Mastering Make-Ahead Meals: Simplify Your Life with Expert Tips from Brierley Horton
Are you juggling a busy schedule, struggling with weeknight dinner dilemmas, or simply looking to bring more organization and healthy eating into your family’s routine? In this insightful feature, inspired by Episode 23 of the Healthy Family Project Podcast, we dive deep into the world of make-ahead meals with renowned registered dietitian and busy mom of two, Brierley Horton. Discover invaluable strategies for efficient meal prep, innovative make-ahead breakfast and snack ideas, effective freezer meal techniques, and so much more. These expert tips and tricks are designed to help you reclaim precious time, save money, and foster more meaningful moments with your loved ones around the dinner table.
Meet Your Meal Prep Expert: Brierley Horton, RD
Our esteemed guest, Brierley Horton, brings a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience to the conversation. As a registered dietitian and a single mother balancing the demands of raising two young daughters (aged three and six), Brierley truly understands the daily challenges faced by busy families. Her extensive professional background includes serving as the Food & Nutrition Director for the highly respected Cooking Light magazine, where she dedicated her time to developing healthy, quick, and practical recipe ideas tailored for individuals with packed schedules. Prior to that, she contributed her expertise to EatingWell magazine. Today, Brierley operates as a freelance writer and editor, consistently leveraging her registered dietitian credentials to provide practical, evidence-based nutrition advice. For Brierley, meal planning and prepping meals in advance aren’t just professional recommendations—they’re essential components of her everyday life, making her insights particularly relatable and actionable.
Unlock the Benefits of Make-Ahead Meals for a Healthier, Happier Family
Whether you’re a seasoned meal prep champion or just beginning your journey, the concept of preparing meals in advance offers a transformative approach to family eating. Brierley’s insights provide a roadmap to enjoying better meals, reducing stress, and fostering healthier habits almost immediately. From convenient breakfasts and satisfying snacks to complete dinners and freezer-friendly options, this guide is packed with strategies for every aspect of your family’s nutritional needs.
Saving Precious Time: The most immediate and often sought-after benefit of make-ahead meals is the incredible amount of time you save during the busiest parts of your day. Imagine coming home after a long day of work and school, and instead of facing the daunting question of “What’s for dinner?”, you have a delicious, prepped meal ready to go. This eliminates the last-minute scramble, reduces impulse take-out orders, and frees up evenings for family activities, homework help, or simply relaxing.
Saving Your Hard-Earned Money: Meal prepping is a powerful tool for budget management. By planning your meals and preparing ingredients in advance, you minimize food waste from forgotten produce and avoid the temptation of expensive restaurant meals or convenience foods. Smart grocery shopping, guided by your meal plan, ensures you only buy what you need, leading to significant savings over time.
Boosting Health and Nutrition: When you control the ingredients, you control the nutrition. Make-ahead meals empower you to choose fresh, wholesome components, reduce reliance on processed foods, and ensure your family receives a balanced diet. You can easily incorporate more vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, tailoring meals to specific dietary needs or preferences.
Reducing Stress and Decision Fatigue: The mental load of daily meal planning can be exhausting. By dedicating a concentrated block of time to prep, you alleviate daily decision fatigue. The peace of mind that comes from knowing healthy options are readily available can significantly reduce household stress and make meal times more enjoyable for everyone.
Weeknight Wonders: Staple Make-Ahead Dinners
Brierley shares her go-to dinner strategies that simplify weeknights and satisfy even the pickiest eaters. Her philosophy centers on preparing key components of a meal in advance, allowing for quick assembly when dinner time rolls around.
Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers: A Family Favorite
Stuffed peppers are a beloved dish in Brierley’s home, adaptable for both traditional eaters and those who prefer their food served “deconstructed.” The secret lies in prepping the savory stuffing ahead of time. Combine seasoned ground beef with Spanish rice, cook it up, and then store it in the fridge. This makes assembling stuffed peppers, or offering the components separately for picky eaters, incredibly fast on a busy weeknight. It’s a versatile, hearty, and flavorful dish that minimizes last-minute cooking.
Effortless Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
For families who aren’t keen on jarred tomato sauces, Brierley has a simple, homemade solution: an oven-roasted tomato sauce. This easy-to-make sauce involves roasting fresh tomatoes until they’re sweet and tender, then blending them into a rich, flavorful sauce. Prepare a large batch, store it in the fridge (or freeze portions), and reheat as needed for pasta, pizzas, or as a base for other dishes. It’s a game-changer for enhancing flavor and knowing exactly what’s in your sauce.
