As a busy parent in Queensland, sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Between school pickups, grocery shopping, sports practice, housework and late work meetings, you’ve a lot on your plate. So, it is understandable that you might not feel like there is enough time to prepare healthy weeknight meals day after day.
Of course, you’ll want to feed your kids something nutritious. But by the time you’ve walked through the door after work, or you’ve managed the after-school routine, the last thing you’ll want is to spend hours slaving over a hot stove.
Thankfully, there are ways to make simple, tasty, and quick family dinners on weeknights, even for time-poor mums and dads.
This guide will share some practical ideas and time-saving tips you can employ to stay on top of meal times, even when life gets hectic.
1. Try a meal delivery service
For those nights when you just can’t face cooking, there’s no shame in getting a helping hand.
Companies like MACROS meal delivery in Brisbane offer fresh, ready-made meals that are designed by dietitians and prepared by chefs.
The great thing about these meals is that they’re portioned, balanced, and cater to different dietary needs. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you require a low-carb, high-protein, or plant-based cuisine; there’s an option for you.
2. Plan just three meals a week
A little planning goes a long way. While you don’t have to turn meal planning into a full Sunday session involving spreadsheets and ChatGPT research, planning just three easy meal prep ideas can be a real game-changer for those who are time-poor.
When doing this, think of dishes that are flexible and can use up what’s in the fridge and pantry. Some good options may include:
- Stir-fries with frozen veg and lean protein
- Pasta with added grated veggies and cheese
- Burrito bowls with rice, beans, and salad bits
Best of all, if you find you have leftovers, you can always have them with wraps or as is for lunch the next day.
3. Build a meal rotation
Sometimes, the problem is not knowing what to cook. That is why it is a good idea to compile a list of your favourite meals, which you can keep on rotation.
Ideally, you should try to have at least 10 healthy school night dinners on this list to avoid eating the same thing repeatedly. However, the more you can have, the better.
Within that, it is also a good idea to have a couple of standard nights. For instance, Taco Tuesday and homemade pizzas on Friday.
Doing this will take a lot of the guesswork out of deciding what to make for dinner. Once you’ve got the hang of your schedule, it will also become easier to shop for and prep your meals.
4. Embrace 15-minute meals
Jamie Oliver has a book and a YouTube channel promoting meals you can make in just 15 minutes. And this is a fabulous concept for those who are short on time to adopt.
A recent report by the Meat and Livestock Australia revealed that the average person spends around an hour preparing and cooking meals every day. Therefore, you can save a lot of time and energy if you cook some of his time-saving dinner recipes.
Some good recipes to keep up your sleeve include:
- Grilled fish with a pre-packed salad
- Veggie omelettes with toast
- Chicken wraps with salad and hummus
- Frozen brown rice stir-fried with eggs and vegetables
This kind of weeknight meal inspiration is ideal for when you’re short on both time and energy.
5. Prep ingredients, not meals
Meal prep doesn’t necessarily mean cooking whole meals on the weekend. Sometimes, it’s actually a case that chopping veggies or marinating protein ahead of time is enough.
Having cooked rice, boiled eggs, or a few containers of sliced carrots and cucumber in the fridge can make it so much easier to throw a meal together quickly. Doing this is a great habit to support healthy eating habits for families. Even prepping one or two items each week can cut your cooking time in half.
Here are some good tips on how to prep meals.
6. Choose recipes that use just one pan
One-pot dinners can be a real lifesaver because they save time on both cooking and clean-up.
There are plenty of these types of dishes you can choose from, including easy chicken hotpot or a simple creamy avocado pasta. These are both healthy weeknight meals that can be rustled up easily.
7. Cook once, eat twice
One of the best time-saving hacks for dinner is to batch cook. By doubling up on ingredients and repurposing them, you essentially make one main meal that you can eat twice.
For instance, if you roast a tray of chicken on Monday, you can have the leftovers with wraps or pita bread on Tuesday. Likewise, if you make a veggie curry, you can turn what you didn’t finish into a soup with added lentils the next day.
This trick works well with families who want balanced and healthy weeknight meals for children but don’t want to cook from scratch every day.
Spanning Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and beyond, Kids on the Coast is an online guide and printed free magazine for parents. With kids events and activities, attractions & things to do with kids, schools and education, school holiday guides, health & wellbeing for families, parenting and lifestyle news. Located on Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast & Brisbane, QLD. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through links, at no cost to you.
