Meal prep is great for so many reasons. Yes, it saves time during the week, but it also saves you from the temptation of ordering food (again) because you have no idea how to feed your family.
Freezer Staples For Fast Family Dinners: Why Freezer Meal Prep Matters for Busy Families
In my house, core meals are recipes made in large quantities that I divide into family-sized portions. These freezer staples for fast family dinners are perfect for nights when we're all running in different directions, making them a lifesaver.
Spending less than 1 hour/day on food preparation was associated with significantly more money spent on food away from home and more frequent use of fast food restaurants compared to those who spent more time on food preparation. On an average day in 2014 - Americans age 18 and over spent 37 minutes in food preparation and cleanup. The 2008-2009 cross-sectional study of 1,319 adults found that individuals who spent the least amount of time on food preparation tended to be working adults who placed a high priority on convenience.
In 2014, men spent an average of 22 minutes on meal prep, whereas women spent an average of 51 minutes. Working adults reported spending between seven and eight hours away from home, which can create challenges to preparing healthy - homemade meals. Greater amount of time spent on food preparation was associated with indicators of higher diet quality, including significantly more frequent intake of vegetables, salads, fruits, and fruit juices.
Vegetables You Can Prep Now and Freeze for Later
Many vegetables - including onions, leeks, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli - and carrots, can be prepped in advance and held in an airtight container for up to a week. For longer-term storage, consider freezing. The US Department of Agriculture explains that you can freeze almost any food, except eggs in their shell and canned products.
Frozen chopped onions can go directly from freezer to skillet, just be sure to add a couple of minutes of cook time. Lettuce - cucumbers, bean sprouts, and raw potatoes will turn mushy when thawed.
Freezer Staples for Fast Family Dinners That Actually Work
I'm a busy parent and wife. My goal is to plan ahead to save time during the week, and my slow cooker and Instant Pot help me accomplish that. Core meals should be something I can make quickly, without spending hours in the kitchen - these are zero-fuss recipes that generally take less than 30 minutes.
One batch of One Pot Lasagna is enough to feed my family twice. It's made in the Instant Pot - and I add some fresh mozzarella cheese on top before serving. Add a simple green salad, and dinner is done. The majority of freezer meals will last anywhere from three to nine months, depending on the ingredients used.
- Baby spinach - wash, dry, and freeze in quart-size Ziplock freezer bags .
- Turkey meatballs - brown in a skillet - allow to cool, and store in the freezer in family-size portions.
- Pasta salad with spiralized zucchini noodles - allow to cool, and store in the freezer in portion sizes for lunch.
- Chicken fajitas - brown chicken and vegetables in a skillet, cool, and freeze in portion sizes.
- Panko breaded chicken tenders - coat chicken breasts or cutlets in flour - egg, and panko crumbs. Freeze on a baking sheet, then place in a freezer bag. When ready to cook, simply bake in the oven or pop in the air fryer.
Getting Your Family on Board With Meal Prepping
The trick to getting your family on board with meal prepping is to make sure you're cooking foods they'll actually eat. My advice is to look at your calendar and think about what's coming up.
Do you have a late night one day, or will you be having a Girl Scout meeting night? Plan your meal prep accordingly. Make sure to mark your calendar so you remember which meals you prepped and when you made them. I find that using labels with the date I froze the meals on is helpful - too.
When I'm cooking a recipe I've never tried before, I like to read all of the reviews. And if I'm meal prepping, I want to know right away if I need to skip a recipe. #truthontofrost. I've been there.
Your goal should be to find freezer staples for fast family dinners that make your life easier. Saving time cooking during the week will allow you to spend it with your family.
References
- Agriculture explains that you can - soupercubes.com
- freezer meals will last anywhere - happymoneysaver.com