Smart Veggie Prep: Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Kale Chips
Prepping vegetables is one of the easiest yet most impactful make-ahead tasks. Brierley suggests shredding Brussels sprouts for salads or tearing kale for quick kale chips. These sturdy greens hold up well when stored properly. Pack them in freezer bags with a few paper towels to absorb moisture, and they can last in the fridge for up to five days. This simple step makes adding healthy greens to any meal or snack effortless. Plus, getting kids involved in tearing kale can be a fun activity that encourages them to eat their greens!
Comforting Homemade Mac & Cheese
A perennial kid-favorite, homemade macaroni and cheese, can also be a fantastic make-ahead option. Prepare a large pan on the weekend, and then simply pop it into the oven for a quick reheat on a weeknight. This ensures a comforting, wholesome meal without the fuss of cooking from scratch every time. It’s the perfect solution for a hearty, satisfying dinner that requires minimal effort at mealtime.
Smart Snacking: Healthy Bites Ready When You Are
The post-school or post-activity snack attack is real, and having healthy options ready to grab is crucial to avoid unhealthy choices. Brierley emphasizes the power of pre-prepped snacks to curb hunger and keep energy levels stable.
The Power of Pre-Cut Veggies
It might sound like a classic dietitian tip, but pre-cut vegetables are a huge hit in Brierley’s household. Cucumbers and bell peppers, in particular, are popular choices. Chop them up and store them in a Tupperware container on an eye-level shelf in the fridge. When kids open the door, these vibrant, healthy options are the first thing they see and are likely to grab. Other easy options include olives and pickles, which, while salty, can be a quick fix when other pre-cut options are low. Brierley also champions blanched green beans, often making extra portions with dinner for snacking throughout the week.
Homemade Hummus & Quick Breads
Homemade hummus is another excellent make-ahead snack, serving as a perfect dip for those pre-cut veggies. It’s often preferred over store-bought varieties for its fresh taste and customizable ingredients. Additionally, quick breads like banana or pumpkin bread (and even zucchini bread, as Brierley and her daughters enjoy making) are fantastic. Kids can often help with the baking process, and these nutritious breads serve double duty as both a wholesome snack and a quick breakfast option.
Spotlight Recipe: Delicious & Easy Make-Ahead Egg Muffins
For a perfect make-ahead snack or breakfast, consider the versatile and protein-packed egg muffin! These simple muffins are incredibly easy to prepare on the weekends and can be customized with your family’s favorite vegetables. For instance, you can use our Mission for Nutrition partners’ produce like Avocados From Mexico, Pero Family Farms® mini sweet peppers, and Earthbound Farm® baby spinach. Simply mix your egg base, add your chosen fillings, bake in a muffin tin, and you’ll have quick, reheatable breakfasts all week long. They are car-friendly, portable, and take just a minute to warm up in the microwave. This recipe is a fantastic way to incorporate healthy ingredients and keep breakfast interesting by varying the fillings daily. Watch the video and get the recipe on YouTube for inspiration!
Conquer Breakfast: Easy Make-Ahead Morning Meals
Breakfast can be a particularly tricky meal to manage on busy mornings, but with some clever make-ahead strategies, you can ensure a nutritious start to the day. Brierley shares her top tips for conquering the morning rush.
Customizable Cooked Oatmeal
While overnight oats might not be a hit with everyone, cooked oatmeal often is. Brierley recommends preparing a large batch of oatmeal on a weekend morning. Store the leftovers in the fridge, and in the mornings, simply scoop out individual portions and microwave them for a quick, warm meal. To boost flavor and nutrition, add frozen fruit like blueberries, mango, or raspberries before microwaving – they’ll cook down and blend beautifully with the oatmeal. This makes for a wholesome and satisfying breakfast with minimal fuss.
Freezer-Friendly Pancakes: A Weekday Treat
Pancakes aren’t just for lazy Sunday mornings! Brierley often makes two or three times the amount of pancakes her family will eat in one sitting. The extra pancakes can be wrapped in foil and refrigerated or placed in a freezer bag for longer storage. On weekday mornings, simply pop them into a toaster on the defrost setting, and you’ll have perfectly warmed pancakes in about 30 seconds. This strategy allows for incorporating whole grain or other nutritious flours, and even sneaking in some shredded zucchini for “green sprinkles” as a fun way to get more veggies into kids’ diets!
Nutritious Quick Breads (Banana, Pumpkin, Zucchini)
As mentioned in the snack section, quick breads like banana, pumpkin, or zucchini bread are incredibly versatile. Baking a large loaf or batch of muffins on the weekend ensures you have healthy, homemade options ready for breakfast or snacks throughout the week. These are also great for involving kids in the baking process, fostering an appreciation for homemade food.
Mastering Freezer Meals: Practical Tips for Busy Households
While Brierley doesn’t typically dedicate full days to “dump meal” style freezer prep, she skillfully utilizes her freezer by thinking strategically about leftovers and batch cooking. Her approach is about maximizing what you’re already making to save time later.
