7 Easy Tips to Meal Prep and Save Time During The Week

When I share with people my weekly meal plans or how I do my meal prep for the week one of the first, and most common responses is.... "I could never do what you do, I just don't have the time!"

But the thing is...investing in a couple hours on ONE day really frees up SO much time during the week!! So today I wanted to share with you some tips that I personally use to help cut down hours in the kitchen!!

1. Make a Weekly Meal Plan: We like to keep it pretty simple. I will either repeat meals and have left overs or I will choose dinners that have the same or similar ingredients so I can prep a lot together. This meal plan also takes all the guess work out of what I'm going to eat. I go right to the fridge and pull out the meal thats on the menu!

2. Keep your grocery list updated: So as I run out of things I put them on the list right away. That way I'm not wasting time before I shop wandering around the kitchen looking through the pantry and the fridge to find out what we need to buy. Shopping with a grocery list is also very helpful for avoiding those impulse buys at the grocery store. If its not on the list I DON'T buy it!

3. Meal Prep on Sunday or Monday: So for me Sunday works best because my husband is home to help with the kids. I like to order my groceries on Saturday and have them delivered Sunday morning. Then I get right to business. I have my meal plan and I list everything in the order it takes to cook it. So for example if I'm going to make brown rice that takes 50 minutes I will start that first, Next I'll put the chicken in the oven for 30-40 minutes, Throw some eggs on to boil, start some quinoa and begin browning the turkey. Once the turkey is done I have some time while everything else just "does its thing". So I will wash and chop my fruits and veggies. Peppers, cucumbers, steam some broccoli, slice my berries etc.  It usually takes about two hours from start to finish but it saves a TON of time each day and you use less dishes, yay!!!

4. Keep your family favorites stocked in the kitchen: Even with the best of intentions, some days just dont go as planned. Maybe what I had on the menu for dinner doesnt sound good tonight, or maybe something came up and we dont have enough time to make a certain meal. Thats OK!! Be flexible and get creative! My son loves bean burritos so I keep canned organic beans in the pantry for a quick bean and cheese burrito. Some of my other staples are tortillas, eggs, organic diced tomatoes, salsa, minute brown rice, whole grain pastas, organic pasta sauce, and frozen veggies. frozen veggies.

5. Double recipes and freeze for a busy week night: I love my crock pot!! I often will make a double batch of chili or chicken tortilla soup and freeze half for later. Those nights that are super busy or get off track you'll be so glad you have a nice hot, healthy meal waiting for you!!

6. Use convenience items: So as much as I'd like to make my own chicken broth and always hand chop my own produce, sometimes using items that have been pre-prepped makes that meal prep time go even faster. So consider using frozen veggies that are already chopped, organic chicken or veggie broth, minced garlic in the jar, shredded cheese, pre portioned bags of almonds, etc.

7. Easy clean up: So before I even start my meal prep I make sure that the trash bag and the dish washer are empty. Theres nothing worse than trying to balance egg shells on an over flowing garbage can or piling up the dishes in the sink when you need to get to the water! I use a "garbage bowl" when I'm chopping so I can just throw all the scraps away later and just keep moving. And as I'm done with a dish it goes right to the dishwasher. Easy peasy!!

So I hope that you have a better idea of what my meal prep looks like and how with a little organization and planning even the busiest mama's CAN meal plan and prep on the weekend to save several hours during the week to spend with their families!!

For more helpful tips and healthy recipes follow me on Pinterest and Facebook!!