These 5 Meal Prep Steps = Smooth Week Ahead

So, you’re loving the Scottsdale Moms Blog Sunday Meal Planning Series, are you? Take those recipes and combine them with our local expert organizer’s steps on getting your meal prep organized, and you’ll have a much smoother week! 

Step 1. Create a “Best Of” List
Having a handful of tried-and-true, family favorite meals is great for cutting down on the “what should I make?” dilemma. No need to reinvent the wheel each week! Some of our favorites on constant rotation include Quinoa Chicken Chili, Paprika Grilled Chicken Thighs from Well Fed, marinated grilled veggies, and True Food Kitchen’s Tuscan Kale Salad. I could probably make these in my sleep!

Step 2. Get Inspired
Sometimes you need to keep those taste buds guessing, your culinary skills fresh, and your kids trying new foods regularly by getting inspiration. For this, I always head to my Pinterest boards. I keep them subcategorized so each board reads “FOOD : Salads,” “FOOD: Veg/Vegan,” etc. and I’m not scrolling through a giant, unorganized list.

Step 3. Make a Weekly Plan
Three years ago, I made a DIY menu board and it changed.my.life. Once I started to put an official menu up for the week, it affected the way we ate, the way we shopped, the way we planned, and the way we spent our money on food. It became a source of accountability. Our meals became healthier, we wasted less, and we knew what we were having for dinner every night – a consistency that naturally led to more time at the dinner table together as a family. So every Sunday, I write up a menu and I stick to it.

Step 4. Shop Efficiently
My other secret weapon is using a grocery list app. I use Shop List Free (it’s free!) and it’s the best one I’ve found. Once I plan the week’s menu, including ideas for lunches and snacks, I use it to build a clickable checklist of all the ingredients I need and head to the store. If my older daughter is with me, she loves to be my “list checker” (which is a reading lesson in itself) and we know that if it’s not on the list, we can’t buy it. No arguments. Saves money, saves time!

Step 5. Organized Prep
After we get home, I clear the decks and it’s time to prep! I channel my inner sous chef and spend about an hour or so with a little “mise en place,” just like in a professional kitchen. Preparing as much as possible ahead of time is the key for staying on track with the week’s menu. Knowing I don’t have to chop or boil something – especially on those busy weeknights – is such a lifesaver. Before I start, I write out EVERY task down to the simplest thing (ex. “boil rice” or “chop bell peppers”) and send my husband outside to grill up the week’s proteins or veggies. I also take this time to pack individual snacks for when we are on-the-go. When everything is done, they go into clear storage containers and are labeled with a dry erase marker. Just like organizing any area of the home, the same principle of “if you can’t see it, you won’t use it” applies in the fridge!

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Do I have weeks that I can’t get to my Sunday meal prep? Of course! Life happens. But on those weeks where I haven’t prepped, I feel frazzled about what to make each night for dinner, we don’t eat as healthily (takeout, anyone?), and I end up spending more money making multiple trips to the grocery store. I encourage you to take a couple hours each week – it doesn’t have to be on Sunday! – to prep yourself and your family for a stress-free week of good eating. Bon Appetit!

Photo Credit : All photos by Neat Method

About Our Guest Blogger:

Mika Perry is Neat Method’s Scottsdale gal, whipping up Valley homes into tip top shape as a luxury residential organizer. Born in Japan but raised in Arizona, Mika is a Sun Devil through and through. She aspires to be supermom to her two girls and cherishes time with friends and family. She takes on any challenge, and has even tackled an overnight run in the desert. She loves classical music, but secretly listens to hip hop. She’s obsessed with neon, anything monogrammed, and big hair. She worked in finance before shaping young minds as a teacher. She believes in the art of entertaining and thrives on being head chef during holiday gatherings, making her Neat Method’s Master of Kitchens. Follow Mika on Instagram, Pinterest, and NEAT’s blog here :: View another SMB post by Mika here.