Freezing Leftovers Wisely: Instead of preparing specific meals *just* for the freezer, Brierley focuses on making larger batches of items her family loves and then freezing the excess. This includes hearty soups and chili, which freeze beautifully and make for excellent quick dinners or lunches. Quick breads and pancakes also freeze exceptionally well. If she has extra quick bread batter, she’ll often pour it into mini muffin tins, bake them, and then freeze the individual muffins. These can be thawed and reheated for speedy breakfasts or snacks.
Beyond Casseroles: While many associate freezer meals with casseroles, Brierley’s strategy proves that diverse options exist. The key is to think about what components or full dishes can retain quality after freezing and reheating. This might include cooked grains, roasted vegetables, or even individual portions of protein that can be added to fresh components later.
The Unexpected Freezer Culprit: A Relatable Anecdote
Brierley shares a humorous and relatable story about her own freezer experiences. She recounts a period where her freezer wouldn’t stay shut, leading to an elaborate rubber band system to keep the door closed. After exhausting all her own troubleshooting efforts, she called a handyman. The surprising culprit? An “overstuffed freezer problem” caused by her overflowing collection of frozen bananas! This serves as a great reminder that sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective, and keeping your freezer organized is key for its proper function and for easily finding your prepped meals. Don’t let your healthy intentions become a freezer impediment!
Strategic Meal Planning: How to Find Time for Prep
The idea of meal planning and make-ahead meals can feel overwhelming, but Brierley offers practical strategies to integrate prep into even the busiest schedules. The key is to shift your mindset and take small, manageable steps rather than aiming for perfection.
Embrace Small Chunks of Time
Instead of scheduling a massive, intimidating meal prep session, Brierley suggests leveraging small windows of opportunity. A lazy weekend morning or afternoon, perhaps when kids are at a playdate, visiting grandparents, or attending a birthday party, can provide just enough time (30-45 minutes) for simple tasks. Use this time to prep veggies, mix dry ingredients for muffins or quick breads, or assemble a casserole base. Evening hours, after kids are in bed, can also be productive. If you’re a night owl or an early bird, identify times when you can engage in “mindless” but productive tasks that you find relaxing, like baking or chopping.
Prep As You Unload Groceries
One of Brierley’s most ingenious tips is to perform some prep immediately upon returning from the grocery store. As you’re unloading, if you grab a bag of sweet peppers, take a moment to chop them right then and there, before they even hit the fridge drawer. This simple act of “prepping as you put away” dramatically increases the likelihood of those ingredients being used in future meals or snatched as snacks. It capitalizes on the momentum of unpacking and saves crucial minutes during hectic weekdays.
Discover Your “Mindless” Prep Tasks
Everyone’s preference for kitchen tasks differs. What one person finds relaxing, another might find stressful. Identify the prep activities that you find enjoyable or “mindless.” For Brierley, it might be baking; for someone else, it could be chopping vegetables or assembling simple components. By focusing on tasks that don’t feel like a chore, you’re more likely to integrate meal prep into your routine consistently. The more you practice, the more rewarding it becomes, solidifying the habit.
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Dive Deeper: Listen to Episode 23: Make-Ahead Meal Ideas Now!
Ready to hear all of Brierley Horton’s incredible tips and insights directly? Tune into Episode 23 of the Healthy Family Project podcast. Listen to the full conversation and start transforming your mealtime routine today.
Want to skip straight to a hot topic? See time stamps below. But of course, we recommend listening all the way through for the full discussion!
- 1:11 Meet Brierley
- 2:19 Staple make-ahead dinners
- 6:04 Make-ahead snacks
- 10:10 Healthy Bites Break with Mission For Nutrition Partners
- 12:14 Breakfast meal prep ideas
- 15:41 Freezer meals
- 23:14 How to make time for meal planning
Expand Your Make-Ahead Repertoire: Relevant Links & Favorite Recipes
More Meal Prep Inspiration from Healthy Family Project
- 24 Healthy Recipes That Reheat Well
- 15+ Make-Ahead & Freezable Meals
- 6 Tips for Freezer Meal Success
- 12 Essential Meal Prep Tools
- Follow Brierley on Instagram for daily antics and nutrition advice!
Brierley Horton’s Favorite Make-Ahead Recipes
- Granola Bars
- Baked Mac & Cheese
- Banana Bread
- Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
Continue Your Healthy Journey: Other Podcast Episodes to Check Out:
- Ep. 22: Meal Planning for Busy Families
- Ep. 21: Meal Planning & Cooking with Kids
- Ep. 9: Quick & Easy Dinner Hacks
- Ep. 7: Lunchbox Meal Prep
- Ep. 1: Meal Planning for Beginners
About The Healthy Family Project Podcast
The Healthy Family Project Podcast is your go-to source for engaging conversations covering hot topics in the world of health, food, and family. With a refreshing dose of fun, we aim to help families smoothly transition into a vibrant, fresh, and healthy lifestyle.
