Meal Planning for the School Year
For some of us, the school year has started. This is typically a very exciting time of the year. However, 2020 disappoints us yet again. Many of our kids are going back to school on a hybrid schedule (what?!), via remote learning (cringe!), or are being homeschooled (I give every homeschooling parent a ton of credit for this one), and in some cases, full in-person. Yikes! Whatever the case may be, planning and preparation are a must to keep us all sane in these trying times! Some sports and activities will be in play and there will be a certain amount of scheduling that needs to be done. Meal planning is key to avoid that ‘pit in the bottom of your stomach’ feeling when someone asks “What’s for dinner?” Don’t get into the habit of ordering takeout. Yes, it’s great on occasion, but on a regular basis, it’s not good for our wallets or our waistlines. With a little bit of planning and prep work, you can put good meals on the table most nights! Here are a few tips to help you.
Meal Prep – if you are a meal planner, that task sometimes goes out the window during the summer months. Now that school is here, get back into the swing of things. I like to prep on Sunday mornings. Make sure to cut up any fruit and veggies and store them in glass containers for easy viewing and snacking. Prep and freeze a few meals for the week; pre-cook hamburger or ground turkey for Taco Tuesday. Write the instructions of the meal directly on the aluminum foil (or on a sticky note) and attach it to the dish. That way, whoever gets home first can take the lead in making sure dinner gets on the table. Don’t forget breakfast! It’s the most important meal of the day, and for us, the most difficult one to manage. Protein in the mornings is much needed to start their day (and yours) off right. Here are a few tried and true meals that are both kid and adult approved!
Sausage, egg & cheese breakfast rollups
Lunch Prep – Get the kids involved in packing their lunches. After dinner, have someone in charge of making sandwiches or spooning leftovers into individual containers. Have snacks reachable for little hands so that they can select what they want (and will eat the next day). I love clear containers for separating out and storing snacks. It makes them easy to view and easy to grab. Yes…Pack a lunch for the next day (even if their school day is taking place at your dining room table). This will prevent over snacking and having to take time from your day to make lunch while in full swing of learning about fractions and/or if you are attempting to conduct a conference call.