Okay, let’s talk about meal prep and the weekday hustle – let me just paint two scenarios out for you:
Scenario 1: It’s Wednesday evening, you’re rushing home from work to make it in time for kids pick up. You make it home, open your fridge, and start scavenging through what looks like a barren wasteland, while your kids are whining for their dinner.
Scenario 2: You’re still rushing home to make it in time for kids pick up. But this time, you get home, you open your fridge and find the easy meal you prepped in advance, pop them in the microwave, then go get changed and ready for dinner.
I can honestly say I’ve been in BOTH scenarios multiple times. And whenever I’m in scenario 2, I whisper a sincere thank you to my organized self who decided to meal prep over the weekend. Because that’s what meal prep is all about for me: making my weekdays smooth. And guess what? It doesn’t take hours and hours. I have five tips for you that are going to make your meal prep easy!
Tip #1: Make a plan and know your eating habits
This means that you need to sit down and plan out what you’re going to cook, what groceries to purchase–it helps to pick out a couple recipes in advance to get inspired.
You need to keep a few things in mind when doing this, like: what will you realistically eat? Don’t over cook and end up wasting food. Check your schedule and factor in the nights where you’ll be eating out. Also consider your family’s preferences and the menu variety. Some people don’t mind eating the same thing everyday, but others like options.
Plan it out!
Tip #2: Invest in great quality containers
Your containers need to make you excited for meal prep! I absolutely love these clip it glass storage containers which come in a set of 12. The sizes are perfect for easy meal prep and snacks. Another great container is the divided glass storage container, which allows me to add in a side salad or snack.
Glass containers are very durable and safe for microwave and dishwasher use. You’ll have these for a while.
Tip #3: Maintain an organized kitchen
Nothing wastes time more than a messy kitchen. Make sure your cabinets are well organized and that everything is visible and exactly where you need it! I love organizing my dishware cabinet using the Space Logic Expandable kitchen shelf and the 2-tier corner shelf. They add so much more space and create a functional look.
For my condiments and spices cabinet, I make use of the of the pantry organizer turntable as well as the divided turntable for all my sauces. The best use of space in terms of spices is the stadium large spice rack which allows me to see all of them clearly.
Tip #4: Consider Batch Cooking
Nothing will bring you more calm and simplicity than batch cooking your meals for the week and storing them in large family style containers. This will allow you to mix and match and simply heat up your food for your family throughout the week.
You can even cook an extra large batch and freeze some for the following weeks! A great large container for batch cooking is the rectangular GlassLock container.
Tip #5 Cook Smart & Don’t Complicate it!
Many can get overwhelmed with meal prep, simply due to the volume of food you need to prepare. But keep it simple! For things like snacks and breakfast, it can be as simple as cutting up some fruits and vegetables to grab and go. For the actual meal prep session, try to use a variety of cooking appliances to speed up the process. This can look like roasting veggies in the oven, using your stove top, and also using a pressure cooker or slow cooker. Multitasking is key!
A great way to keep your weekday routine easy and on track is…
An organized fridge. For some pointers on how to get started, we found 5 Ways To Organize Your Fridge For Easy Family Meals & Snacks.
Our annual Organization Sale is on from January 13 – February 9, 2020
Stock up and save on everything you need to keep your fridge organized – and every room in your home!
