5 Game-Changing Tips to Make Meal Prep Easier for Parents
ByElizabeth Massa
Published On
Photo by Ty Mecham
It’s back-to-school season (or, for new parents like me, the first go-around), and the question ‘What’s for dinner?’ quickly becomes a top concern. Luckily, we’re here to make your meal prep easier and more efficient with these tools.
Could meal prep become a regular thing? With these tips, you can meal prep with more ease and confidence.
Upgrade Your Kitchen Tools
Prioritize tools that help speed up the process and hold up over time. Invest in knives or chopping gadgets, cutting boards, and cutlery that are functional for everyday use.
A few editor-approved suggestions from the Food52 shop:
Take the hassle out of food storage thanks to lids that open and close with one click. Pop them in the oven, fridge, freezer, and dishwasher or microwave for a quick meal. Plus, glass is easier to clean and stains less than plastic. It’s more appealing to the eye when you are starving and open the refrigerator door, looking for a bite to eat.
Photo by Ty Mecham
Mepal’s microwavable nested food storage containers can be used to heat up and serve dinner, then store leftovers in the fridge or freezer. After you’re done, stick them in the dishwasher, then nest or stack them for compact storage.
A cutting board is needed for all of your meal prep. Food52 has a variety of options to choose from. From butcher block-style bamboo boards with smart juice grooves to dishwasher-safe prep surfaces, these cutting, carving, and serving boards are ready to get to work.
Meal Prep with Others
Call over a friend, serve a beverage and a snack, then start chopping for the week ahead. You could even consider meal swapping—batch a few large meals then swap with a neighbor instead of eating the same dinner every night. If your friend lives in another location, call them up and follow along with the same recipe over the phone.
Involve your child in the cooking process by having them mix ingredients safely or pretending to chop ingredients.
I’ve been to a cooking class with my son that was absolutely adorable, the children put on a chef outfit and hat and mixed pasta with wooden spoons. This can get messy quickly, so show your child how to do a simple part of your meal prep that doesn’t involve any pasta sauce or messy ingredients. Another idea is to encourage your young child to climb up on a stool and chop toy wooden vegetables with a child-safe wooden knife so they can mimic you chopping vegetables on a cutting board. The sense of accomplishment and pride they may feel after helping you will make any of the temporary mess worth it.
Find Recipe Inspiration
Luckily for you, Food52 is filled with recipe inspiration to help you in the kitchen. While you are chopping fruits and veggies to prepare for your child’s lunchbox, put on a video or recipe and get inspired!
A hack if you have littles in school (or not, this is useful for everyone) from @briboken on Instagram is, make mini muffins in a pan, freeze them, and when it’s time to pack some for your child’s snack or lunch, just pop them in a container in the morning and by the time they have snack or lunch it will be defrosted. She suggests the GoNanas mixes which you can find at Target, Thrive Market, Sprouts, and more.
Photo by @briboken
My personal favorite muffins to bake for my child are these spinach banana oat muffins. These muffins have all of the food groups, and my son absolutely adores them, and I love that he’s eating greens.
Photo by Elizabeth Massa
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Prep Ingredients in Advance
This isn’t a fun tip, but it will save you time later. Chop a bunch of vegetables and prep your protein and grains in advance. It’s always more stressful if you are last minute prepping right before your child is heading out the door for school.
Carve out some time on the weekend or weeknight to prepare food. This sounds like such a chore but it needs to be done to make your week smoother and less stressful.
Keep Your Child Busy & Entertained
If all else fails, in my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with a little screen time for your child while you prepare the food. Put on a low-stimulation show or supply your child with age-appropriate activities that will keep them busy while you cook.
Meal prep requires extra planning and patience (especially if you have young children), but it is so worth it during an especially busy week at school or work.