Does even the thought of making dinner stress you out? Dinner time doesn’t need to be chaotic. Here are 10 tips to help you plan out your meals, save time, and take back dinner time.
1. Plan Out Your Meals
Make a calendar of all your dinners for the month on the last weekend of the month. Then you’ll have plenty of time to grocery shop for all the ingredients that you’ll need. You may be able to buy things ahead like pantry items and freeze any meat needed for the meals. Then, you’ll just need to shop for produce each week. The more pre-planning you do, the less stressful dinner time will be and you’ll never be left not knowing what’s for dinner.
2. Meal Prep
Meal prepping, especially on the weekend, can set you up for the week. Investing in single-serve Tupperware is the first step to successfully meal prepping. Then, you’ll even have dinner ready if you’re on the go or working late.
3. Use a Delivery Service
If you enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, a meal delivery service may take the stress out of dinnertime for you. Some services like Blue Apron even offer an option where meals are almost fully prepared and just need to be put in the oven. Many companies offer discounts when you sign up, so you’ll save money on meals as well.
4. Set a Specific Dinnertime
If you and your family members are all eating at different times, or worse eating different meals, no wonder you’re stressed out! Believe it or not, only 30% of families eat together regularly, despite a plethora of research showing how beneficial sharing meals is. Try to set a consistent dinnertime each night to streamline mealtime.
5. Use Paper Products
Is cleanup after dinner bringing you down? Try using paper products. For an eco-friendly option, try to use recycled paper products. The fewer dishes you have to do, the less chaotic dinner time will be.
6. Utilize Leftovers
Do you try to repurpose leftovers? If not, you’re missing out on making dinner-time prep easier. When you’re planning your meals out, make sure to account for leftovers and how you’ll repurpose them. You can easily get a few meals out of pasta and meatballs, such as using them for meatball sliders the next night. Get creative with your leftover food, and you’ll never waste leftovers again.
7. Make Crockpot Meals
Utilizing your crockpot means that you can throw several ingredients together to create a delicious dinner. You can even keep your crockpot on low throughout the day until you’re ready to eat. Some people even find that putting all of the crockpot meal’s ingredients in a gallon freezer bag makes the process even easier.
8. Stockpile Your Freezer
If you don’t have a lot of time in the evenings, you may want to make meals ahead and freeze them. Casseroles tend to freeze well, and then all you have to do is throw them in the oven. Make sure to label when you make the food and use it within three months for best results.
9. Create a Meal Train
Meal trains aren’t just for new parents or if someone is sick. You can create a meal train for family and friends so that you all prepare meals for each other. This is very helpful on busy weeknights when you’re short on time.
10. Save Your Favorite Recipes
Having an arsenal of saved recipes can save you time when you’re in a pinch. Some people find it helpful to save their favorite recipes on social media, well some people still enjoy writing down recipes and keeping them in their kitchen for easy access.
How do you take the stress out of dinner time? Let us know in the comments.
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Teri Monroe
Teri Monroe started her career in communications working for local government and nonprofits. Today, she is a freelance finance and lifestyle writer and small business owner. In her spare time, she loves golfing with her husband, taking her dog Milo on long walks, and playing pickleball with friends.
