Weekly Meal Plans

Question

I just returned to full-time work after being a stay-at-home mom for nearly five years, and during those  SAH years I was able to devote more time to preparing full, healthy meals for my family (almost) every night. I just feel extra busy now that I've started work again, and the commute is a big part of the battle -- my days feel shot. Every night that I've come home I've thought, 'what the heck are we having for dinner?'  I know large dishes, like casseroles, are a good idea and can be set up for the week on Sunday night. Any other tips for parents like me with VERY little time for meal planning? Any apps that you recommend, or a healthy meal you swear by?

Celestina Brunetti · Answer

Keeping it simple, is where I've found most success with my clients. Preheat oven to 425°F. Start to cook 2 different grains on the stove (ex: quinoa & brown rice)  Roast (bake) 3 different proteins (ex: chicken breast, salmon, pork tenderloin) with different herbs. Parchment wrap a few sweet potatoes and toss them in the oven too. Lastly, choose a frozen veggie blend like cauliflower & broccoli. Toss the still frozen veggies on a sheet tray with olive oil and spices. Place in oven. Everything above  is a set-it-and-forget-it cooking method and your weeks meals should be done in under an hour! Hope that helps! Reach out directly if you would like more info.

Anonymous · Answer

Get an Instant Pot! And/or look up simple sheet pan recipes. LIFE.SAVERS.

Chandrani Biswas · Answer

1. Boil noodles or spaghetti in the morning.  Go with simple egg noodle recipe for breakfast. And for dinner use shredded chicken with cheese and choice of your veggies added to your precooked noodles. You can store the shredded chicken in freezer for a week.  Sometimes you can make salad out of the stored chicken for your dinner.

2. Marinate whole chicken(i prefer skinned one) with sage,  soya sauce,  pepper powder, garlic powder,  salt in the morning(will save your dinner time and enhance taste as well).  You can add in spices as per your choice. Once you are back home,  just bake the marinated chicken. Add some mashed potatoes and enjoy your dinner.

3. Grilled salmon(marinated with lemon,  pepper and salt)  and roasted veggies and boiled spinach.

Not Applicable · Answer

I have the ninja Foodie (instant pot, air fryer, etc in one ) — good thinking! I haven’t been using it enough.

Weekly Meal Plans

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