Meal Planning Tips for Busy Moms
As modern-day moms, we are superwomen! We do what it takes to manage a household, provide a safe and supportive environment for our kids, build a strong relationship with our spouse, and smash it at work. When it comes to our fitness, we want to achieve our healthy eating goals while serving our family fun and creative meals. And you can with my meal planning tips for busy moms.
Some days it can all get a little overwhelming. I understand your struggle, trust me! Not everyone can be this superwoman who can juggle a job, gym sessions, weekly trips to the grocery store and even whip up a meal everyone loves in minutes.
We all need a little help now and then. Especially when it comes to putting meals together, a task that's no easy feat. That's why you need meal planning in your life.
Today I’m sharing with you 5 simple meal planning tips for busy moms. These ideas will help you plan healthy meals for your family, all without breaking a sweat. Well, maybe just a few drops.
Let’s get started!
It's easy to get stuck in a rut, making the same meals repeatedly. One of the best ways to make meal planning more fun is to explore other healthy meal recipes.
With nearly everything on the internet these days, you don’t even need to kick it old school and purchase a cookbook. You can explore healthy meal plans on different food sites like the Food Network, My Recipes, or Food.com.
I also have a selection of delicious and healthy recipes that are quick and easy to make on my Real Life Outlaw Blog.
But don't wait until it's time to cook to start looking. And don't hit the grocery shopping before you start thinking of meal ideas. Planning helps you to have a handle on everything so that you don't have to make rushed decisions when meal prep time comes.
So, go ahead and spend 20 minutes surfing your favorite food site or my recipes and pick one or two new recipes to try.
Bonus Tip!
Use a meal planning app or website. My favorite is Better Meal Plans!
This might seem like basic advice, but it’s probably the most important tip on this list. Once you have decided on which recipes you want to try out, make a list of the ingredients that you will need.
Making a list will ensure that you don't leave anything out and that you have everything you need when it’s time to make a meal.
It's understandable how suddenly having all these options might be so exciting that you want to go overboard. But don't do it!
You already have limited time, and the entire purpose of meal planning is to keep it efficient. However, you can switch things up at dinnertime while still keeping it simple.
If trying entire new recipes is too much, get creative with different parts of your usual meals. You can easily swap veggies, proteins, and sides. Alternatively, you can change the spices and sauces you typically cook with.
Make sure you're not overexerting yourself but also to remember that it's okay to try new things.
When it comes to protein and vegetables, the fresher, the better. You don't want to serve your family wilted spinach or soggy green beans. If you end up with a serving of stale vegetables, you may never be able to get them to eat their veggies again.
Use the more perishable foods earlier in the week so that you can provide your family with fresh food all week long.
I know that you're a supermom, but it's OKAY to admit that you need help sometimes. To help with the decision-making process, ask your family what they want to eat. For grocery shopping, send your partner to the store with your shopping list while you attend to other things.
And for cooking, involve your family. Your spouse and the kids, if they're old enough, can also help with the cooking.
The Bottom Line
Being a supermom can be challenging, but with these 5 meal planning tips for busy moms, dinnertime can be much more manageable. Give them a try and see which ones make sense for you and your family. Then make sure to come back and let me know what you think.
Do you plan your meals?
If not, what’s holding you back?
If yes, what are some tips that help you successfully meal plan? I’d love to share them with other supermoms like you!
Be Well & Thrive!
With Love & In Health,
Sarah Outlaw, MH, MSACN
