Save time, money, and sanity with Mealprep Tips this Summer

(This Ai and me never.... No SERIOUSLY... look at the arm on this lady. ).

It’s officially Summer. If you’re like me, you’d rather be 12 other places than in the kitchen. Summer is so tricky with managing kids, camps, travel, a full schedule at work, and wanting to “savor every moment and make memories. There’s  only so many times I can feed my family the same 4 things, and I really don’t want to turn on my oven. 

Before I go any further, I will acknowledge that meal-prepping can be a pain in the butt. If you are in a difficult season, give yourself grace, and save this for later. There have been many weeks this year I just bought easy meals that came out of the microwave.

I will admit that even in those full times of life, a little weekly planning can help. It’s the lazy genius principle of “deciding once”. So taking the time to make a plan can really make the chaos a little more calm. 

 If I know I’ll have extra time and it’s going to rain, I’ll plan for a soup or a roasted meal. If it’s going to be sunny and I’d rather be outside, we do a mostly stove-cooked dinner or sandwiches. 

I’ll set aside time on Sundays or Mondays to go through the fridge, check the weekly weather, and our kid’s calendars and plan ahead in a way that makes sense. We typically shop at the farmer's market on Saturday, so I'll grab fresh produce and get the rest on Monday.

Here are some tips that have worked for us so far:

Store Veggies Properly  - I reuse wide - mouth jars all the time for this because they work a little bit better than masons. I put bouquets of kale/ chart/ asparagus/ and cut herbs in a little water all around my kitchen so they don’t rot in the fridge.

If I’m prepping one thing, I’m prepping everything, if my schedule allows. 

 I’ll do all my greens/ root veggies/ at the same time. I prefer to prep all things for chopping/ heating in advance. So if I’m making mashed potatoes, I’ll cut up the entire bag and set aside some in a bowl coated with herbs, salt/pepper/ oil and roast later during the week. 

So if I’m washing my lettuce, I’m going to do all of them. I love to take big bowls and soak everything one at a time, then spin them in a salad spinner. I use lint-free kitchen towels to wrap and store my greens in the fridge so they stay fresh. (If I’m purchasing store-bought veggies, I’ll put a kitchen cloth or towel in the bag to help absorb any moisture and prevent rot.)

I love roasted vegetables, but I’ll aim for only one day during a hot week to run my oven. I’d rather spend the time outside, anyway! So I’ll roast asparagus, broccoli, fennel potatoes, bake muffins, etc, on the day where it is the least warm and reheat throughout the week. The rest of the week I will sautee, steam, or place the pre-cooked veggies over a salad or grain. 

Knowing what’s for dinner takes a ton of stress out of cooking for little kids.

I’ll soak my beans before I go to bed and set out the crock pot so everything is ready when I’m sprinting out the door. I’ll defrost my fish overnight in the fridge, and chop the dinner’s veggies while I’m prepping lunch. Any extra time you can find is a win. 

Sample Weekly Menu

Sunday: Grilled swordfish, corn on the cob, asparagus, and couscous

Monday: Roasted vegetables (I'll do all of these - broccoli, peppers, carrots at 400 and check/ flip things every 15 minutes) plant-based chicken nuggets, leftover couscous

Tuesday: Taco salad with crockpot black beans, leftover roasted veggies (corn, peppers)

Wednesday: ravoili with roasted broccoli

Thursday: rice with tofu, peas, or shrimp

Friday: Greek night with quinoa, naan, hummus/ tabbouleh dips, feta, and chopped veggies

toddler approved.

Above all - let this be your loving reminder that during busy seasons of life, you don’t need to be also presenting beautiful dinners.

Grilled cheese and soup, breakfast for dinner, tomato sandwiches, leftovers, nuggets, and pizza, are all kid favorites that fill them up. If it makes the most sense, I’ll prep dinner immediately after breakfast or lunch while my kids are entertained. We have so many summer concerts, nights at the pool, and I’d rather do that than be in the kitchen. 

What else works for you? Please share below!