Back to school and work can be a challenging transition for most working parents. First and foremost, we want to understand that perfection is not what we are looking for. This is why setting up a routine, in fact, figuring out your routine, is key. In other words, look at your work schedule and your kids’ activities schedule and let that be your guide when meal planning for the week. 

Meal planning and prepping is a skill and we start fresh every week but once you have figured out the key ingredients to creating your routine,  I promise, that it will be easy, well let’s just say, smoother sailing, than if you had to think up a last-minute meal every night of the week. That thought alone sends my stress hormones through the roof!

Think of meal planning and prepping as an act of self-care because ultimately you are supporting yourself while taking care of your family.

Do you want to learn how to save yourself time and energy and be reassured that you are feeding yourself and your family?

Here are 5 practical ideas to shift your mindset from “this is all going to be so much work” to ” let’s do this”:

#1 Planning for one week saves energy 

My formula: Time saved = Physical and mental energy saved = more energy for you

It is a proven method I have used over and over again, and when I skip my planning, we are talking frozen dinners and take-outs and stress producing last-minute dinners thrown together. Yikes!

#2 Prepping ahead of time 

This does not necessarily have to mean pre-cooking all of your meals and storing them in Tupperware neatly organized in your fridge as some of the meal-prepping gurus out there are suggesting. Again, throw away the perfection piece and rather look at single ingredients that you could chop up (think veggies) or pre-cook (think grains, such as quinoa or oats, or protein, such as chicken).

#3 Use meal prep services strategically

They are there to support you during transition times, such as back-to-school and heavy work schedule times, and can complement what you are already doing. Bonus: Lots of neat, new recipes.

#4 Get buy-in from the rest of your family. 

Co-create some meal-planning ideas with your family. Nothing is more frustrating than dedicating the time and energy to cook a meal when your family is just picking at the food.

#5 Do you want to give your kids some real-life skills – Divide and conquer!

Your kids will remember who sparked their love of cooking good and nutritious food.  Involve them in ingredient prepping and cooking with you bringing in a fun element of playing music while you cook together. Create a schedule where older kids make a dinner meal once a week.

Here are some “let’s roll up your sleeves” meal planning tips:

• Write down your meal plan once a week (I usually just plan out dinners & kids’ lunches only as my lunch is usually leftover dinner). I suggest switching between two different breakfasts and a couple of different high-protein snacks for the week.
• Brainstorm 15+ healthy dinner ideas with your family and rotate through this list to plan for your weekly dinners, adding in a new recipe twice a month for variety. 
• Post your dinner plan on the fridge. Tip: Keep in mind schedules and plan for an easier, quick recipe on a really busy night.

• Make a shopping list based on your meal plan and shop online to save time
• Keep a running inventory for staples on the fridge, ideally using a wipe-out board which will help you create your shopping list
• Use time-saving cooking equipment, such as a slow cooker, Instapot, air fryer, or make sheet pan meals or one-pot meals. I love it when the aroma of my slow-cooked meal fills my house during my workday.
• Make extra and freeze
• Multi-purpose a single ingredient, for example, use chicken breast in a stir-fry on Sunday in a wrap for lunch on Monday, and in a grain-based salad for lunch on Tuesday.
• Prep single ingredients ahead of time, such as pre-cooking rice or quinoa, chopping up onions, or washing and cutting up your cauliflower the night before for dinner the next day. Be your own meal prep service, so that all you have to do is cook instead of spending tons of time cleaning and chopping up ingredients.

Food is one of the spices of life, so don’t forget to spice up your food with fresh herbs – mint and parsley can do wonders in a salad – using recipes with cumin and chili or roasting veggies with fresh rosemary or thyme to create a wonderful aroma in your home.