Meal Prep Like a Momma

Simplify Your Eats

My husband and I have streamlined our meals recently and we will definitely not be going back to the way things were. It has become even more important to save energy where we can as new parents. Let me paint you a picture that you may recognize: I finally find the time to plan meals for the week so I sit down at the dining table with a piece of paper and... I have no idea where to begin. I open my phone and start searching for recipes. When I find one that catches my eye I think, "Will my husband eat that? Will that certain ingredient be at my grocery store? How long will this recipe actually take?"

I believe that you need certain processes in place before you can stop wasting food, money, and time. These processes are simple to start if you have not already.

Have a way to save recipes (this could be a recipe box with cards, a binder with printed recipes, an app on your phone like Yummly). I happen to use all three of these.
Have way to plan your meals for the week or month (this could be on paper, on a digital file on your phone/computer like an Excel spreadsheet or Word document, or on a dry erase or chalkboard surface). I like using this magnetic dry erase menu as it stays on my fridge and it's easy to see. I also just keep our weekly meals the same for the most part because this helps save time, money, and food. My weekly menu is pictured to the left. Feel free to use it as inspiration!
Have a list of foods your family loves and hates (this could be a mental list, but just make sure you know which foods are a no-go).
Know where you primarily shop for groceries and have backup stores in mind for when certain items are out of stock there.

My husband and I like to have a theme for every day, that way it's easy to remember and super simple for either of us to make dinner. Our themes are in the table below.

Our Favorite Recipes

Overnight Oats

PREP TIME: 10 mins CHILL TIME: 8 hrs

TOTAL TIME: 8 hours 5 mins SERVINGS: 1 serving

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup milk, dairy or dairy-free
1/4 cup Greek yogurt, or dairy-free yogurt
2 tbsp chocolate chips
2 tbsp sweetened coconut flakes
2 tbsp sliced almonds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon cocoa powder or instant coffee
fruit of your choice (optional)

Directions

Pour all ingredients except the optional fruit into a sealable jar and mix well with a spoon. I like to shake the jar once the lid is on tight.
Refrigerate for at least two hours, but optimally 8 hours or overnight.
Give it a stir, add optional toppings like fruit, and enjoy!

Greek Treat

PREP TIME: 15 mins SERVINGS: 5 servings

Ingredients

12 oz tortellini
10 oz grape tomatoes
3.5 oz Italian dry sliced salami
8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
0.75 oz fresh basil
5 oz balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

Cook the tortellini according to package directions.
Cut the tomatoes into halves.
Cut the salami into quarters.
Roughly chop the basil.
Add all the ingredients to 5 containers give or take.
Pour the balsamic vinaigrette into small cups on the side.
Seal the containers with lids and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

*If you want to be real fancy, you could put all the ingredients on skewers. In this case, keep the grape tomatoes whole, fold the salami slices into fourths instead of cutting them, use the fresh mozzarella that you have to cut yourself, and keep the basil leaves whole.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse