Top tips for back to school (or work) meal planning

It’s getting near to that time of year. The lazy days of summer are about to give way to the treadmill of packing lunches, rushing to early morning sports practice and after school activities. With the pace of life about to pick up, (even without kids!) now is a great time to think about fine-tuning your meal planning habits. Whether you have a family of five or are just packing lunches for you and a partner, these tips will help you meal plan more effectively.

Get buy-in from your kids (or partner)
Getting your entire family on-board with the weekly meal plan takes a little extra effort, but pays off when your kids know what to expect throughout the week. With Mealime, it’s easy to involve the kids by asking them to add their favorite recipes to the week’s meal plan. Pro tip: The Game Theorists Guide to Parenting provides some fascinating insights into getting your kids to buy into doing what’s best for them.

Bento-box containers
Have you ever gone for sushi and been amazed at how simple food looks so delicious? Bento-box style lunch boxes allow you to separate and portion food within a single container and achieve a similar effect. With a fridge stocked with a variety of berries, veggies, and pre-made snacks like Prosciutto spinach egg muffins, you can include healthy snacks with complementary colours and flavors alongside healthy mains. Our favourite leakproof bento box is from YumBox.

Front-load the work
A little prep work goes a long way towards reducing the stress of packing lunches throughout the week. After you’ve got your groceries, why not do some veggie prep? Vinaigrette's, sauces, rice and grains can also be made in advance to cut down on prep time throughout the week.

Have your groceries delivered
If you’re a regular Mealime user, you’ve already got a time-saving superpower at your disposal. With Mealime’s grocery delivery feature, you can have your groceries delivered in as little as one hour. Not only will you save time, but we find there is less temptation to buy those extra items that go unused. Double win!

Currently, Mealime supports Instacart, Walmart Grocery and Amazon Fresh, with more delivery options like Kroger on the way.