How Busy Moms Can Make Meal Preparation Incredibly Easy
Even the smallest chores may seem like challenges for busy moms. Imagine starting the morning with a workload of dirty dishes and an endless to-do list amid the hurry to reach work. Meal preparation becomes the most daunting part of your daily routine. Even if you manage to pack everyone’s lunch, preparing dinner after a long day at work can be a struggle. The best you can do is take steps to make meal preparation easy. Here are some tips that actually work and cut the pain and effort for this everyday task.
Plan ahead for the next day
Deciding the meal is harder than preparing it, and it can stress you out. The worst part is finding a consensus when every family member has a different taste and demands. You can ease the stress by planning daily meals a day before. Even better, you can create a weekly menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every weekend. Involve everyone in the family and stock up your pantry to reduce last-minute hassles.
Do the prep ahead of time
Another trick that works well for busy mommies is to do the prep work ahead of time. You can cut and chop veggies and fruits on the weekends. Pack them in boxes and refrigerate them to keep them fresh and available at all times. Try half-cooking curries and sauces as they make working in the kitchen a breeze. You will end up saving hours of cooking time every week with this simple measure.
Stock up on frozen foods
It is easy to fall short of expectations when you have a hundred things to manage at work and home. When such fails happen, packaged frozen foods can come to your rescue. You can find restaurant-quality products that taste great, offer high nutritional value, and are easy to prepare. Having them at hand means you can pamper your kids with the most delicious means just when they want, no matter how busy you are.
Try batch cooking
Batch cooking is a great option if you are seriously short on time. You can prepare the family favorites in larger batches on the weekends and stash them in your freezer. It means you have something at hand even when running late for the office or having last-minute meetings at work. Your partner or kids can heat the batch meal and feed themselves even when you are away.
Clean as you go
Cleaning is another high-stress job for busy moms as it can take painfully long to do the dishes and wipe the spills after preparing the meals. Just cleaning as you go is an excellent way to eliminate stress. You can fill a sink with soapy water and drop the dishes in it while cooking. Scrub them while you let the curry simmer or have the pizza baking in the oven. This way, you will not be overwhelmed by dishes building up on the counter.
As a super-busy mom, you need not worry about endless meal prep struggles. Just follow these tips to make life in the kitchen easy and stress-free.
4 Comments
Jordan Binkerd
Good information! I need to try to be better about this….
Brittany Gilley
I love using frozen meals from Trader Joe’s as a base for meal prep
mcushing7
I am goi g to have to check them out…. its been a while since I have been to Trader Joe’s 😉
megan allen
These are some great ideas! I am one of those busy moms that could benefit from this! Thanks for sharing!