Are you a busy mom who doesn’t have a lot of time to cook at home?
If you’re like many moms, you might feel too tired in the evenings to prepare a meal for your family. Or maybe you’d like the chance to spend less and save more money on food that will end up lasting longer than takeout or fast food. The following cooking ideas can help make cooking at home easier when you don’t have much time.
- How to Cook at Home for Busy Moms?
- 1. Make oven meals in advance
- 2. Have a slow cooker recipe ready to go
- 3. Cook ahead on a free weekend
- 4. Try meal kit delivery
- 5. Use a sous vide machine
- 6. Prepare tasty snacks in advance
- 7. Plan your menu ahead of time
- 8. Eat less processed food
- 9. Prepare family-sized portions in advance
- 10. Try out a variety of cooking methods and recipes
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How to Cook at Home for Busy Moms?
1. Make oven meals in advance
If you find yourself pressed for time after dinner is over, consider making an oven meal ahead of time (e.g. lasagna). You can even cook double or triple batches and freeze portions for later use. This is an especially good idea if you have children who can eat the same meal for lunch or dinner.
Cooking ahead of time can make dinnertime less stressful as you will be able to plan accordingly with your family’s schedule.
This is especially helpful if children have a variety of activities that restrict the amount of time available for dinner preparation or clean-up afterward.
2. Have a slow cooker recipe ready to go
When you don’t have time to cook, try using a slow cooker. All you have to do is prepare your ingredients in the morning, place them in the pot, and set it on low for 6-8 hours. At dinner time, you’ll be able to serve healthy food. It’s a great way to save money by eating at home and avoiding the hassles of fast food.
You can also buy pre-made slow cooker meals from grocery stores or online if you’re feeling especially pressed for time. It’s an easy way to get the convenience of takeout without sacrificing nutrition or flavor!
3. Cook ahead on a free weekend
It may sound counter-intuitive but if you’re short on time, try cooking ahead on a Sunday. Prepare your ingredients on the weekend and cook everything in bulk for later use during the week.
Cooking on Sunday will not only save you time during the week, but it can also be a great way to spend quality family time with your loved ones.
Also, cooking with children is a great way to introduce them to healthy foods and teach them skills that will stick with them for years. Try getting your kids involved while you cook on the weekend.
4. Try meal kit delivery
Meal kit delivery is a great way to simplify your life and improve your health. A meal kit delivery service sends you pre-measured ingredients with recipes tailored to the season, or a special occasion so that you can create a gourmet-quality meal at a fraction of the cost and time of going out to a restaurant.
The kits come with all of the ingredients needed for one dish from start to finish, as well as detailed instructions on how to prepare them. If you have kids, it’ll be easy to find kid-friendly recipes as well!
Here are some meal kit delivery services you could try:
5. Use a sous vide machine
Sous vide machine is a great way to cook in the convenience of your own home. Simply vacuum seal your ingredients, set the temperature and timer, and let it do all of the work!
Using a sous vide machine will definitely free up your schedule if you’re short on time.
6. Prepare tasty snacks in advance
On busy days, you never know what sort of snack your children will want or when they’ll be hungry for lunch at school or work. To make sure there’s always something healthy and delicious around the house, consider preparing a variety of quick and nutritious snacks in advance.
You can keep pre-wrapped snacks in the fridge, then simply grab one and go. This way you’ll have plenty of healthy nutritious food around so you won’t be tempted to order takeout!
7. Plan your menu ahead of time
Knowing the week’s menu in advance will be much easier to plan your groceries shopping list and avoid spontaneous trips to the grocery store.
Keeping a menu planner is also helpful if your family has special dietary needs or restrictions, so you can plan meals accordingly. For example, planning an easy vegan meal during World Vegan Month will help simplify your life!
8. Eat less processed food
In today’s busy world, moms have many reasons to feel overwhelmed by their daily routine. If you want to simplify your life and cooking routine, don’t forget about the ingredients you’re using.
Eating more whole foods is an excellent way to reduce grocery shopping time and meal planning. Plus, you’ll be able to make the most of your grocery budget with nutritious ingredients.
9. Prepare family-sized portions in advance
If you have the time and energy, try preparing large portions of food for your family to enjoy at home. This is a great strategy if it’s not always possible for moms to cook fast meals because of their work schedules. You can cook an easy meal on a weekday and prepare large portions. Freeze the extras in meal-sized containers for busy moms to reheat at home when they don’t have time to cook.
10. Try out a variety of cooking methods and recipes
If you don’t have time to cook at home, try different cooking methods and recipes to find one that suits your lifestyle and schedule. You can use the slow cooker or oven or do some experimenting with skillet meals, casseroles, and stir-fries. Try to enjoy cooking at home even if you are busy because it’s a way of spending more time with your kids. Also, if you are shopping for the best cookware, read our 5 Best Types of Cookware for Easy Meals.
Since cooking at home may be the best way for busy moms to prepare healthy, nutritious meals that can be frozen or reheated later, it is important for them to find recipes that suit their lifestyle. The 10 tips in this article are just some of the things that can help with this. By keeping these things in mind, busy moms can find cooking at home easier and more manageable.
Hi – I’m Alina and I am a soon to be mom going through the journey of becoming a parent. I am a writer at heart and I love sharing about pregnancy tips and other busy mom hacks.