How to Meal Plan as a Working Mom

It is strawberry season in North Carolina and that makes me happy! We stopped by the produce stand this weekend to pick up a bucket. One of my favorite breakfasts during the week is a bowl of berries and yogurt topped with granola. I try to prep this the night before by putting the fruit and yogurt in a bowl so that I only have to add the granola in the next morning.

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What are the benefits of meal planning?

Over the weekend I read a great post about a family that was able to save $100 a week by meal planning. That was very motivating to me. I know that meal planning saves money and enables us to eat healthier. I never really thought about how much it could be saving us.

I am hoping to start making more of our snacks. This past weekend I made granola bars with chocolate chips, almonds and dried cherries.

How to Meal Plan as a Working Mom

As a working mom, I find it very important to have a meal plan. There isn’t a lot of extra time to think about what meals everyone will be having throughout the week.

Let me just share the process I find that works well for me as a mom that works Monday through Friday. I do all my meal planning and grocery shopping on the weekend.

For the meal plan, I plan for Saturday through Friday. When I am on top of my game, the meal plan includes weekend meals that can be repurposed for Monday and Tuesday dinners.

Cooking on the weekends and utilizing leftovers are two important strategies for meal planning as a working mom.

Being able to use leftovers works great for my family. If I know I can repurpose leftovers those days, I plan for simple meals on Wednesday and Thursday. This could be whole wheat pasta with a jar of sauce. Using the crockpot is also a great way to meal plan as a working mom.

On Fridays, we usually have a school event or try to have a quick dinner out as a family. We also use this as an opportunity to order pizza or have make your own pizza night at home.

Quick Breakfast Ideas

As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy prepping my breakfast of yogurt, granola, and berries the night before. I also prep smoothies since the kids enjoy that for breakfast. Another great breakfast prep is Overnight Oats.

Simple Meal Plan for Working Moms

Using these simple tips and strategy, here is an example of how our meal plan will look for the week.

• Saturday – Crock Pot Barbecue Pulled Pork, Roasted Potatoes, and Green Beans
• Sunday – Oven Baked Fajitas served with Black Beans
• Monday – Barbecue Sliders with Baked Potatoes and Peas
• Tuesday –  Rice Bowls made with meat from Oven Baked Fajitas
• Wednesday – Marinara Pasta served with Tossed Salad
• Thursday – Spinach and Mushroom Quiche served with Salad (The kids probably won’t eat this so I will make sure we also have some leftover pasta.)
• Friday – Food Truck Friday at Gavin’s school

This week we are trying a recipe that we haven’t had in a while, Oven Baked Fajitas. We love Mexican food in case you have not already noticed. We also love being able to use a meal from the weekend to make rice bowls. Rice bowls are so simple to make. I can use a Steamfresh bag of brown rice that cooks in 5 minutes and add the meat from the weekend with a can of black beans for a quick and easy dinner that the whole family enjoys. You can top it with shredded cheese, salsa, avocado, corn, lettuce and/or sour cream.

That is our plan for the week! I would love to hear what’s on the menu at your house! Also feel free to join my Healthy Meal Planning on a Budget Facebook Group for more meal planning inspiration.