Moms Making Time for Meals!

Good morning everyone! I’m going to do a series of posts on moms making time for things that they love (although the tips are really applicable to anyone who’s busy, not just moms!).

As a busy working mom, I’m learning that it’s so important to make time for yourself to do things that keep you and your family healthy (and sane). This obviously includes things like making time to workout, but also things like cooking healthy meals, seeing your friends, having date nights, sleeping, etc. The first post comes from my friend, Lisa, a new mom to baby Caroline. Check out her blog for some fantastic recipes. Enjoy!

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Hi! I’m Lisa, the writer behind The Splattered Apron. I was so grateful when Amanda wrote a guest post for me in the days following the birth of my daughter and I am delighted to return the favor!

Amanda asked me to share with you how I find time to prepare meals for my family as a new mom. I’m trying to start good habits now so that even when I’m back at work I’ll still be able to put a healthy meal on the table {almost} every night.

1) I make a meal plan and grocery list once a week. I find that if I have a plan and the ingredients on hand, it’s much easier to commit to making dinner than to call for take out. Ordinarily, I do my shopping on Sundays and prepare foods for lunches during the week that day too. My husband and I like to take soup or leftovers for lunch to work—it saves our wallets and our waistlines! I always hang our meal plan on the refrigerator so we both know what’s coming up. It’s also a great way to remind myself to take out anything from the freezer that needs to be thawed.

2) Whenever possible, I prepare food over the weekend for dinner during the week. It can be as simple as roasting a chicken for dinner and using the leftovers in soup, enchiladas or sandwiches. Or I might make a large batch of soup or risotto—any food that can reheat well or be used in a new way later in the week {London broil for dinner one night, steak sandwiches another}.

3) I made friends with my slow cooker and my freezer. Right now while I’m on maternity leave, I love being able to put ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and come back to a completed dish when my husband gets home from work. I have enjoyed every single second I’ve been able to spend with my daughter, but you never can tell what the day will bring with an infant. At least with a slow cooker, I know dinner will be ready at a reasonable hour! Sometimes when I am preparing a meal that can be frozen I will double the recipe and stick half of it in the freezer. This way when I am in a pinch down the road I will have a meal ready to go.

4) I keep quick & easy ingredients on hand. I don’t like to buy processed meals that I can just heat up. Instead, I keep my kitchen stocked with whole ingredients that I can quickly turn into a meal. I love fresh produce and keep a well-stocked refrigerator full of it, but I also keep my freezer stocked with frozen vegetables and fruit. This way I can ensure that I never have the excuse that preparing a vegetable will take too much time.

5) I’m flexible. Even with the best of intentions, some nights my husband walks in the door and I haven’t had a second to even think about dinner. On those nights we call for pizza and I am totally fine with it. No one is perfect but if eating pizza means that I was spending time with my daughter, then so be it.

I know that when I go back to work I will encounter a whole new set of issues with less time than I have now, but I’m hoping that I can use some of these principles to continue to put the best food that I can on the table for my family. And eat an occasional pizza.

I’d love to hear how you save time and make meals for your family or answer any questions. Just leave a note in the comments or send me an e-mail thesplatteredapron@gmail.com.

Thank you, Amanda, for letting me guest post today!