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Are you an expert interested in sharing your insights with our audience? If you would like to be a guest on the Healthy Family Project podcast, please contact [email protected] with your topic idea for consideration.
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Full Episode 23 Transcript
This transcript was produced by Otter.Ai. Please forgive any misspellings and grammatical errors.
00:13
Welcome to the healthy family project by produce for kids, covering the hot topics in the world of health,
food and family with a dose of fun. Today we are talking to Brierley Horton, who is a registered dietitian
and has an extensive background writing for some of your favorite food and health focused magazines.
She is a busy mom of two and here today to keep us on our mission for nutrition theme with the
conversation about make ahead meals. Let’s get started with today’s topic. Welcome to the healthy
family project barely It is exciting to speak with you today and we do share a mutual friend who has been
on the podcast previously. Holly Granger she is definitely part of the meal planning game to Holly
Granger of clever full living with Holly Granger. So before we jump in on our topic today with you make
ahead meals can you tell listeners a little bit about yourself and your background?
01:08
Absolutely. And thank you for having me. So I’m Brierley Horton. I was most recently the Food and
Nutrition Director for cooking light magazine. The bulk of my days there were spent really focusing on
how to give readers healthy and quick recipe ideas like very busy readers. Before that I was with eating
well magazine. And now I’m freelancing. I’m writing for different outlets and editing. And of course
wearing my registered nutrition. Excuse me, my registered dietician, nutritionist hat. And then a big part
of my time is spent being a mom, I’m a single mom, my daughters are three and six. So meal planning,
and prepping ahead is something that I actually do a lot of in my everyday life.
01:58
Wow. Well, you are busy. And it sounds like you’ve done a lot of wonderful things sounds like you have a
lot of experience and some tips to share with us today. So let’s get started with our first question. What
are your staple, make ahead ideas for busy weeknight dinners.
02:17
So I am a big fan of prepping out elements of dinner in advance so that then my whole meal can kind of
come together faster when my kids are running around and playing and starving from after school. And
so stuffed peppers are really really really popular with my with my kids and one of my daughters loves
them, you know cooked all together and then my other daughter likes them deconstructed. So I will often
make the stuffing in advance. I put together some ground beef and some seasoned Spanish rice. I’ll cook
that up and then I’ll throw that in the fridge and that way I can stuff my peppers or make my
deconstructed version like very quickly for all of us for dinner on any weeknight. Another one that is really
popular in my house is it’s a roasted tomato oven sauce for whatever reason my kids are not big fans of
jarred tomato sauce. So I make this roasted oven sauce, it’s very easy to put together, I throw it in the
oven, cook it up, and then again into the fridge and I can reheat individual portions of the whole thing.
And another thing I like to do is kind of prep out my vegetables in advance. So I’ll shred brussel sprouts
for brussel sprouts salad, I’ll tear kale for kale chips. And actually my both of my daughter’s love to help
me with that. And both of those items, because they’re those sturdy greens they pack up, I just they pack
up really easily in one of those like freezer bags with a couple paper towels in there to draw the air out of
it. And it will keep in my fridge for I mean up to five days sometimes. So that just makes it really, really
simple. And if I find myself having some extra time on a weekend, I’ll make some homemade mac and
cheese, which my girls love. And then all I kind of have to do is just pop it in the oven, and maybe help
them with, you know, a little bit of reading or something else along those lines while it cooks. And then
we’ll sit down and have that for dinner.
04:21
I love it. It sounds like those. I love that you were like these are the staples. I know what I know what
they’ll eat, I know what we can do. And I also can sympathize with your deconstructed child because I
have one of those as well where I have one that eats it the way it’s made and the other one wants
everything deconstructed. So we also do that in our home.
04:41
Yes, well and what I like about it, honestly, is that it still lets us all eat the same thing. So then I’m not
having to prep anything else and I just you they just get it in pieces and parts.
04:54
Right exactly. That’s it so I say whenever it’s like I’m not a short order cook I swear I’m making the same
thing it just, you know, it only takes an extra second to when I’m making the, you know the batch of
whatever that might be to just kind of put that aside instead of of putting it all together. So awesome.
Well, those are some great ideas, we’ll link up to any of the links to those recipes that you might have in
our show notes. So if you’re listening, just take a look over there if you can, you can find those. Alright,
so let’s move on to snacks. I know when my kids walk in the door on weekends after a big tennis match,
you know, they’re they’re really wanting to eat right away. And truly when we get home from work in
school, if I don’t have something ready, I probably have about two minutes before they’re standing in
front of the pantry door. Literally like eating out of the pantry just standing there. So what are your
thoughts on good make ahead snack ideas for you know, just easy grabbing and eating. Right when I
guess right when you’re coming in the door.
