If you are like millions of working parents, one of your biggest challenges regarding food is knowing what to make for dinner. Meal prepping can be a difficult task to tackle when juggling work and family life because it means having to prepare food in advance and then reheat that food at night (which often comes out tasting like nothing).
When we are pressed for time during the week, we often resort to eating cereal, sandwiches, or fast food. When this happens on a regular basis, our health begins to suffer. We are left feeling exhausted and cranky with no energy to give to our family at night when we get home.
So what can you do? Meal prepping saves you time during the week by ensuring that you have healthy meals to eat throughout the week. It also ensures that your family eats healthy food, which is extremely important for their own development and wellness.
There are many strategies to follow when it comes to meal prepping for working parents. Here are some tips to get you started:
Prepare Recipes That Can Be Reheated Easily
Remember, the point of meal prepping is so that you have healthy meals ready in the refrigerator when it’s time for dinner at night after work. This means that you will need to prepare recipes that can be easily reheated (because who wants to deal with subpar food after a long day at work?).
One great tip is to prepare recipes that do not rely on fresh meat, as beef and chicken can be hard to reheat. Instead, go for easy-to-reheat meals that don’t need any cooking before serving (such as bean salads).
Use a Slow Cooker for Healthy One-Pot Meal Prep
A slow cooker is one of the best tools to use when you are meal prepping. It allows you to make a large amount of food quickly, all while using very few ingredients (which means minimal prep time). You can even go on with your day while food cooks in the slow cooker. Plus, it doesn’t get easier than throwing some ingredients into a slow cooker and coming home to a cooked meal at night.
Use Glass Containers With Lids
When meal prepping, glass containers will help ensure that your food is properly stored for the week (and not wasted). These glass containers can store everything from liquid soups to salads to main dishes. They are versatile, reusable, and easy to clean.
If you plan on buying some new glass containers, be sure to get some with lids, as it will help them seal tightly so that the food does not spill out during transportation or when stored in the fridge or freezer. A great tip for transporting your meal-prepped food is to use a cooler that you can place all your containers in.
So there you have it: some easy and effective meal prepping tips for working parents! We hope these strategies help make dinner easier and healthier for your family.