The Busy Person's Guide to Realistic Meal Planning and Prep

Let's face it--we're roughly two weeks away from Labor Day. Schedules will fill up again, and routines will change in September. With children back in school and the start of a new month, you might feel as if it is time to re-commit to a healthy eating pattern, or to find ways to eat more sustainably. No matter what your "food goal" is, I think many people would agree that meal planning helps save money, because we will be less inclined to make impulse purchases. Prepping our meals in advance will diminish food waste (because we're not letting it sit until it rots) and make our weekday routines a bit easier (because we're getting a lot of work out of the way).

However, are your weekends just as busy as the week days? Do you really feel like spending your weekend shopping and cooking? Perhaps you do, or perhaps you don't; only you can answer that question. For myself, I can feel really ambitious about meal prep in the grocery store, only to come home and feel much more ambivalent. If you're at all like me and find yourself less than enthusiastic about slicing, chopping, and shredding--here are some tips to realistically meal plan and prep, without putting yourself on the hook for hours of "kitchen patrol."

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Meal Planning

• Consider your feelings about leftovers. Do you enjoy eating the same meal a few times in a week? Do you like to change up those leftovers, turning Monday's chili into Tuesday's Sloppy Joes? Maybe you hate leftovers or, if you're feeding a family, you might not necessarily have leftovers. These are all things to consider, as they will impact how much and what you buy. Nothing's worse than being ready to turn those leftovers into a spectacular second meal, only to find you don't have a key ingredient of that second meal on hand.
• Take your schedule into account. If you know that meal prep time is limited, or that your family won't be eating together because of everyone's individual schedules, it might be time to consider those "easier" options--rotisserie chicken, salad, and bread; tapas, charcuterie, or "girl dinner" (an online buzzword this summer) of olives, cheese, fruit, crackers, dips, and deli meats of your choice. Be honest with yourself. If it is going to be more cost effective to purchase pre-cut vegetables, or frozen vegetables, do it.
• Where, when, and how much variety do you need? I tend to crave variety in my meals; I'm not the person who enjoys eating the same thing every day. This is especially true of dinner, less so for lunch and breakfast. Let whatever is true for you guide your shopping.

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Meal Prep

• Make your gadgets work for you. Food processors, Instant Pots, and slow-cookers can cut your in-kitchen prep time by a lot! Putting them to work for you is a real advantage.
• Divvy it up (or not). When cooking a large amount of something, consider how you're going to store it. Pre-portioned into individual meals? This means dividing your main and your side dishes into individual portions, and you will need appropriately-sized containers for those meals. Leaving it in a larger batch? This gives you and your family flexibility on how the ingredients will be used.
• Winner, winner, sheet pan dinner. If you're planning on cooking during the week (after you've prepped those ingredients in advance), the sheet pan may be the way to go. Be sure to follow the recipe instructions, so that no part of your meal is over-or under-cooked.
• Soups and stews can be healthful comfort-food options. Broth-based soups and stews can be chock full of vegetables, fiber, and lean proteins. These one-pot meals also tend to be no-fuss, no-muss. Add a salad and bread, if you like, to round things out.

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To me, one of the most important things about meal planning and meal prep is to let yourself off the hook. You needn't be a gourmet to prepare a reasonably healthy meal for yourself or your family. If one night out of the week needs to be pita bread, hummus, and salad--you're good. The whole point of planning and prepping is to cut-down on stress, not give yourself something else to stress about!

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Recently, I was in a client's home and saw their magnetic meal plan board attached to the refrigerator. It had an abbreviation which I had not seen before, but I chuckled to myself when I figured it out. OYO--On your own. If everyone in your household is of an age where they can safely prepare their own meals, don't underestimate that option, LOL!

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In closing, if you find meal planning and prep a real grind (no pun intended), call ChoreVoyant. I'm happy to grab those groceries for you, put away what isn't being prepped, and to start slicing and chopping; all you have to do is decide on your recipe and get cooking! Let's have a conversation about what you like to eat, how you like to stock your home, your schedule, and your cooking preferences. Give me a call at (201)707-5813 or click here to schedule that conversation.

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Hungry for more meal prep ideas? Check out this previous blog!