7 Top Meal Prep Tips

Preparing healthy delicious meals for your family is not always easy. When you work a full-time job, the last thing you want to do is face a hectic kitchen when you get home.

If you are tired of fighting the dinnertime blues, it is time to turn things around. A few simple changes in your meal preparation routine could have a huge impact on the health of your family and the amount of time it takes to prepare all that delicious food. Here are seven smart meal prep tips to make your life easier.

1. Get organized.  If your kitchen is not organized, meal time will surely be a chore. Before you do anything else, make sure your cooking area is neat, clean and well organized. Setting up a natural flow will make every part of your meal prep, from finding the right ingredients to dishing up the finished product, a lot easier.

2. Keep a shopping list handy.  Nothing is more frustrating than discovering that you are out of a key ingredient, so keep a shopping list handy and update it as you prepare your meals. Shopping from a list is a key part of successful meal preparation.

3. Know your stove.  Every stove is different, and those differences can have a big impact on how your meals turn out. So make sure you know your stove, from the correct temperature settings to the proper rack placement for all of your dishes.

4. Set aside time for bulk meal prep.  If you want to make your weeknights easier, why not spend part of your weekend preparing a bunch of meals? Bulk meal preparation is a real time saver, and incorporating it into your weekly routine can make your life easier.

5. Invest in some new cookbooks.  If you are tired of the same old dishes, why not shake things up with some new cookbooks? Whether you stock your kitchen with physical cookbooks or program your smart home assistant to find new recipes, your family is sure to enjoy the new variety.

6. Let the kids help out.  Even the youngest children can help with meal prep, even if it is as simple as stirring the gravy or prepping the salad. Giving your kids age-appropriate kitchen tasks will lighten your load and spark an appreciation of good food.

7. Get a crock pot.  With a crock pot, you can put in the ingredients before you leave for work and find dinner waiting for you when you return home. There are a ton of great recipes out there, with entire cookbooks dedicated to crock pot cookery. Once you get a crock pot, you will wonder how you ever cooked without it.

Meal time should be a time of fun and family bonding, not boredom and drudgery. If you are ready to turn your daily meal prep routine around, the seven tips listed above will help you get started. From how you organize your kitchen to the types of cooking implements you use, a few easy tweaks can help you prepare nutritious meals for your family without going crazy in the process.