12 Clever Meal Prep Tips and Tricks for Busy Mums

Are you a super busy mum with no time to spare? You can now cook your meals in under 20 minutes! Read this article to know how.

As a mother, you already have a lot on your plate. If you are a housewife, you have the exclusive job of caring for your children and spouse as well as maintaining the home. It’s even tougher if you’re a working mum because you’re responsible for both work and home. It can all seem a little too much at times.

The most difficult duty of all is deciding what meals to prepare during the day. It’s difficult to please both youngsters and adults at the same time, so you may need to make several dishes with distinct flavours. It can be exhausting to prepare for all of those meals.

Don’t worry, we’ve got some insider tips that will make meal prep quick and easy while also giving you more time to relax. Adults and children alike will devour dishes made using these techniques. So here are some helpful tips loved by busy mums all over the world.

Meal Prep Hacks that Busy Mums Should Know

These amazing ideas will make your life as a busy mum a whole lot easier. Let’s have a look at it.

Make a One-Week Plan

Planning out your meals for the following seven days is the quickest way to cook. Take out a pen and paper and write a list of the dishes you want to make and the items you’ll need. You can then simply refer to the list and make your meals for the rest of the week because everything will be prepared ahead of time.

You won’t have to waste time or energy deciding what to prepare, and you won’t have to run to the store to pick up missing ingredients. Everything will be at your fingertips.

Get an Air Fryer

Do you want to cook fried food? Get rid of your pans and invest in an air fryer. It will provide you with the same tasty fried food flavours without the hassle of sweating while frying meals on a stove. Air fryers not only cook fried foods faster, but they also keep their nutritious value.

Even if your children dislike veggies, there are numerous wonderful air fryer vegetable recipes that will keep them coming back for more. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone; your children get to eat delicious cuisine while you get to meet their nutritional requirements.

Buy Some See-Through Containers

As silly as it may sound, high-quality containers are important. Keeping food in solid one-colour containers, in my opinion, is a horrible idea. Even if these containers are labeled, you won’t be able to see what’s inside, which is not tempting. Sometimes all we want to do is open the fridge and grab some tasty scrumptious food. We can’t really do that if we can’t see what’s inside.

It makes a big difference to have see-through containers, especially if they’re microwaveable. With see-through containers, you don’t have to waste time on a busy day opening and inspecting each container for contents; simply grab your favourite dish, heat it in the microwave or on the stove, and enjoy a delicious meal.

Put the Oven to Good Use

Do you know what smells and tastes good? Food that has been roasted. If you have an oven that has been sitting dormant for a while, heat it up.  Whether you’re cooking a quick hotdog sandwich or a whole supper for your family, a simple 5-10 minute prep time is all it takes to prepare a wonderful dish in the oven.

It even cuts down on the number of pots and pans you’ll have to clean later. To every busy mum, the prospect of less cleaning is enticing.

Pack Your Vegetables Instantly

Let’s face it, we all buy excess fruits and veggies that end up wilting and needing to be thrown out at the end of the week. However, there is a way to avoid this.

When you have extra vegetables that you don’t think you’ll use that day, simply wash, chop, and put them in a zip lock bag in the freezer while they’re still fresh.  This way, you can keep them fresh for as long as possible before using them again. This also reduces meal prep time.

Also, be mindful of what vegetables you have on hand and what you need to purchase. Before you go to the store, make a list of the fruits and vegetables you wish to buy. This way, you won’t have to worry about overspending on the food you already have at home.

Prepare Food for Two Nights

You might not have the energy or desire to cook on days when your schedule is entirely packed, such as when your children have music and dance lessons or karate classes and you arrive home just in time for supper. Your kids will be hungry and exhausted, and they won’t be able to wait an hour for food.

 For those days, leftovers are the easiest solution. Cook enough food for two evenings the day before and store it in the refrigerator so that all you have to do when you come home is heat it up and eat it. No time-consuming meal preparation is required, and there is no need to wait.

Stop Using Knives, Use Scissors Instead

This is a brilliant hidden trick that will be quite useful for busy mums. After preparing a meal, you may find yourself cutting exact quantities for your children with a knife and fork, wondering why the process is so time-consuming. That’s because you didn’t use scissors.

Yes, scissors are the most underrated kitchen tool. Instead of hacking away with a knife and fork, just cut your meal with one chop using scissors. It takes half the time and prepares perfect portions.

Buy a Rice Cooker

This is a one-time investment that you will not be sorry for. Cooking rice on the stove takes a long time. You must also pay close attention to ensure that the rice does not overcook or become mushy. This diverts time from other chores.

All you have to do with a rice cooker is put some rice in, add some water, and let the rice cooker do the rest. It switches off automatically once the rice is cooked. No more standing in front of the stove. In the meantime, you can do all of your chores and spend time with your children. With the rice out of your way, you will only need 30-35 minutes to prep your meal.

Aluminum Foil Wrapped Meals

Portioned meals, such as vegetables, chicken, or meat, can be packed into aluminum foil and cooked later in the oven or on the grill. This hack will not only save you time in the kitchen but will also be a fun activity for you and your kids to complete together.

Aluminum foil is inexpensive and may be shaped and packed into any form or size. Your children are going to have tremendous fun doing this.

Ration Screen Time

During the day, limit your children’s screen time. You can use this as a meal preparation trick later. How so? For example, say your children have returned from music lessons and are tired and hungry. Tell them to relax and put on an age-appropriate TV show for them.

They’ll be excited because they won’t be watching much TV for the rest of the day, and this will allow you plenty of time to cook supper. Your children will eventually look forward to this time of day, and you can easily fool them into forgetting that they are hungry for a while as you prepare delicious food for them.

Cheat Using Frozen/Canned Convenience Store Food

In convenience stores, you’ll find plenty of semi-cooked frozen or canned meals. You won’t have to start from scratch; simply pour these semi-cooked dishes onto a pan, heat them up, season with additional ingredients, and voila! You’ve got yourself a great quick meal.

Just make sure to check the ingredients list to see what’s in it. These foods may include substances that your children are allergic to. Apart from that, this is a clever way to make food quickly.

Keep One Day for Takeout

Choose one day of the week where you will order in. You can turn that into a family game night or a movie night or simply take your children out for a fun dinner. This will take the load off from you as a busy mum for a day and also give you time to enjoy and leave the stress of cooking behind.

Let your children pick their choice of cuisine and just go with it. This will give them a sense of freedom and they will look forward to this day throughout the week. It’s a great way to relax and bond with your family.

Are You Ready to Become the Kitchen Wizard?

With all these hacks that we have mentioned above, cooking should now be as easy as the flick of a wand. Be the food genie of the house and treat your family to quick yummy food.

Have fun!