Quick Meals For Busy Soccer Families

Having a house full of children involved in5) Double recipes and put half in the freezer for
extracurricular activities can put a strain on theanother meal.
food budget as well as the physical and emotionalIf you don't want to take the time to make a
health of the family. Families on the go will drivefew preparations when you come home from
through the local restaurants or heat storeshopping, get in the habit of doubling your recipes
prepared meals, which tend to be morethat you do cook from scratch. Most meals
expensive than preparing meals from scratch.freeze well. Make double batches of casseroles,
Likewise, these solutions are not as healthy sincestews, spaghetti, chili, etc. Then cool half the meal
they tend to have more fat, calories and sodium.down and store in the freezer for later in the
Here are a few suggestions for preparing healthymonth.
and inexpensive meals and still taxi your children6) Cut, peel and store vegetables and fruits.
to their hobbies and sports.On the same day as you are preparing the
1) Plan a day where you have enough time tomeats, take some time to peel, cut and store
shop and complete a few preparations.fresh fruits and vegetables. By keeping trays of
What's that saying? "An ounce of prevention isfresh fruits and vegetables on hand, you'll always
worth a pound of cure." Whether you shop oncehave healthy side dishes to accompany your main
a week or once a month, plan to purchase all thedishes.
ingredients for your family's favorite meals. then7) Brown hamburgers and sausages for tacos,
plan enough time that day or the next day toSloppy Joe's and casseroles.
begin preparing these meals. Pick a day when theBrowning hamburger meat and sausages while still
kids are in school, over at a friend's house orfresh eliminates the need for thawing prior to
being watched by a responsible person. Being ablepreparing. Go one step further and brown several
to shop and begin preparations without beingpounds at once. Then divide the meat up and
interrupted is key to making the rest of thisseason on batch of tacos, one for Sloppy Joe's,
process easier.one of spaghetti, sauce, etc. If your family likes
2) Marinate meats prior to storage.casseroles, go ahead and assemble it and freeze
Save yourself a step or two by taking your meatit for a future meal.
out of the original packaging and place it in a8) Keep basic ingredients on hand.
storage container or freezer bag. A quick andWhether the family staple meals are tacos, sub
easy way to marinate the meats is to purchasesandwiches, "make-your-own" pizza or BBQ
prepared bottled marinades an pour over the topchicken breast, keep all the necessary ingredients
of your meats prior to placing them in theon hand. Stock the pantry with taco shells, sliced
refrigerator or freezer. If you shop for more thanolives, canned mushrooms, store brand pizza
one week, you'll need enough room in yoursauce, etc. If the main dishes in the freezer or
refrigerator or freezer to store especially if yourefrigerator match up with the ingredients on
don't have time for this step after you shop.hand, the first one home can start preparing the
Make sure that you marinate and freeze ormeal while the others start arriving.
marinate and cook your fresh meats within 2-39) Store left over meals in microwavable
days of purchase. When you thaw the meats thecontainers or dishes.
are ready to prepare without the extra step ofInvest in microwavable containers and dishes,
marinating.especially ones which are divided. At the end of a
3) Prepare hamburger dishes ahead of time.meal, separate out the main dish and side dishes
A family favorite is frozen hamburger or turkeyinto these containers for ready-made microwave
patties on the grill. Making your own patties savesdinners. Again, these are a cheaper solution than
the cost of buying brand prepared patties. You willprepackaged frozen meals. Make it a fun and list
also prepare the patties to your family's taste bythe different meals on menu and let your family
adding onions, spices, green peppers, etc. Mix thepick which they want to heat up and eat.
ingredients into the burger, form patties, place10) Remember to take your meal out of the
them on a wax-lined cookie sheet and "flashfreezer to thaw!
freeze" (about 30 minutes in the freezer) beforeThe hardest part for a busy family might be
storing them in an airtight container. These canremembering to take the semi-prepared meals
come out of the freezer and straight to the grill,out of the freezer so that they are ready to
especially if you forgot to take something out toprepare or eat. In that case, those frozen meat
thaw for dinner.patties or meatballs come in handy. Or make it an
4) Make a batch or two of meatballs."upside-down" day and have cereal, scrambled
Prepared meatballs for spaghetti or sub rolls caneggs or pancakes. The kids love these nights.
be both expensive and fatty for what littleIf these simple tips work for you, over time you
amount you receive in the store packaging. Justmight consider purchasing a vacuum sealer,
like hamburger patties, prepare your meatballsespecially if you don't plan to use the foods soon.
ahead of time. You'll want to at least brown them,They might become freezer burned. Also, a
if not fully cook them before flash freezing themvacuum sealer can keep foods for a couple of
and storing them. These are also a quick andmonths. Finally, having extra meals on hand saves
ready solution if you don't have any meattime if suddenly someone you know needs a
thawed. The meatballs can go directly into the potmeal because of illness, hospitalization or a new
while you are warming your sauce and boilingbaby.
your noodles.