Meal Planning & Prep

Batch Cooking and Ready-to-Eat Meals

No series about meal prep would  be complete without touching on batch cooking and freezing leftovers.  Batch cooking is such a time saver, and sanity saver when you need meals in a hurry.  Our freezer is always stocked with heat and eat meatballs, chicken strips, and soups that are a great alternative to the processed versions you find at the grocery store.

The easiest way to stock your freezer is to cook extra each time you make a recipe.  When I make anything for the family, I make enough to have leftovers.  After a few days, whatever is left uneaten gets divided up and tossed into a freezer safe container.  This turns into quick lunches and dinners when we don’t feel like cooking, or forgot to pack a lunch!

Batch cooking requires a little more preparation.  Two things that my kids love are meatballs on a stick, and chicken strips.  I keep these on hand by prepping them ahead of time and tossing them into the freezer.  Find a recipe you love, or borrow one of my favorites from below.  Make more than you need for the week, and keep the rest frozen for a rainy day.  Easy peasy!

Kid-approved chicken strips from PaleOMG

The soup we always have on hand for winter sniffles from Fed & Fit 

Veggie loaded meatballs from the Real Food Dietitians