When people ask me how I manage to make meals from scratch while working full time I can think of several tips to share, but my single greatest tip is to just do it. We have made a commitment to eating home-cooked meals at our home for our general health but also to avoid MSG, an ingredient to which I am incredibly sensitive. Thus, whether I want to or not, whether I am tired or not, whether I want to lay on the floor kicking and screaming “I don’t wanna” or not, I make dinner.
Once you have made the commitment to serve a home made meal every night, here are some tips to help make the preparation as easy and smooth as possible.
Making Meals Everyday:
1. Plan everything. On Sunday, I sit down with my menu for the week (I plan menus for a month at a time while doing large shopping trips) and determine side dishes and veggies/fruit to go with each meal. I write this full plan on the white board on the fridge. Planning sides and veggies/fruit before the week starts eliminates the need for me to be “with it” enough at the end of the day to plan a healthy meal. I can just mindlessly follow what is written down.
2. Prepare ahead of time. I also use my Sunday time to make sure that we have all of the ingredients on hand and that they are ready for use. I get meat ready to thaw or start it thawing. I make sure that bread is made if we will need it. I check the milk and make sure that I don’t need to start another gallon thawing. I also make sure that there is enough mix for any of my MSG free replacements that I will need during the week.
3. Thaw your meat in the morning. I am not always good about remembering this step – I must be honest! In the morning, pull any meat from the freezer to the fridge to thaw during the day. This prevents having to spend time on quick thaw methods in the evening and long thawed meat is much better!
4. When you get home, don’t sit down!! When I get home I quickly check my email (while standing) to make sure that my husband has not sent me a message that we will be having company for dinner. I then begin preparing immediately. If I sit down to read the mail, read, work, etc I will notice my exhaustion and have a horrible time becoming inspired to get up and work in the kitchen. I don’t even change out of my work clothes; I just add an apron and get started immediately.
5. Wash dishes as you go. Does your dish need to simmer for 10 minutes? Wash every dish that you have used thus far and allow it to start drying. As much as possible, wash dishes as you go.
6. Clean up as soon as you are done. Put leftovers into containers to be taken in lunches tomorrow. Wash the dishes and allow them to begin drying. Pack the dishwasher and start it if necessary.
7. Sit down and enjoy! You have a belly full of nutritious food that you made yourself – get on with your evening and enjoy!
Some Simple Planning Tips:
1. Drink water at meals. It’s quick, easy, healthy, and cheap.
2. Use canned or frozen produce at dinner time. Pull it out and heat it up – quick and healthy side!
3. Use freezer rolls. I make small rolls and freeze them every few months. We then pull the rolls we need, microwave them, and have them with dinner.
4. Plan meals with down time in the preparation. Meals such as spaghetti have down time when the pasta is boiling during which you can wash dishes and prepare side dishes. Casseroles and lasagnas have time in the oven. On nights when you tend to be exhausted or have less time to clean up afterward, plan these meals to save yourself some time.
Hopefully these tips will help you turn your desire and commitment to make homemade meals during the week into a possibility. As always, take it slow and don’t expect to completely change habits overnight. Take it slow and plan to make a few homemade meals the first week, a few more the next, etc. until you are able to make yummy homemade meals every night. Nobody is perfect, so take it easy and enjoy the process!
Do you have any other tips, questions, or thoughts for preparing meals after a long or hard day?
I love your tips! I also cook right away when I get home, referring to my meal plan that is on the fridge. Since I also teach full time and have two small children, I have come up with a few other strategies that work for me. One is to always have the ingredients for a simple, quick meal available. Many times it is a pizza dough in the fridge, since pizza can be made in 5 minutes, cooked in 20, with only one piece of stoneware to clean. I usually plan pizza for Friday, knowing that if the week gets crazy, I can make it when I need it and just cook whatever meal I have had to put off on Friday instead. Many nights, once the kids are bathed and to bed, and all of my regular tasks are finished, I start the next night’s dinner. I may just cut up the stir fry veggies, or I may roast a chicken. It makes coming home the next day even easier, knowing dinner is almost complete. I plan left-over night as well….I call them “planned overs.” It helps lighten the load of cooking all of our meals, and it helps ensure we don’t waste any food.
I really enjoy your blog. Thanks for your posts!
Renee