06:01
I know that pantry eating habits. I just graduated to that, like just my older daughter. And now it’s my
younger daughter as well. And I keep it I see them walk over there. They don’t say anything. No. What
are you doing?
06:17
I know and they stand right there. They don’t even pick it up and take it I go find a seat. Find a seat if
you’re eating find a seat, but I got to break that. But anyway.
06:29
So to answer your question, you will laugh at me and you will say oh my gosh, such a typical dietitian
response. But it really is true. I’m not I’m not lying that pre cut veggies are actually really huge in my
house. So if I can take my girls and guide them from the pantry to the fridge, they will reach for
cucumbers or bell peppers, which they both happen to love. So that’s something that I will often chop up
and just talk into a Tupperware and I put it on a shelf that is eye level for them. And I mean, they’ll open
the door and they’ll go for it. They also actually are big fans of olives and pickles, which I don’t know if I
don’t think all children are fans of those, but they are and so even though they’re salty, sometimes those
can be good go twos if I don’t have anything already cut up in advance. And then I personally am a huge
fan of blanched green beans, I don’t know why and so they’ve gotten hooked on them too. And so often
when I make if I make blanch green beans for dinner, I will make like three times the amount that we
might eat at dinner and that way we all can kind of snack on them over time. Like throughout the week
rather not just indefinitely. But what else so i My kids love hummus more than I love hummus but I also
love a homemade hummus versus a storebought so sometimes I’ll make a big batch of that. And that’s
an easy delivery device with those veggies as well. And then we’ve really gotten into a lot of like banana
and pumpkin quick breads. And my older daughter really loves to bake like she for whatever reason she
finds it fascinating she’s six and she’s already gotten into cracking eggs and so will often make that either
the quick bread or the muffin version and that I’m fine with them having that as a snack. And also then it
gets repurposed as breakfast.
08:36
Yeah, those are those are great ideas I’ve definitely I’m there with you when I feel like whenever I cut the
veggies and also I feel like I level is key like when they open the fridge those things being right at eye
level for them they will definitely grab grab ahold of those and snack on those and I I purposefully even
even with the hummus I try to like put things right there where they’re going to see them. And we talked
about the pantry they laugh because they go Why are why are these things up so high in the pantry, we
can’t even reach days like well there’s a method to my madness. I have to hear the stool being pulled out
and then I am aware that you’re going for the top shelf. But those are those are really great ideas and the
bread making I think, you know, I’m not the greatest at baking I try but my older daughter as well also
really enjoys baking so if we can get like a zucchini bread, they love zucchini bread. If we can get a
healthier version of the zucchini bread made on a Sunday. They too will will take it in their lunch so eat it
for breakfast. They’ll have it for a snack. So those are those are some really great ideas. We’ll even
freeze it sometimes if if I can make some extra. Well, yes. So those are some great ideas. I’ll be adding
some of those to my list for sure. Alright, time for a healthy bite. Today we are talking all about make
ahead meals. So Grace is here with us with an idea from our produce for kids recipe bank, thank
goodness too because I was getting really hungry. So
10:14
okay, so today we’ve got egg muffins. These are really great to meal prep on the weekends. You just get
your muffin tin out, make the base egg mixture and throw in whatever mixins veggies you want. How
does that taste?
10:29
I think I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
10:32
Yeah, so it’s really good. Make it on Sunday, make a big batch and you could easily reheat them in the
morning on a busy morning. It takes a minute to reheat in the microwave and you’ve got a car friendly,
portable breakfast to take on the go really healthy, protein packed. And the best part is you could just
customize with whatever veggies you have on hand you have one random broccoli floret chop it up,
throw it in there make different combinations.
10:55
Really, really delicious. So today it looks like we have the combos here, spinach and peppers. And then
we have an avocado and bacon which is which is perfect. And I guess you could really get creative with
these with your kids still.
11:10
Yeah, and if you wanted to make a different combination for every day, you know so you can switch up
your breakfast if you’re one of those people who gets bored of having the same flavors every day. This is
perfect for that. Alright, so this healthy bite is brought to you by our mission for nutrition partners, payroll,
family farms, sweet peppers, Earthbound Farm, baby spinach, and avocados from Mexico.
11:31
Be sure to check out mission for nutrition comm for recipes or free downloadable meal planning ebook
prizes and more. And now breakfast is tricky, but I know I see things like overnight oats, which I haven’t
been successful with, but neither of my girls are oats eaters. I am they are not so I haven’t been too
ambitious. going down that path. I have done the breakfast burritos. My older daughter really likes those.
