Back To School Routines: Food Prepping
This time of year brings a shift in all our homes.
Whether you have kids going back to school or not, summer routines come to an end.
As a teacher, I personally love this time of year. It brings me a renewed resolve to start fresh! I love setting up my classroom, making new lesson plans and welcoming the change that's about to happen.
Two ways I stay organized during the school year is by food prepping, and sticking to my daily routines.
Food Prepping:
Every Sunday evening, I prep food for school lunches and dinners for the week ahead. Involving your kids in this teaches them about food, helps them feel included, and makes them feel proud to help accomplish an "adult task". They also get a bonus lesson in math while measuring.
I usually cook double of whatever recipe I am making.
For instance, I will cook a huge roast or two, or a double batch of ground turkey seasoned with onions and garlic. This creates a base for so many dishes.
I also make up a large batch of quinoa, brown rice, steel-cut oats, and hard-boiled eggs.
I use these as a base for lunches, adding to salads, side dishes for dinner and breakfast every day.
Quinoa: add to salads, soups, or with veggies for a side dish
Brown rice: base for tacos, in salads, or with veggies and chicken for dinner
Steel Cut Oats: warm up a portion each morning, add fruit, nuts, honey
Hard-boiled eggs: breakfast with an avocado, or add to salads
Putting my lunch in individual dishes helps make packing up every morning before school a breeze.
After dinner, have the kids help you pack their lunch box for the next day while you're cleaning up. Letting them make choices usually ensures they will eat what is packed.
Teaching kids to cook is a life skill they will cherish.
When supervised, they really can do a lot of things in the kitchen. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of cooking with both of my grandmas. They made everything from scratch and taught me to do the same. I think back to those times with the fondest of memories. I love passing it down to my own grandkids.
Other food prep that I like to do weekly includes:
washing fruit
washing and cutting up veggies
baking healthy snacks and freezing for later
food shopping once a week
Planning ahead makes those busy weekdays so much easier. You always have something on hand for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try it for a week and see for yourself.
Tomorrow, I'll be back with daily routines and schedules to make your days easier!
Need help, but don't know where to start? Email me, I'm here for you.
Ready to help you today,
Lisa
