School is back in session, fall sports and activities are ramping up too so we share some Back to School Family Meal Planning tips and tricks to help save time in the kitchen and get energized for the school year.
- TIP: Streamline your grocery shopping
- TRICK: Decide your meals ahead of time and shop accordingly or have them delivered to your doorstep.
When it comes to meal planning it all begins with the groceries… and getting the right ingredients can doesn’t have to mean strolling the aisles of the store, we prefer our produce delivered weekly right to our porch. Yasukochi Family Farms makes it simple by delivering fresh produce in their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes.
Each week a box of farm fresh produce grown using responsible farming methods and full of freshly picked produce grown by Yasukochi Family Farms located in Oceanside and other local partner growers provides all the produce and fruit needed for our family. Each box will contain 11-15 different produce items and then there are add-on items like eggs, honey, flowers, fruit and more.
From juicy watermelon to sweet strawberries, zucchini, brussel sprouts, peppers, potatoes and more, the seasonal selection is full of staples as well as some unique items. Plus Yasukochi has curated recipes on their website to give inspiration to sides and main dishes with their fresh options.
- TIP: Get the whole family involved in meal prep
- TRICK: One Sheet/Pan Meals to save the day including breakfast!
From putting away the groceries to washing the vegetables and making multiple dishes, they say many hands make light work. We have found it very helpful to get the whole family involved in meal prep. Have kids do age appropriate tasks. For younger ones, they can help wash produce and for older kids they can help crack eggs or cut produce. When kids are involved in preparing foods, they are often more inclined to try the dishes. It gives them a sense of accomplishment too. We will often prepare for multiple meals at one time.
So that while we are getting food ready for dinner, the kids are also packing their lunches for the next day. We love Planetbox lunchboxes. They are made of non-toxic stainless steel and also designed with portions and kid’s appetites in mind. Plus they are easy to clean and can be personalized with magnets and matching carrying bags and totes. The containers, pods and dippers are great for kids that don’t like their food to touch and makes it simple to ensure that all the food groups are covered for a balanced meal.
One Sheet/One Pan meal ideas – For breakfast, we love eggs and pancakes. But making eggs and pancakes before school can be a bit of a time crunch, especially when you have to factor in clean up. Instead, we use one pan meal prep for both. We use Planetbox glass food container layered tots, sausage, eggs and cheese. Baked at 350 for 20 minutes. Add a piece of toast and you have a breakfast sandwich! This is great too as it will last for a couple of days.
We use Planetbox Prep to Pack Baking Tray Set to make pancake bars. You can also use a baking sheet to do this. But we love the baking tray as it made of silicone, which makes it easier to clean. We used pancake mix and added berries from our Yasukochi farm box, baked it at 420 for 8 minutes. Make a few batches and throw them in the freezer for busier weeks. Both dishes are easy enough for elementary kids to make with a little supervision.
- TIP: Create an achievable menu for the family.
- TRICK: Batch cook to multiply your time.
So often when we think of meal planning, we get all the cookbooks out and come up with a grandiose plan only to feel like we’ve failed days later. When family meal planning, it is important to start on some easier meals and with foods you know your family will eat.
When we meal plan, we might try one new recipe a week, but we will stick with dishes that we know. We also factor in activities and how long a meal takes to make. Batch cooking can help multiply your time. This is also helpful if you have different family members that like certain dishes and not others. Instead of just cooking for one meal, think through a protein that can be used a couple different ways just by adding different produce or sides.
The key is preparing the protein at one time. That way you just have to reheat each night versus cooking from scratch. Planetbox Glass Storage containers are great for batch cooking. Cook ahead and put them in the fridge.
Chicken Three Ways – We started with chicken breast. You can either cook it in a pan with some olive oil or use an instant pot or slow cooker. Add whatever seasoning your family enjoys. We used fajita seasoning. We added rice, beans and avocado and made chicken fajitas. We used the chicken the next day for nachos and for the lighter side we added chicken to a bed of salad and veggies.
- TIP: Let the pros help
- TRICK – Take advantage of “take out.”
Whether its kids eat free or weekly specials, strategically use take out in your meal planning.
