Back to School Meal Planning

Fall is a magical time of year: The leaves turn gold, the temperature finally drops and, despite their protests, it’s time for the kiddies to get out of the house and back to the classroom!

Summer relaxation gives way to schedules, and with them comes a need to get organized. Settling into a routine and staying on top of your meal planning means you can go into the week without feeling stressed. Plan ahead to provide healthy meals for the family, and stay on budget.

Here are some tips to help parents (or anyone!) get into the groove:

Routine is your Friend!

Settling into a meal planning routine makes all the difference. Inevitably the week is going to be hectic, so set yourself up for success with the following steps:

• Set Your Menu for the Week: 7 days, 21 meals. Use a meal planning calendar, plan from Sunday onward, and choose a variety of foods and recipes that will keep the kids engaged.

• Build your Shopping List: Get your 90% of your shopping out of the way on the weekend, and cruise through the week! Use a tool like Mealime to build your shopping list automatically based on the recipes you choose!

• Double the Recipe!: Choose the family favorites, and double them. Nothing lightens the load like being able to sub-in re-heated lasagna or a nutritious chicken stew for a couple of meals.
• Prep the Night Before: This is critical (!) to getting out the door in the morning. Chop your veggies. Portion out your snacks. Keep your mornings simple.

• Choose Healthy, Easy Meals: Mealime specializes in nutritious meals that can be cooked in 30–40 minutes.

• Be a C-rock-Star! The benefits of the crock pot are well-documented. The only question is what are you going to do with all your free time when you walk in the door after work?

• Invest in Bento Boxes!: These containers are our favorite way to set you, or your children up with a varied, delicious, and portable meal. Easy to set up and easy to transport. We love these ones from Bowl Farm.

Try the App! (Its free!)

Want Help? Modern tools can make meal planning, shopping, and cooking so much easier! Mealime is a top-rated meal planning app available on iOS and Android. It’s free and easy to use; we think you’ll love it! :)

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