Need a few extra tips to make meal prep easier for the back-to-school season? Here’s how to manage different schedules and keep meals healthy, yummy, and simple:

·       Encourage kids to help pack their own lunch. This gives them a bit of responsibility and takes some of the pressure off you. Spread out a nutritious assortment of fruits, vegetables, and snacks and have them load up their lunch bag while you work on the main item.

·       Keep a list of meal ideas to fall back on throughout the year. Kids can get finicky or lose interest in foods quickly. To help keep things fun and delicious throughout the school year, write up a list of easy main meals to refer to such as a sandwich, wrap, or quesadillas.

·       Buy snacks and sides in bulk. Keep the pantry stocked with all of the go-to snacks the kids like. From crackers to granola bars or pudding cups, having side items on hand makes prepping lunches even quicker.

·       Prep some foods ahead of time. To save time during the week, consider prepping some items on Sunday afternoons. Chopping up fruits and vegetables or rolling up slices of cheese and deli meat and storing in an airtight container cuts down on time spent during the busy week!

Create a menu with the kids. Start off every week with a menu. Get the kids in on the planning process and then post the menu on the fridge so they can help pack bags as needed. Planning a menu makes it so there’s on less thing to figure out every morning.