Hello World! Welcome Friends! If you’re a busy mom on the go, chances are you really don’t have much time to do a ton of meal prepping throughout the week. At the same time, you want to make sure that your family is eating healthy and nutritious meals. It’s not healthy to always rely on fast food to feed your family. Plus, if you’re going to get fast food every night for an entire family, those meals will add up. Save money and make sure that your family is eating well by implementing the following tips at home: Inexpensive Family Meal Prep.
1. Purchase lots of fresh fruit.
Bananas are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased every week. They go great on top of oatmeal and they taste amazing on their own. Try to also purchase seasonal fruit. If oranges are in abundance, buy a bag of oranges and other citrus fruits. Also, include fruit in other dishes. You can easily buy some nectarines and cut them up. Add them to sautéed kale for an unexpected burst of flavor.
2. Utilize frozen vegetables.
It’s not uncommon for many people to struggle with putting vegetables in the refrigerator only to forget about them. In an attempt to save money, it’s a better idea to wash your vegetables and put them straight in the freezer. In some cases, it’s better to purchase the frozen vegetables from the store because they’re at the peak of ripeness. Chopped onions are a great option for frozen purchasing because that’s one less step you’ll have to do when it’s time to cook. If you decide to purchase fresh spinach, put the spinach in different plastic bags. Whenever you’re ready to use them, you can pull out a bag and prepare it as needed. If you see that you won’t use them anytime soon, you can throw the bags into the freezer and save the spinach for another time.
3. Prepare soups and grains.
Take a close look at where to buy instant pot because when it’s time to prepare soups, meats and grains, you’ll want an easy device like instant pot to get it done. All you have to do is throw in the ingredients for the dish, turn on the pot and let it cook on its own. It also serves as a rice cooker and can prepare other grains like quinoa well. At the beginning of the week, you could prepare a few portions of quinoa, soup or another side dish and put the food in separate containers. Then, it’s easy to serve the food throughout the week.
4. Buy easy desserts.
If the members of your family have a sweet tooth, help them out by keeping a few desserts in the house. This will make them less likely to go out to fast food restaurants to satiate the craving. Consider buying a bucket of chocolate chip cookies and a bucket of ice cream. Serve the dessert after a scrumptious dinner.
5. Stock up on juices and sodas.
While it’s important to be mindful of the amount of soda and juice you consume due to the amount of sugar, it’s okay in light moderation. At one meal (preferably dinner), serve juice spiked with a little bit of soda for a delicious drink. To add some extra flavor, cut up some strawberries or peaches and throw them into a fruit punch drink.
6. Keep snacks readily available.
Whether it’s the weekend and your children want something extra to eat or your spouse is home from work and wants something to hold him over until it’s dinner time, keep snacks available for everyone. Purchase easy snacks that your family can enjoy at their leisure. Make sure the snacks are healthy options. Baby carrots, celery and hummus make a nutritious snack. Apples with peanut butter are another excellent option. If someone needs a salty and crunchy option, leave pretzels in a large container on the countertop.
7. Make large casseroles at once.
Casseroles have the potential to take the longest amount of time to prepare. Knowing this, it’s wise to spend an afternoon on the weekend preparing a few casseroles. If you make four casseroles in one afternoon, these casseroles can last you for an entire month. As long as you put them in the freezer, they’ll be fine. Consider making dishes like macaroni & cheese and lasagna. In some cases, these casseroles can serve as the main entree. In other cases, some casseroles will be great as side dishes. When you make a few large casseroles, you can easily pair them with a vegetable side item, a grain like rice or quinoa and a piece of lean meat.
Click the links below for any posts you may have missed!
Powder Room Update & Master Bedroom Paint
Decorating the Sunroom for Summer
5 Tips to Know Before Painting your House
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Amy says
I love using my pressure cooker. Thank you for sharing the inexpensive ideas for family meal prep on Wonderful Wednesday.
thededicatedhouse@gmail.com says
Thanks for stopping by, Amy! Have a great rest of the week.