Easy Meal Prep for Busy Mums
For many mums, balancing work, family activities, and endless household responsibilities means finding time to make healthy meals can feel impossible. But meal prep can be a game-changer. Not only does it reduce daily stress, but it also creates more time to spend with family, pursue personal goals, and feel accomplished. By dedicating just a few hours a week, you can have nutritious, ready-to-go meals for your families, turning chaos into calm.
Meal prep allows busy mums to:
Save Time: Avoid cooking every day and cut back on time spent grocery shopping.
Reduce Decision Fatigue: Knowing exactly what’s for dinner eliminates the mental burden of daily meal planning.
Stay Consistent: Having pre-made, nutritious options helps avoid impulsive, less healthy food choices, keeping the family’s diet on track.
Different Type of Meal Prep:
Batch Cooking
Batch cooking is a time-efficient way to prepare large portions of food at once. This can include proteins like chicken or beef, grains like rice or quinoa, and vegetables like roasted carrots or broccoli. Store them in individual containers so each meal is ready to go. This method is ideal for mums who don’t want to cook daily but want nutritious options on hand.Freezer-Friendly Meals
Certain recipes freeze exceptionally well, allowing you to prepare meals in advance. Soups, casseroles, stews, and pasta bakes are all ideal options. Freezing meals can save you precious time on busy nights, allowing you to skip cooking altogether and simply reheat. Pro tip: Freeze in family-sized portions for easy defrosting and to minimize waste.One-Pan Meals
One-pan recipes combine protein, vegetables, and starch in a single pan, which not only saves time in cooking but also cuts down on dishes. Some popular options include sheet pan fajitas, roasted chicken with sweet potatoes, and vegetable stir-fries. One-pan meals are easy to prepare, making them great for busy weeknights.Ingredient Prep Only
If cooking multiple meals in one day sounds overwhelming, try “ingredient prep” instead. Dedicate some time to chop vegetables, marinate proteins, or wash fruits. This makes it easy to throw together quick meals during the week. For example, pre-chopped veggies are perfect for adding to stir-fries or salads, and marinated proteins can go straight from the fridge to the pan.
FREE RECIPES FOR YOU:
Get Started
To start with meal prep, follow these simple steps:
Choose Three Family-Friendly Meals: Pick meals that everyone enjoys and can be easily prepped in bulk. Cook these meals on the weekend, portion them into containers, and freeze half for the next week.
Batch Chop Veggies and Pre-Marinate Proteins: Spend 30 minutes chopping veggies and marinating proteins so that everything’s ready to go when you need it.
Organise Containers: Invest in high-quality containers that make it easy to store and transport meals. Opt for stackable containers to save space in the fridge.
How Batch Cooking Changed my life
I used to have decision making fatigue and felt so overwhelmed by the time spent cooking and cleaning the kitchen literally every day. After a long day, the thought of standing over the stove was exhausting.
I just got to a point where enough was enough and made the decision that we as a family needed to integrate this into our weekly plan. I cooked a large pot of chili con carne, roasted vegetables, and grilled some chicken on a Sunday afternoon. Throughout the week, I was able to quickly reheat these meals, meaning I actually ate enough protein (less snacking and eating sugar) and spend more time relaxing with my family in the afternoons. Not only did I feel less stressed, but I also noticed I had more energy because I wasn’t relying on quick, high carb, processed foods.
Meal prep has been a life-saver in our house, allowing me to focus on quality time with my family and ensuring I am eating balanced meals that are actually supporting my goals to slim down and tone my own body.
Earlier this year I was stuck in a state of “BUSY MODERN MUM MODE”, I was over stressed, storing cortisol around my tummy, feeling so uncomfortable within myself and I knew things needed to change. Meal prep was a HUGE contributing factor to help me on my journey! I completely overhauled my lifestyle and basically took myself and my husband through my 28 day mum makeover program to have a reset!
By focusing on changing my daily habits, reducing stress, eating more balanced meals, reducing my caffeine and intentional workouts I was able to lose 5kg and 7cm off my waist. 8 months on and the results are still compounding because I changed my lifestyle - I didn’t chose a quick fix!
If you are wanting to transform your mind and body before Christmas! You can start your 28-Day Mum Makeover today, where you’ll learn meal planning and prep techniques tailored for busy mums, along with a complete wellness program designed to help you feel energised, toned, and confident.