What are your favorite make ahead breakfast ideas.
12:01
So we have a similar thing in our house where the overnight oats are not popular and eggs have, for
whatever reason fallen out of favor. So they do however, like cooked oatmeal. And so I will sometimes
make a big batch on a weekend day and put it in then put the leftovers in the fridge and dole it out and
just microwave it quickly during the week. There also, I feel like most kids tend to like fruit a lot. So I’ll
always keep like frozen fruit on hand and then kind of like pour some blueberries or mango or mango
seems to be very popular in our house or frozen raspberries on top so that when I microwave it, it kind of
all cooks together. What else do we do for breakfast? I mean, I did I talked about the breads, the banana
bread and the pumpkin bread. zucchini bread, we went through a zucchini bread stint too. So I’m with
you there. I used to make a lot of homemade granola bars, which they loved. And now I think just
because they’ve gotten into some packaged granola bars, you know, not as much. And then the other
one is pancakes back to the cooking thing. They both actually really liked to cook pancakes. And I mean,
I’m sure there are people out there who will say oh my gosh, I can’t believe you let your three year old flip
a pancake but I do let her flip of pancakes she supervised I promise. She is but I do let her flip a
pancake. And so if they asked for pancakes, I mean I will make a I the same thing as the green beans
like I’ll make two or three times what we’ll eat and then I’ll either wrap them up in tinfoil in the fridge or put
them in a freezer bag and put them in the freezer. And then I just have like your regular old toaster and I
just pop them in the toaster and hit the defrost button. And they are like perfectly cooked in 30 seconds
for weekday breakfast. And so that’s been really popular and especially because with with pancakes, I
can you know I can get in some whole grain or all grain flours, if I kind of want to mix it up from just
straight up on purpose.
14:12
And I feel like there’s a lot you can do with pancakes. It’s one of those where it’s like, I feel like I could fit
a lot of healthy ingredients into these. And I try to be creative with with my girls like oh, you know, well,
they’re a little bit older now. But when my eight year old was a little bit younger, she kind of hate to say I
tricked her but I’m like, do you want the green sprinkles and it would be just shredded zucchini. She’s
like, Yeah, give me the green sprinkles. That I’m like, they’re not really the same sprinkles you get on the
ice cream cone but they’re kind of sprinkle li Yeah, so I think pancakes are a great idea. Those are
always a fan fan favorite good ideas there. And then Okay, so that’s some great breakfast ideas that we’ll
definitely link up to in the show notes. For you guys some pretty easy to, I think the key is just really
when you’re making something, taking that second to stop and think, can I make a little bit more of this?
And like, how can I use it? You know, because that’s, that’s really, really key in this whole meal planning,
meal planning mindset that we’re in. Now what about make ahead meals that you freeze? What are your
thoughts? Do you have favorites or ideas on that?
15:29
I do. I have ideas. To be totally honest, it’s not something that I do a ton of going back to what you were
saying just now about how sometimes it’s really just about shifting your mindset and saying, Hey, I’m
already taking the time to make this is it something that I could also increase make ahead, freeze,
refrigerate, whatever. And because I tend to err in that direction, I don’t necessarily like Make, make
something in advance to not eat that like to not eat in the short term and, and shove it in the freezer. So
like you won’t find a bunch of casseroles or something in my freezer. That said, I will freeze soups, or if if
I make chili, or I love my mom’s chili, so if my mom comes to visit, she’s pretty awesome about making a
huge batch of chili, we’ll eat it and then I’ll put some up in the freezer. The same thing with the quick
breads, I’ll often make them into like if I have a little extra than what I want to fit in my loaf pan. I might
pour some into like a mini muffin tin and then make pop those mini muffin versions into the once I’ve
cooked them obviously into the freezer. And again back to the pancakes I’ll do that as well. But nothing
nothing earth shattering so soups, Chili’s muffins, quick breads, pancakes, those, you know those kind of
items. And, and honestly like with the quick breads and the pancakes like sometimes, especially when
eggs were more in favor in my house, like I would do breakfast for dinner if I was really in a pinch
because I you know I had would have those items on hand and then just, you know, serve it with some
fruit, which I know will go down and and with some eggs. And I mean, that even works for me. So
17:19
yeah, and we talked about this, I think on a couple of different podcasts. So many people say have said
as a suggestion, like it’s okay have breakfast for dinner, like the kids will love it. You know, it’s like
opposite day or, you know, like there’s take the pressure away, you know, it’s fine.
