By Rachel Hoeing, Updated by Sarah Marchwiany
When considering my days as a future mom, I never considered the fact that meal planning could sometimes be more difficult than actually raising children. But alas, it has been a thorn in my side for many many years. Dinnertime occurs at the most inopportune time of the day … parents are arriving home from work … kids are getting home from school … homework needs to get started … kids need rides after school activities … the baby needs a bath and a 7 pm bedtime … you get the idea. Unless you have a clone, it is next to impossible to get everything accomplished. I have made use of many modern-day opportunities to cut down on my stress level when meal planning and have compiled them to share with you today.
Meal Planning Tips
Creating an Alexa Shopping list
Using Alexa to create your shopping list is a convenient way to stay organized during meal planning. As you think of items throughout the week or discover you’ve run out of something, you can simply ask Alexa to add it to your list. Once your list is complete, you can access it through the Alexa app on your phone, making it easy to use while grocery shopping in-store or when placing an online grocery order.
Online Grocery Shopping/Pick Up & Delivery
One of the best time-savers for busy parents is online grocery shopping. Many stores in the Triad offer curbside pickup, allowing you to shop from the comfort of your home and pick up groceries when it’s convenient for you. Planning family meals becomes easier when you can browse recipes and add ingredients directly to your cart. Piggy-backing on the idea of online shopping, you can also have food delivered right to your door.
Meal Prepping Tips
Salad for Lunch
In addition to the meal planning dinner drama, lunches can be a burden as well. And I’m not just talking about the kids – moms need to eat lunch, too! One of my favorite ideas is prepping salads for the entire week in either mason jars or Tupperware containers as individual servings.
Kids Lunches
I have two tried-and-true ideas for taking the stress out of this – 1. Buy lunch at school, 2. The kids pack lunches themselves. Seriously people – take this off your plate! My children packed their own lunches even in the early years of elementary school.
Rotisserie Chicken
Sounds like such a simple solution – because it is! Rotisserie chicken is an amazing value and provides enough chicken to make 2 – 4 meals! Use the chicken throughout the week for soups, pizzas, chicken salad, stir-fry, etc.
Instant Pot and Crock Pot
The time-saver of all time-savers! I love the fact that I can throw something in the Crock Pot when I leave in the mornings and the house is filled with the amazing smell of dinner when I return. We have plenty of good recipes on TMoM in our recipe section.
Restaurants with Family Meals
Discovering restaurants with convenient family meals near me can be a lifesaver for busy parents. Whether it’s a chaotic weekday evening or a laid-back weekend, grabbing family-style meals to go can make dinner a breeze. Thankfully, plenty of local spots in the Triad serve up tasty and affordable options perfect for feeding the whole family. You can find a great listing on triadmomsonmain.com and key in Family Meal Deals in the search bar.
Kids Eat Free Nights
When all else fails with meal planning, take them out to eat! Triad Moms on Main keeps an updated list of local restaurants that offer discounts or free meals for kids.
By Rachel Hoeing, Updated by Sarah Marchwiany
