Food prepping does not have to be stressful or take up your entire Sunday. Find your own approach to make meal planning work for you, and say hello to a more organized way to feed your busy family. Here are a few tips to help you make easy weeknight dinners to save time and money, eat healthier, and reduce food waste.
5 Simple Steps
- Weekly Menu
- Inventory
- Make List
- Schedule Prep Time
- Team Effort
Create a Weekly Menu
First, make a menu for the week and keep it simple. Always include protein/seafood, vegetables, and a healthy starch like sweet potatoes. One helpful hint is to create meals that everyone in the family likes, whether it’s Taco Tuesday, Pizza Night, chicken nuggets, or something else. Tacos can be made with lettuce wraps, pizza crust with coconut flour, chicken nuggets with spinach & garlic. Also, ask yourself what’s in season and what’s on sale to be more efficient.
Take Inventory
Next, take inventory of what you already have because simply knowing what you have to work with will save you money. It can also spark some creativity when planning your next weekly menu. Keep it simple with staple items that can last, like lentils and frozen vegetables!
You’ll also want to make a list of what you need before you go shopping. Stock up on items you use frequently and include items that can be used in multiple recipes like carrots, celery, and garlic. Sort your list in order of how you will be moving through the store to save yourself time when shopping.
Schedule Prep Time
It’s important to carve out the time to prep your ingredients. Finding time in your busy schedule is the biggest challenge so pick a day and time that works best for you and your schedule and put it on your calendar. It doesn’t have to be Sunday–just choose a date and time that works best!
Make it a Team Effort
It’s also helpful to get everyone involved. In a commercial kitchen, we all have a job and responsibilities. For example, there is a cold and hot line chef, a saucier, a pastry chef, a dishwasher, etc. I say that to emphasize that not everything has to be done all on your own. Get the kids to wash produce or scoop meatballs–trust me when I say that’s an investment in time that will pay dividends in the future. There are things that kids can help with that don’t involve using sharp knives or peelers. You can also use simple hacks for easy clean up– parchment paper is your best friend because it keeps trays clean and it’s biodegradable.
More Healthy Tips from Kathy
My Go-To Kitchen Items:
- Crockpot
I use our crockpot about 3-4 times per week. - Sheet Pan
A sheet pan is perfect for organizing dinner ahead of time. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. Just pop it in the oven when you’re ready! - Freezer & VacSeal Machine
I love making something one time and then sealing and freezing leftovers like hamburgers, bacon, sauces, homemade healthy breads, brownies, and more! - Ready-to-Go Snacks
Some of my favorites are parmesan crisps and cut cucumber and carrots. If dinner is not ready but you’re super HANGRY then it helps to keep some healthy snacks ready. This way you can easily snack while you get dinner ready, and don’t blow it on something you’ll regret later. 😉
Then of course there is Kathy’s Table.. I love being able to grab a prepared meal or a chocolate peanut butter protein bar rather than unhealthy sweets when I’m on the go. We also offer a service called Product by the Pound which is super helpful for putting together quick meals at any time.