17:37
Well, no, I see it on the school lunch menu. My, my older daughter is a big fan of the school lunch. And
she gets excited when they have, you know, breakfast on the lunch menu. So the nice part to like, for us
adults is like maybe we don’t want to eat pancakes for dinner. I mean, I like my dad. He’s like, he’s really
like, there will be no sandwiches and there will be no breakfast for dinner. Like you’re having dinner for
dinner. And so if that’s the case, I mean, I’ve what I’ve done before is I’ve you know, made a eggs and
paired it with some pancakes for them. And then for myself, I’ve just tossed up like a quick green salad.
And I’m talking like, a salad dressing with lettuce. And that’s it. But it goes really nicely with eggs and you
get it on the brunch menu.
18:23
Exactly, no, I love it. And and I’m kind of with you were, as you were, as you were answering that I was
thinking, you know, I don’t go in to my meal prep zone thinking I’m going to make this and freeze it. For
ahead, I am more like you where I make a bigger batch. And if I do have extra that I know, we won’t get
to within the next couple of days, then I tend to freeze at that point for a later date. But I know there’s a
lot of info out there that you know, the dump meals, the slow cooker, you know that you kind of put
together whatever it might be into a freezer bag and then are able to just kind of dump that when you
need it. But my mindset has not shifted to that point yet, but that’s okay. And then we do in our house. It’s
I mean, it’s not really a make ahead meal. But we do a lot of freezing of fruits and whatever we might be
using in a smoothie. Just you know, it cuts back using you’re not using the ice or whatever, you know, it’s
just I hate to waste anything as many people do. So as soon as I start to see that my fruit has maybe one
day left or you know we’re nearing the end, then I’ll say alright, I’m chopping all of this right now. And I’m
putting it in a freezer bag because I know we’ll use it in a smoothie down the road.
19:50
Oh, yes, yes, I actually do we have time for a very quick story. Oh, yeah. Good. Okay, so. So I would say
like a couple months ago I kept having this trouble with my freezer where it wouldn’t stay shut. And so I
had had this system rigged where there were a series of rubber bands wrapped around the door handle.
And I took one of those, like plastic hooks with the sticky back on it and put it on top of the fridge and
tuck to the rubber bands up there. So it was like this system that was keeping my freezer shut. And I
couldn’t figure out what it was like I had worked on the seal. And anyway, it finally got to the point where
even my rubber band system was not working anymore. And so I texted a friend. And you know, I have
only lived here in Birmingham for two years. So I didn’t have a refrigerator repair person yet. So I texted
a friend and I said, Hey, do you have a refrigerator? repair person that can come out and look at this,
like, I cannot figure out what’s going on? I promise you I’ve tried everything. So she sends her friend over
who’s a handyman. And you know, I have had him before. So I trusted him I left the key out he let himself
in. He fixed the freezer, he let himself out. I found the key under the mat. I came home and my rubber
band system is gone. And holy cow, my freezer door is working, like miraculously working again. So I of
course gets so excited. And I text her and I said, Hey, look what happened. What did John do? Like he
didn’t leave me a note. He didn’t send me a text like but he fixed my freezer. She raised me back. She
said you have an overstuffed freezer problem. And it was your frozen banana collection was like jammed
behind a freezer door that I couldn’t see because it was like this overflowing frozen fruit collection that I
have. That was the problem. So like here, I felt like I needed to get a whole new something or other for
my freezer and turns out it was the frozen bananas. That bad. I just chuck them in the freezer and then
turn them into bread or put them in smoothies. And that was you know, what was the whole reason that I
had a repair person need to come to my house. That’s just
22:10
one of those. I mean it funny in relation to the frozen bananas, but just life in general, where it’s like, I just
keep shutting this why isn’t it shutting? And you just need someone to be like, Oh, you frozen bananas?
Yeah. Oh, my Well, that was that was a hilarious story very, very relatable, I’m sure to many people.
Okay, so we have one more thing. So we’re all time starved. And I know meal planning make ahead
meals can be intimidating to some, some of us, many of us. So if we do want to get started on this make
ahead meal bandwagon. How would you suggest penciling in the time to do it? Do you have a strategy?
