Meal Tips to Save Time

What parent doesn’t struggle to get home from work and have a nutritious meal on the table at a decent hour? Nutrition seems to be the one thing that tends to slide in busy families. It’s so much easier and faster to warm something up in the microwave or pick up hamburgers and fries from the nearest fast food drive thru than prepare a home cooked meal every evening. And even if we did labour in the kitchen after a long day at work, who would be around between seven and eight at night to eat it with a school council meeting scheduled at seven-thirty, two children at soccer practice and one at piano lessons?

Finding the time to prepare good foods to eat and actually sitting down together to enjoy them can be a real challenge for most families. Your life can be easier by making a few simple changes to when and how you prepare meals. The following suggestions will help you save on time and encourage you to make better food choices as well:

1. Planning meals a week in advance on a calendar will provide more nutritious options for you and your family. It also helps minimize morning decisions about what to take out for supper. Simply look on your menu calendar in the morning and take out what you need from the freezer for dinner that night.
2. Invest in a quality crock pot, crockery cook book and an on/off timer. Most crock pot meals take less than 20-minutes to prepare. You can organize the ingredients in the morning, throw it in the slow cooker and set the timer for when you want it to turn on and off. Voila! A hearty meal is ready to eat as soon as you get home.
3. Make up your grocery list on your computer and list the items under specific categories following the design layout of your grocery store: produce, breads and cereals, frozen items, dairy etc. You will follow along the aisles of your grocery store in the same way that your list is made out. Use your menu calendar to make up your list by checking off the ingredients you will need for the week. If you have a standard list to check off you are less likely to forget something. Shopping with a grocery list that is well thought out will save time and money
4. While unpacking groceries, fry up hamburger for future casseroles and freeze it.
5. When making meals, double the recipe and freeze the other half for future ready-made meals. If you’re kids are old enough, they can turn on the oven when they get home from school and put the casserole in to cook. OR, use the on/off timer on your oven and put the frozen casserole in the oven in the morning. It will thaw during the day and be ready to eat when you get home.
6. BBQ extra chicken or fish to keep in the freezer for salads, sandwiches or entrees.
7. Make sandwiches for lunches with left-over meat immediately after dinner for school and work lunches. This really saves time in the morning.
8. Choose a day on the weekend, invite some friends over and have a “cooking party”. You and your friends can make several dishes in one day to freeze for future meals. Do this once a month, rotating houses (and freezers!).
9. Cooking the occasional turkey, ham, or goose can provide a surplus of meat for sandwiches, soup, main dishes or salads.
10. Use left-over’s to make casseroles, chicken pot pie or shepherds pie and freeze for another time or have the next night.
11. Make cookie dough to freeze and when unexpected company pop in you just need to slice and bake.
12. When making supper, put on a pot of water and boil some eggs for egg salad sandwiches, devilled eggs or to throw in a salad the next day for lunch.
13. Save uneaten pancakes in the fridge and pop them in the toaster the next morning or eat them cold with no-sugar added jam on them for a yummy afternoon snack.
14. When unpacking groceries delegate a family member to cut fresh vegetables and fruit and store in the fridge for quick access as a snack or to add to any meal or bagged lunch.
15. Use a wok. Typically, stir fries take only minutes to prepare and you can add as many vegetables and types of meat that you want.

About the Author Managing Partner and Editor-in-Chief at one of the best social networking and lifestyle sites for moms, EverythingMom.com. Trying to balance life at home with my 3 kids (all under 8), while building my business, working at EverythingMom.com and developing my writing. Oh and throw a load of laundry in and a dinner that isn't burnt. Wasn't working from home suppose to be easier? Posted by Carrie Anne in organizing on May 02, 2010 More from this author  |  Author Website Follow Carrie Anne on:  |  |  |

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0 # sbmommy 2010-05-04 20:45

Also, home made pizza is very easy and quick to make. Also supper easy is cheese quesadilla or grilled cheese, or just cheese and crackers with fruit or veggies. Pasta and salads are also good choices for dinner.

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