of year again: the leaves are changing colors, the air is getting cooler, and the kids are getting ready to go back to school. Well, at least one of those things is true right now in Houston.
We live in Texas so it’s actually still 100 degrees and the height of hurricane season, but nevertheless, the beginning of a new school year is upon us.
This year is a little different for me personally as, after three years at MDO and Preschool, my oldest is starting Kindergarten!
As the school year draws near any parent with school-age children is well aware that afternoons and evenings can quickly become packed with sports and other extracurriculars.
So, with all of the traveling between school, work, and other activities, where does one find the time to make a healthy, satisfying meal for dinner and be consistent with meal planning? Hopefully I can help you with that.
Meal Planning: Game Plan
Everyone’s lives, schedules, abilities and desires are different, so I can only tell you what works for me. However, I’ve been meal planning and food prepping this way for several years for one main reason: it works.
Make a list: Starting usually on Wednesday or Thursday I compile my list of meals for the week. I like to get recipes from Pinterest because it’s a good place to save recipes that my family enjoys so I can easily find them. However, you can use cook books, other websites, or just go straight off the dome if you have some good recipes memorized!
For my family of four – Mom, Dad, five year old and two year old, I usually plan to make five dinners per week. This number is completely up to you. If you’re new to meal planning and food prepping, maybe you start smaller and work your way up to five. If you want to go for more than five, I love that for you!
Get organized: Once I have my meal plan and grocery list worked out, a crucial step is going through my pantry to check off things that I already have. For a long time I had a terrible habit of losing things in my disorganized pantry and ending up with three jars of peanut butter and six red onions that I just ended up throwing away. Organizing my pantry so I can easily check off which items I need has helped not only cut costs on groceries but cut back on food waste as well.
Get shopping: I do my grocery shopping online on the HEB app for curbside pick up. I love this option because it saves time and also because it saves money when I can’t go wandering around the aisles of the grocery store picking up things I don’t need!
With little exception I usually make dinners at home on Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Sunday are reserved for either leftovers or dining out.
Don’t forget about breakfast and lunch: For lunch we often eat leftovers. My kids are still pretty little so they don’t eat much, but if you have older kids or a bigger family you might consider doubling or even tripling your recipes to ensure leftovers for lunch.
I’m also a big fan of the freezer section at Trader Joe’s, and keep things like chicken fried rice on hand for a quick meal. Besides that, I usually prep a little extra chicken at the beginning of the week to make things like a quick salad or sandwich.
For breakfast, it’s usually something quick and easy like avocado toast, oatmeal, or a fried egg and toast with fruit. Be sure to include your favorite breakfast items on your grocery list as well!
Meal Planning: Execution
Now you’ve got your plan for what you’re going to make, but when are you supposed to find the time to make all of this food?
Food prep: Some people like to set aside a couple of hours on the weekend to chop veggies, cook meat and make sauces so that you can just throw everything together in the evening. If that works for you, great! For me, it hasn’t proven to be very sustainable.
Instead, I like to do a little bit at a time, whenever I have the time. I’ll chop some veggies while I’m making breakfast in the morning. I’ll throw some chicken in the oven while I make my kid’s lunches. I’ll whip up the sauce for tomorrow’s dinner while tonight’s dinner is in the oven.
Breaking up tasks over the course of the week makes the whole process more sustainable for me. You know as well as I do, it’s the little things that add up!
Recipe ideas: The most important thing is to choose recipes that are going to be quick and easy for you and your family’s abilities and desires. I love a sheet pan meal, where you can just throw everything on one sheet pan and toss it in the oven. This Hawaiian Chicken Sheet Pan Meal from Beauty & The Bench Press is one I make often because it’s quick, easy, healthy and delicious.
If you have the option, using a device like an instant pot or slow cooker can be a huge help. I love this instant pot recipe for BBQ Chicken Bowls from 40 aprons because you can prepare the rest of the ingredients while the chicken is cooking. Likewise, these Slow Cooker Meatballs from Paleo Running Momma can be thrown in the slow cooker in the morning and they’ll be ready to eat by dinner time. I personally love to pair them with a zucchini noodle, but any pasta or even rice would work.
Once the weather cools down a little bit and standing over the oven is no longer detrimental to your health and safety, a quick one pot meal can be an excellent option as well. This Harvest Chicken Hash from Grazed and Enthused is packed with veggies and flavor. It comes together so quickly, especially if you prep the ingredients ahead of time.
Whether you’ve got one kid or five, work in or out of the home, I hope that these meal planning tips prove helpful to get you back in to the swing of the school year with healthy and delicious ways to feed your family!