22:56
I do. I am one of those people where if I said okay, this weekend, I’m gonna plan to do make ahead meal
planning. I mean, I will find a million excuses, I will find laundry and dresser drawers and who knows
what else to distract myself. So instead, I kind of have tried to shift my mindset and say, Okay, I’m not
going to get everything done. But let me just do a little bit. And it makes you know, and it makes it
enough of a difference that it’s kind of rewarding. So I would say take advantage of like either a lazy
weekend morning, or a lazy weekend afternoon where maybe your kids are off at a playdate or visiting
grandparents or they’re having a sleepover if they’re old enough to have a sleepover or they’re going to
birthday party and you’ve you know planned to carpool with another parent in the neighborhood or
something along those lines. And so maybe you only have you know, half an hour, 45 minutes, and you
just take a little bit of time to prep your veggies or mix together the you know, the dry ingredients for a
muffin recipe or a quick bread. I’m also a night owl. And I know everybody is not a night owl. So I but I
think this can apply to our early morning people as well. But you know, after I get my kids to bed and I’ve
cleaned up from dinner, I don’t necessarily always have the energy to sit down and do a little bit more
work or read a book because I’ll fall asleep quickly. And you know, maybe I’ve worn out my TV shows or
whatever that I want to watch. So instead, for me baking is very relaxing. And so I’ll take that that time to
to bake something, or even to just prep the ingredients to then mix it together and bake it in the morning
or something along those lines. And that’s kind of like I think if you just take little chunks of time or times
where maybe you won’t be super productive at something else. But you can pick some type of prep that
is fairly mindless for you and I think that it varies like maybe somebody else might find making a suit
mindless and baking stressful, like just just kind of ID what works for you and try and squeeze in a little
bit here or there. And then the more you do it, and I say this about meal planning in general, like the
more you do it, the more rewarding it is. And so then the more likely you are to continue to repeat that
habit.
25:17
Right? Yeah, that that makes a lot, a lot of sense. You see the results, and so you’re more likely to go
alright, I could do this I like to when we get home, from the grocery store. But as I’m taking things out and
understand this may not be the best time for everybody. But right then, like I pull the sweet pepper bag
out of my grocery bag and say, You know what, just chop it right now, before you even put it in the fridge
before it even goes into the veggie drawer. Just chop the peppers because you know that you’re gonna
use them. If they’re chopped, even, you know, my kids will grab them and eat them with a dip or
something. And I’ll be more likely to use them in a recipe. And I know I always say it sounds so crazy to
say, lazy I guess so feel like oh, I don’t only doing this because the peppers already chopped, like how
long does it really take but I’m telling you on a in a pinch on a weekday, I will throw together like a one
pot pasta with all of that those things that I chopped on Sunday, like thank you, like past self past
Sunday. So for doing that, because you just save the day. So I think if we can just keep that in mind, like
you said kind of be one, when it does work out on our favor. Remember that when we feel like, don’t
really want to do this, just take it in small, small doses and just chop the peppers and then go do
something else. And then maybe come back and slice the cucumber and go do something else.
26:43
Well, and it cuts down on time after you’ve made it. So going back to your peppers and pasta, like if
you’ve already chopped up the veggies, and then you want to put it into a one pot something or a pasta
something. In theory, you then don’t have the cutting board and the knife in addition to the pot and the
spatula or spoon or whatever to to wash. And so that does save time as well like in that on the back end.
But I love that tip of doing it when you come home from the store because well, first of all, I never thought
of it. But also you kind of are in that mindset. Everything’s already like laid out on your counter. So you
can kind of just pack off a little bit of it and pack it all up and be done.
27:28
And that’s kind of how I see it because I have seen it, you know, the trend is in my house. If I unload it,
maybe it gets pushed to the back of the fridge or it gets stuck under, you know, whatever else I have in
there. And I forget about it. So while I’m over here, preaching about eye level and the kids need to see it.
I guess it’s just as much for me as well that you know if I can see it and I know it’s already kind of there
and ready to go, then then it makes it just so much easier.
28:00
Yes, absolutely.
28:02
Well, wonderful. This has been awesome chatting with you today. Thank you for joining us. Hopefully,
we’ll get to talk again soon. I guess just if you want to let people I don’t know if there’s social media or
anywhere that people can find you.
28:18
Yeah, so you can usually see my day to day antics on Instagram. I’m at Brierley Horton, and either in my
stories or in my actual Instagram feed, and you’ll see a fair amount of mom life stuff, but also nutrition
articles that I’m writing or food articles that I’m writing. I’m really just just trying to offer people some real
life everyday advice.
28:43
Well, wonderful. Thank you again, everyone. Go out and follow her on your Instagram and we will talk to
you soon.
28:51
Thank you so much.
28:53
There’s so many things we can make it head to make our lives just a tad easier. The Links can be found
in the show notes so you can snag up all of these great recipes and ideas mission for nutrition is going
on for another week. So head to the mission for nutrition.com to download your free ebook for a week of
meal plans and awesome tips over there and then you’ll automatically be entered to win one of our great
weekly prizes. So next week, we’re giving away a KitchenAid mixer, definitely get over there and enter to
win through the month of March. So we’re nearing the end here. National Nutrition Month we are talking
meal prep all month long. If you haven’t listened to episodes 22 and 21 yet, be sure to go back and do
that for your complete meal planning, meal prep education. If you are meal prepping, we’d love to see
your pics. So use the hashtag mission for nutrition on social and we’ll be sure to repost and interact with
you there. If you want to tweet direct with me. I’m at Amanda M Kiefer on Twitter. And you can find
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