The Do’s and Don’ts of Meal Prepping for Busy Moms

This post is sponsored by Rubbermaid®; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

There isn’t enough time in the day for all the things us moms have to get done. Dishes, laundry, work, sports practices, kids’ homework, gym, errands, housework, and I could pretty much go on forever. If you’re anything like me, it seems as if every minute of every day is accounted for and I have almost no time to spare.  How do I survive the daily grind and still make sure I eat a nutritious meal? Thanks to TakeAlongs® Meal Prep Containers, I can easily prepare healthy meals ahead of time for the whole week. 

Setting aside a couple hours on the weekend to meal prep saves me SO MUCH TIME during the week. Not to mention money and stress! I don’t dream of going to bed Sunday evening without a good amount of food prepped for my family and my lunch ready to grab and go. I’ve been in the meal prepping business for many years now and I’d love to share with you my Do’s and Don’ts of Meal Prepping!

Do

• Do set aside 1-2 days a week to get your meal prepping done. I do Sunday’s before my work week starts and often again on Thursday’s to get me through the weekend.
• Do plan to go to the grocery store the day before you do all your cooking. Go into the grocery store with a purpose, aka, a grocery list, with all the items you need for what you’ll be preparing for the week.
• Do try new recipes to keep things fun. No one wants to eat the same thing every single week.
• Do use food prep containers that are stackable, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, and seal completely. You can purchase these awesome TakeAlongs® Meal Prep Containers at Walmart  that I use.

Don’t

• Don’t prepare food you don’t look forward to eating. If you’re not preparing food that is appealing to you, you won’t want to eat it. Gone are the days of chicken and broccoli. Prepare a variety of foods the whole family can enjoy. (Recipe ideas below!)
• Don’t prepare meals that won’t store well in the fridge for 3-5 days. No one likes to eat mushy or soggy food.  Avoid recipes that might end up this way.
• Don’t forget food quality.  Getting your veggies in each and every day should be a priority. After all, the whole purpose of prepping our own meals is to insure we’re getting a nutritious home cooked meal.

One of the biggest obstacles for those wanting to live a healthier lifestyle is the lack of preparation. Having meals stacked neatly in my fridge (TakeAlongs® Meal Prep Containers are light weight and stack so nicely!) makes it so easy to avoid making those impulse, unhealthy food choices. Spending a little extra time prepping today will not only set you up for success, but will also save you time tomorrow!

My Favorite Recipes to Meal Prep

Mexican Bowls (pictured) –BBQ chicken, lettuce, chopped veggies, beans, and a side of guacamole or dressing.

One Pot Skinny Mac & Cheese with a side of canned green beans.

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili with sweet potato chips.

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