For kids, August means the last days of freedom before school starts. For parents, August takes on a completely different meaning! We are faced with crazy, hectic days filled with lunch packing, homework doing, sports playing, and activities, activities, activities.
And somewhere in there, you have to eat dinner!
Family meals are probably one of the biggest challenges parents face as their children head back to school. But carving out even 30-minutes for a healthy, homemade family meal can make a huge difference.
It’s been shown that families who regularly dine together see increased communication with their kids, improved relationships all the way around and decreased risky behavior in their tweens and teens. Additionally, children learn better eating habits that last a lifetime.
Now, we all know that sometimes eating on the road is unavoidable. There will be those nights where you literally have 10 minutes to stop, change into a uniform or practice gear, grab a quick dinner to eat in the car, and go!
But, what about those nights where there’s 45 minutes to an hour to spare? It may not be enough time to prep, make and serve a meal from start to finish, but it is enough time to sit down to a healthy, homemade meal.
This is where Prep Dish comes in handy. The Prep Dish philosophy is “Shop once, prep once, enjoy healthy, stress-free meals all week!” By planning and prepping ahead of time, you can take advantage of those nights and spend 30 of those minutes as a family sitting together and fuel your kiddo(s) up for the evening with a homemade, healthy meal.
Prep Dish recommends taking one day to grocery shop and prep for the whole week. On this Prep Day, you will spend about 2 hours chopping, slicing, and dicing produce; preparing marinades; cooking grains; and setting up a week’s worth of meals, breakfasts, and snacks that will be ready to go, with little or no additional work, when you’re ready to enjoy.
Here’s how the Prep Dish system will work for you:
- Make a plan
Take time at the beginning of the week to figure out what meals and snacks you’d like to serve during the week using the Prep Dish meal planning service! Meal plans are set up so you can mix and match weeks to meet your family’s preferences/needs.
- Create a list
Grab your grocery list and head to the store, or use your favorite online service.
- Prep your meals
Spend 2-3 hours, one day per week, to prep all of your meals and snacks. Prep Day is the perfect opportunity to get the kids in the kitchen helping too!
- Heat, dish, and serve
When you’re ready to eat, reheat your prepped meal and finish any small prepping. Now you can enjoy eating as a family.
Planning and prepping ahead may seem like a lot of extra work, but it will save tons of time during the week. And it only gets easier as you go along!
Here’s what a few of Prep Dish’s customers have to say:
“As a mother to a two year old and five month old, finding time to plan and prep healthy meals is challenging for me. With Prep Dish, I can capitalize on my children’s nap time to prepare healthy (and delicious) meals for the week! Love, love, love your excellent customer service and yummy recipes. Seriously, Prep Dish is the best. I am SO happy!! Thanks Allison & team!” – Malin
“This service has saved us time and energy, enables us to spend more time together, and has made our lives healthier.” – Davey
“Love, love love Allison’s meal plans. Prepping ahead is such a time saver! And my kids are actually eating healthy ;)!” – Anna
“It is all so organized and simple. The first thing that struck me was just how easy the meals were going to be to make and prep. Typically with other people’s meal plans or guides, I feel like I spend more time in the kitchen. With Prep Dish, I was able to cut down on prep and cooking times while providing much more creative dishes to my family.” – Chandice
Giveaway!
Enter to win three months of Prep Dish Meal Plans (a $42 value)! To enter, simply fill out the form below. One winner will be selected at random on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 and contacted by email. Sweepstakes Official Rules. If you cannot see the entry form, please visit the original post to enter.
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Special Deal for Free Fun in Austin Readers!
Even if you don’t win the giveaway, Prep Dish is offering a special deal, just for Free Fun in Austin readers. Click here to receive 1 month of Prep Dish’s meal planning service for only $4! That’s $10 savings on a month’s worth of gluten-free and Paleo meal plans, grocery lists and prepping instructions sent straight to your email every week!
