As school comes back in session in just a few short weeks, it’s almost time for your family to get back into a normal routine. There will be homework, parent-teacher meetings, clubs and sports, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg! It’s challenging to come home at the end of a long day (or in between evening activities) and take the time to plan, prep, cook, and eat a family dinner together. It’s almost just as hard to get everyone to eat a balanced breakfast! Preparing some meals now for once life gets busy again will save you time and stress. Here are some tips and ideas to help you build up your freezer meals for busy families.
Here are some other quick and easy breakfast ideas for those rushed morning.
You are much more likely to actually make these meals, which won’t be eaten anytime soon, if you choose recipes that are easy and use only a few simple ingredients.
When planning which meals you’d like to make, it helps to plan a group of meals that use similar ingredients. This will save you money and eliminate too much food waste.
Freezer Meals For Busy Families So You Can Eat Homemade Meals All Year Long Click To TweetYou don’t have to make all of your meals at once. You can prep the veggies one day, store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and make a couple meals each day for the next few days. You can also just make double of whatever you’re eating for dinner tonight, and store half for later!
This is a good time to enlist help from your kids, no matter their age. Even a two year old can toss chopped veggies into a dish. It’s a fun activity for those hot summer afternoons, and (hopefully) will speed up the process.
Be sure to label your meals with the name of the dish, the date you made it, and any special instructions that you want to be sure not to forget. You could also add other fresh ingredients you might need to remind yourself to buy the week you eat it- for example, avocados with enchiladas or plain yogurt and chips with chili.
Freezer meals don’t have to be limited to dinners — breakfasts and snacks can be prepped and stored, too! Here are a few of our favorites freezer meals for busy families.
Breakfast:
Pancakes and/or Waffles
Muffins
Lunch:
Smoothie Packs (also great for breakfast)
Even PB&J Sandwiches?! (Great for packed lunches!)
Dinner:
Enchiladas
Lasagna
Chili
Soups
Sloppy Joes
Stir Fry
Shepherd’s Pie
You can find recipes for freezer meals just about anywhere — Pinterest, magazines, family and friends, and good ol’ Google. Let us know some of your favorite freezer meals for busy families in the comments.