Doctor Mom Guide to Easy and Healthy Meal Prep
I do the vast majority of cooking in our household. I am a full time physician, wife and mother to 2 babes. I truly believe that families are lacking guidance when it comes to nourishing themselves or their littles. I cringe every time I see cute little toddler meals. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Things I do not have time or energy for:
Making complicated meals
Making different meals for the kids and adults
Cooking more than 1-2 times during the work week
Unhealthy meals that I feel guilty about. Healthful meals are the only way to go
If this is you, keep reading.
1. Make your life interesting and your meals boring
Your meals can be bursting with flavor but just don't overthink the process. Compile a list of your favorite easy and quick meals to make on rotation. This list can be as large as you want it, but trust me, it will shrink with time. We have about 3 breakfast recipes and 5-7 lunch/dinner recipes on constant rotation, and an extra handful of recipes for when I want to go all out.
2. A well stocked pantry and freezer will make or break your meal adventures
This is so important. You need grains, spices and frozen vegetables (and meats if you're into that) and you can live off of this for months. I tend to stir away from canned vegetables but I do used some canned goods such as chickpeas and tomato sauce. Frozen veggies are almost equivalent in nutritional value as fresh produce, so do not be deterred.
I am thinking on making a separate detailed pantry guide. Leave me a comment if you want to see it soon!
3. Kitchen gadgets
This depends on what you like to eat. If there is something that you can use very regularly, I'm all for purchasing it. I have a rice cooker that gets used at least twice a week. For me, an air fryer makes no sense because I wouldn't use that.
4. Quick meal prep
Leave the complicated recipes for special occasions (which can just be when you feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen). Most of my recipes have pretty much the same base that are tried and true and will always taste good!
5. Do not make separate meals for kids and adults
It is important for children to have different tastes to develop their taste buds and be less picky eaters. But trust me, you do not need complex recipes to make this happen.
In the 4+ years that I have been a mama, with the exception of purees for a month or so of their lives, my kids will eat what we eat.
This makes life so much easier. But can potentially make it harder. Some examples:
My first was allergic to eggs. We decided that this means no eggs for anyone (her allergy was not severe, so it was a choice for us; please always ask your doctor if it is ok if kids are around their allergens, because you may not have a choice if it puts their life in danger). We did not want her to feel bad about the forbidden foods.
Spicy food is hard for my kids and hubby. So I never cook spicy, but I will add it after, because I love spicy food. If the kids ask about it, I will offer it to them (they usually decline).
Please like, comment or share if you want to see more topics like this.
Let me know what you would like to know more about: recipe ideas, stocking pantry, freezer, anything!