How to Meal Prep for the Whole Family

People might write off the idea of meal prepping for the family because it seems like a lot of work. But in truth, it can be easy, cost-effective, and convenient. With just a few hours of prep, you can save time, money, and stress for the rest of the week. Plus, the right meal prep plan can ensure your loved ones eat nourishing food every day. 

Want to say goodbye to leftovers and fast food for those weekdays when you’re too tired or busy to cook? If so, read on for meal-prepping tips and ideas for families.

Benefits of family meal prep

Before learning how to meal prep for the whole family, let’s look at its benefits so you can decide if it’s the right move for you.

• Cost savings: Meal prepping tends to work best when you buy grocery items in bulk. Bulk grocery shopping to meal prep saves you money because you get more for less when buying grains, proteins, and vegetables.
• Less stress: Meal prepping once a week is less tedious than cooking from scratch every day. It can also give you more free time on your weeknights.
• Healthier diet: You can plan and prepare nutritious, balanced meals for the week. No need for unhealthy fast food or leftovers when you’re too tired to cook.
• Portion control: Part of meal prepping for the family is pre-portioning food for everyone. Pre-portioned meals help manage serving sizes and reduce overeating.

Essential tips for successful family meal prep

Now that you’re clear on the benefits of meal prepping, let’s learn how to meal prep for the whole family. And remember, these are just general guidelines. Feel free to modify these tips to fit your family’s lifestyle and dietary needs. 

Plan a weekly family menu

The first step in meal prepping for your family is to create a menu for the week, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each day. Incorporate foods all family members like to keep them engaged and on board. 

To prevent meal fatigue, experiment with different flavors and cuisines. Buying versatile ingredients that accommodate different recipes helps here. Beef, for example, can be used in stir-fries, stews, and countless other recipes. 

Need some culinary inspiration? Whether you’re looking for new meal ideas or different ways to use your favorite ingredients, there’s plenty of exciting recipes to explore online. 

Create a shopping list

You can’t meal prep without ingredients. Once you draft your menu for the week, make a list of the groceries you need. Account for each ingredient and the quantity required for the week’s meal prep. 

You can keep your list short by buying ingredients that work in multiple recipes. That also opens the door to buying in bulk, which can save you money and help cut down on food and packaging waste. 

Are you an in-store shopper? If so, consider organizing your grocery list by store sections or aisles. It’ll make shopping smoother by letting you buy everything you need in one section before moving to the next aisle. 

Prepare ingredients early in the week

Once you have your groceries, you can start meal prepping. The beauty of it is that you only need to do this once a week. For the rest of the week, you simply warm and serve the portions.

Prepping ingredients may involve cleaning and chopping vegetables and cutting or cooking meat or other proteins. If any ingredient needs cooking, this is the time to do it. You can then portion the prepped meals into containers and refrigerate.

Does preparing ingredients for the week seem like too much work? If so, lessen your labor by buying already prepped, ready-to-use ingredients like pre-cut meat and veggies.

Family meal prep ideas for the week

The rewards for eating healthy are immense. So, when creating your meal plan, aim for a balanced diet that provides the nutrients your family needs to look and feel their best. The USDA recommends eating nutrient-packed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and varied proteins.^[2]  

Get started with family meal prep

Meal prepping can help you save money and improve your family’s nutrition. Give it a try if you don’t want the hassle of daily cooking, the expense of takeout, or the unhealthiness of fast food. 

You can start by downloading the Safeway app and create a personalized Sincerely Health nutrition profile which allows you to set specific nutrition goals, create shopping lists, and offers meal planning inspiration. 

Join Safeway’s Sincerely Health and set up your nutrition profile today.