Back to School Meal Planning + Pure Plate Catering

I know, I know…and I say it every year, but man, did this summer fly by! I can’t believe it’s August! Shopping for school supplies, thinking about the new year and all its possibilities, and getting back into a weekly routine are, in my opinion, the fun part of the back-to-school season. My least favorite part of prepping for the year ahead? Thinking about and planning the routine that is… mealtime! I don’t know about everyone else, but trying to fit in a quick (healthy!) breakfast before the bus, packing lunches, and the “what’s for dinner?” bombardment every evening before we’re off to the activity of the day is easily my least favorite part of the school year. If you and I are on the same page, read on for the tips I think ease the dreaded mealtime madness of back-to-school season.

You want to prepare and create a routine as much as you’re able! To make your mornings more seamless, do as much as you can for the next day the evening before. Just as you would lay out outfits, pack backpacks, and do homework the evening before, you also want to prepare packed lunches ahead of time! Pack lunches, pick out and pack the day’s snack, and fill tomorrow’s water bottles before going to bed each weeknight.

To make this prep even easier (and to perhaps allow older children to have accountability over their own lunch), keep all school lunch and pre-packaged kids’ snacks in one spot within the pantry or cabinet. Make sure these supplies are easily accessible to all family members who are part of the packing process.

The simple answer? Meal planning will save you time and money! By meal planning for your week, you eliminate wasted moments trying to figure out what to cook for dinner, running back and forth to the store, and spending money on ingredients that you can’t use for complete meals. Yes, it will take a little extra effort and preparation, but the time spent on the front-end far outweighs the alternative!

Meal planning not only saves you time and money but also reduces stress when entering the work week by helping you feel prepared. In addition, meal planning helps reduce waste because you’ll thoughtfully use purchased items in a timely manner. Ingredients being forgotten, never used, and expiring will be a thing of the past!

The top mistake people make when meal planning is attempting to do it alone. I encourage you to enlist your family for input/help with meal planning because they will also be eating the meals! Kids and spouses can assist with finding recipes, making meal suggestions, creating shopping lists, writing out a menu for the week, labeling items, and even grocery shopping. As a fellow mom, I know we’re often inclined to take on this burden ourselves, but…you shouldn’t! Including the family is not only helpful but also creates quality time and builds useful skills for adulthood.

Another big mistake people make when first giving meal planning a go is choosing complicated recipes. Yes, of course, it’s good to try a new recipe every once in a while on a more relaxed night, but having flexible meals for flexible schedules is key! Make sure you have some easy recipes and ingredients on hand (think spaghetti, frozen pizza, etc.) that you can whip up on the fly on the more hectic nights. And don’t forget to utilize your frozen foods and leftovers! I see many clients forgetting about this, which leads to maxed-out space, expired goods, and unnecessary spending. Make sure you build those leftovers into your weekly plans to avoid waste!

The final mistake many folks new to meal planning make is not writing it down. Sure, mental notes and lists are great, but for meal planning to work properly, you want to put it in writing! I always suggest keeping lists that pertain to the family in a high-traffic area (such as your command center). For meal planning, the kitchen makes the most sense. I love the family menus that are magnetic and can be attached to the refrigerator for everyone to see. Acrylic menus are also a great (reusable) option for any large, blank spaces on a kitchen or hallway wall.

The best way to begin is by creating a meal planning routine. I suggest choosing one day a week to dedicate to planning/shopping and sticking to it. Weekends are great for this because you can plan your meals, knock out your shopping, and do as much prep work as possible without having to balance work/school schedules as well. You also want to think about:

• How many multi-use ingredients can you incorporate into your recipes
• The most efficient way to shop for the meals you’ve planned
• A schedule to prep as much as possible ahead of time each week
• The number of dishes/cookware you’ll need available and clean
• The storage of the prepped meals

Meal prep can be a lot of work! It’s worth it, but a lot of work. If this all seems a little out of reach for you/your family in the current stage of life, consider enlisting the help of a professional such as our friends at Pure Plate Catering. Chef Chris started Pure Plate Catering because he wanted to help families simplify their meals and reduce mealtime stress so they could begin to enjoy food again. The Pure Plate team caters corporate events and private gatherings and offers both drop-off and full-service catering in Allen, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and the surrounding North Dallas cities.

Pure Plate not only offers corporate/private catering, but meal prep and delivery as well. If you aren’t quite ready to jump headfirst into the task of family meal prep yourself, allow Pure Plate to step in and get you started. Chef Chris’s team creates wholesome, ready-to-enjoy meals for your busy life. Not only are they gluten-free, organic, and crafted with care, but they’re DELICIOUS. And the very best part? They’re delivered straight to your door! Menus rotate weekly to ensure variety, and you can customize and pick meals that are the perfect convenience for your family when that midweek chaos hits.