What on earth are “mom hacks?” Mom hacks are little tidbits of information we moms thrive on just make it through the day. In this series of posts, I’ll divulge my greatest secrets to help you save time, save money or just save your sanity! Just know when you see a Mom Hacks post, you’re life is about to get a little easier!
Today’s topic: Meal Prepping
Meal prepping seems to be all the rage right now, and for good reason! Not only does it save precious time and money, but it’s often a much healthier alternative for you and your family. I mean, think about it. When you’re tired and don’t have time to make anything for dinner, what’s you’re go-to meal? Fast food? Take out? Throw a few soccer games into the mix and a few more ballet lessons and you’re family is stuck eating processed garbage 50% of the time. Meal prepping can change all that.
I love to meal prep! Although it does take a little effort and planning up front, it is so rewarding when you come home from a long day and you don’t have to make dinner, or you can just put a few things together and it’s done! The best part about meal prepping is that you can make what you want it to be, and it doesn’t have to be as complicated as some people make it. I’ll explain by breaking it down.
Cook Ahead and Heat It Up Later
This is probably the most common form of meal prepping and many recipes you’ll find on Pinterest and other websites use this method. The idea is that you take a few hours on the weekend to cook the bulk of your food ahead and put it in containers that you can heat up and eat later. Some recipes call for cooking all of your meal components, ie. meat, grains, veggies, etc., separately and putting a little of each of them in a container to make a whole meal. This works really well for lunches you take to work or school because the whole meal is in one container and you can simply heat it up and devour!
I also use this when I make breakfast burritos for my husband. I cook a dozen eggs, a pound of turkey sausage, 2 medium diced potatoes, and mix the contents together in a big pan. Then, just take one burrito wrap at a time and put a couple spoonfuls of the mixture, a little shredded cheese and a sprinkle of hot sauce (that’s how my husband likes it) and fold the burrito, wrap it in a paper towel and some parchment paper or plastic wrap. Put them in the freezer and all he has to do on his busy work mornings is grab one out of the freezer and put it in the microwave for two minutes while he’s getting ready and it’s ready to eat on his morning commute.
Another way to cook ahead is to put everything in one container, cook it together and divide it up afterwards. There are a lot of really popular sheet pan recipes right now that use this method by lining up meat and different kinds of vegetables in what look like stripes on a cookie sheet and packaging them in separate containers over rice or quinoa.
Sometimes this method doesn’t work for say, picky husbands or kids that don’t want to eat the same thing every day. In that case, you can make a few different family-sized meals and divide the portions up into different containers. Then, you essentially have a week’s worth of leftovers to eat for lunch, etc.
Simply Prep and Cook It Later
This is a slightly different method of meal prepping that doesn’t take a lot of time up front, but does require a little more energy at meal time. Basically, you wash, cut, season and otherwise prepare what you’re making for your meal ahead of time and then when you are getting ready to eat, all you have to do is cook it. I use this a lot when we have sweet potato fries. I will wash and cut the sweet potatoes and put them in a gallon-sized freezer bag with olive oil and salt, pepper, and garlic powder and put it in the fridge. Then, when I get home, all I have to do is turn the oven on, spread the fries on a baking sheet with foil and bake them. This works really well for things that don’t stay well for a long time after cooking, like our sweet potato fries that would be soggy if we cooked them ahead.
This also works really well for meats. Seasoning and marinading them ahead of time makes them taste better and more moist. Just use the same casserole dish you’ll be cooking it in to save on dishes. Gotta love that!
Let Your Dinner Cook Without You
Get ready to make your crockpot your best friend! I love this method because it usually only requires a little prep and you can have a fully cooked meal waiting for you when you get home. It works best with chilis, soups, stews, and other meals that can stand to cook longer than most meals. And don’t be afraid to get creative! There are a ton of recipes now for anything from casseroles, to pasta dishes, to layered dips to dessert! Don’t limit yourself and give them all a try!
Make your clean up even easier with crockpot liners. They’ll keep your crockpot from getting messy and keep you from having to do many dishes.
Repackage and Ready to Go
This is the easiest form of meal prepping and I use it a lot when it comes to breakfasts and lunches. For example, buy a bunch of grapes and separate them into single portions and put them in sandwich bags. Or, buy hummus and put a few spoonfuls into small containers and cut carrots and celery into sticks in sandwich bags. That way, you can just grab and go in the morning. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but trust me, it can save a ton of time when you really don’t have a spare moment.
For all those sandwich lovers out there, you can also meal prep those as well. My husband hates soggy bread and I’m not a big fan of making getting all the sandwich fillings out every morning just to make one sandwich. So instead, I make 5 sandwiches at once and put the condiments between the meats and cheeses so the bread stays good all week.
So there you have it! Meal prepping in all it’s finest forms. I know taking a few hours on the weekend when you’re busy and tired or just want to relax for once may not seem appealing to everyone, but take it from me, it’s sooo worth it when you have more time during the week when you’re on the go. Let me know if you have any other meal prepping ideas. I’d love to hear from ya!