Meal Planning for Toddlers: A Guide for Working Moms
Hello, my Krafty Planners! Please join me in welcoming Content Writer, Katie Pierce. She is the author of today’s post and will hopefully be sharing more with us in the future.
Juggling parenthood and work is a herculean task. While you have responsibilities for your job, you’re also responsible for a young human being or two. And as much as you want to spend as much time preparing a nutritious meal for your little one, it can be time-consuming.
So how can you save yourself some time while still giving your toddler a delicious and healthy meal?
Two words: meal planning.
Why Meal Planning is a Working Mom’s Best Friend
Time is already such a precious commodity and you stretch every bit of time you have. Preparing healthy meals for your young ones every day, especially when you’re caring for a child with ADHD, can be heavy on your already hefty mental and physical workload. Meal preparation also takes time and with a busy schedule, it can quickly turn into a chaotic mess.
When you meal plan, you take out the guesswork when preparing meals and if planned right, you can cut the prep time for every meal in half. Meal planning is also very budget-friendly, as you already know how much you’re spending for the upcoming week.
A Busy Mom’s Guide to Creating a Meal Plan for Toddlers
Meal plans can seem daunting but they’re very easy and can make the rest of your week easier. Here’s how you can start meal planning for your toddlers:
KNOW YOUR COOKING STYLE
First, sit down with yourself and reflect on your skills around the kitchen. Know your cooking style and consider your time limitations as well. The goal here is to set realistic expectations about how you can execute your meal plan for the week.
WHAT’S YOUR WEEKLY SCHEDULE?
This is best done on the weekend when you have a bit more time to spare for the planning process. Take a look at your schedule for the upcoming week. Determine when you are the busiest, when you have a babysitter over, any special occasions, and any other notable details that would affect how and when you would prepare your toddler’s meals.
ASSESS THE CONTENTS OF YOUR PANTRY AND FRIDGE
List down your pantry and refrigerator staples, these could be any ingredients or food that you need for your go-to healthy recipes and quick meals on busy nights. If you have a picky eater, what food do they have no problems with that can easily be accessed just in case it’s one of those fussy nights?
BUILD YOUR MEAL PLAN
Figure out what meals you can cook on a specific day. Consider the time it takes to prepare that meal and if you have that available time in your schedule.
If you have any healthy foods you want to include, find out how you can incorporate them into your meals and snacks. There are a lot of ways you can sneak veggies into your toddler’s meals and fruits cut up in manageable sizes (and maybe even fun shapes if you have the time) are easy ways to encourage your kids to eat healthier. Take into account leftovers as well. Leftovers can be used for meals the next day or can be creatively reworked into other meals you have planned.
Having your family involved in meal planning could also help. Ask if your toddlers have any meals they want that week, that way, it could be easier to sit them down for the meal because they’re eating food they wanted and helped plan.
Don’t forget to post the meal plan somewhere everyone can see it, usually on the fridge. If someone else will be preparing the meals, including the meal directions for the babysitter, partner, or older child.
GROCERY SHOPPING
After creating your meal plan, make your shopping list according to that plan and what you may be missing from your pantry and fridge. Meal planning is very economical and you can definitely create a meal plan on a budget.
If possible, buy from the local farmer’s market. They have fresh produce which is not only more nutritious but can also end up being cheaper than those found in retail supermarkets. If you do not have the time to shop for your produce for the week, enlist the services of a grocery delivery app.
Having a grocery shopping list and sticking to it can surely help you cut costs and meal planning can help cut down on spending even more. When you buy only what you need for your meal plan, you reduce the chances of creating food waste from produce that just ends up spoiled because it was left unused. Buying in bulk can also be less expensive in the long run, helping your budget even more.
THE POWER OF MEAL PREP
Preparing meals ahead of time can cut down on prep time on the day of. While planning your meals helps alleviate the mental overwhelm you get when deciding what to prepare for your child for the day, meal prepping makes whipping up dinner less physically demanding since you’ve already done a good chunk of the work prior.
Meal prepping is best done when you’re the least busy and you can pre-cook your meals or pre-pack the ingredients needed for every meal. To make meal prepping less intimidating, you can make your meal plan simple, only having two meals on rotation for the weekdays instead of having five different meals. That way, you can make preparations for those two meals, just in a larger quantity needed for the week. Soups, stews, and sauces are also really easy to whip up in advance and reheated when needed.
You’re Doing Great
While meal planning is a great tool to help you provide the best nutrition for your kids, just like how you choose the best high chair and utensils for them to enjoy those meals in, it won’t always be smooth sailing and that’s all right! It doesn’t need to be perfect. Just enjoy the extra bit of time you have to sit down with your kids while you share your meal.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!
Did you find this article helpful? I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to post questions in the comments below. Thanks!
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