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I have been compiling and testing easy meals for tired moms since my kids were born
I love to cook but between my tiny kitchen and my kids…
Cooking crazy meals is just not possible
That doesn’t mean I don’t make healthy and delicious meals though!
It just means that I have had to be creative and try things that I never thought about before kids
I could just give you a few of my favorite meals, but I want to get you started on trying your own tastes too
So I want to give your types of easy meals for tired moms
That way the ideas aren’t limited by what my family likes
What to cook when you don’t want to cook
We all have those nights where we just don’t want to cook
Maybe it’s been a long day, or the temperature is too hot for the oven or stove
Whatever the reason, planning for those nights can save you!
I meal plan every Sunday
I used to do meal prepping, but I am currently just meal planning
When I choose my meals for the week, I purposefully choose 2 or 3 meals that are easy and fast
I have twin toddlers, two dogs, chores, two businesses, and my sanity to take care of
It isn’t a question of if I’ll be too tired to cook…
It is a question of when will I be too tired to cook
There are many meals that are perfect for when you are too exhausted to cook (keep reading for a list!)
Choose what style works best for you
Test out recipes
Not every recipe will be a winner for your family
But you have never-ending options to try!
What you should eat when you’re tired
Another way to help you when you are too tired to cook is to eat things that give you energy
This doesn’t mean drinking coffee or energy drinks
Foods high in vitamin B will give you an energy boost
Making your favorite meal will give you a mental energy boost
Drinking more water can increase your energy as well
Try different things and see what helps you
Even if it is only a small change, it can still make a difference
Making after-dinner cleanup easier
I enjoy making dinner, but the thought of the cleanup can make me not want to cook
Cooking takes energy and so does the cleanup
There are ways that I found that help!
I try not to make a lot of trash, but sometimes I need the extra help
If you are using a crockpot, get the liners!
The liners will make cleanup almost instant after dinner
I line my pans with foil before putting them in the oven
Instead of scrubbing the pans after I use them, I just remove the liner and rinse them off
Another option is to choose a one-pan meal
Instead of having three pans to wash, these meals are made to only dirty one pan
The more that you can do to limit cleanup, the better off you’ll be when it’s time to cook dinner
7 types of easy meals for tired moms
There are different kinds of recipes that are amazing easy meals for tired moms
Take a look at other factors when choosing what to make too
Cold meals are perfect if the day has been hot and you don’t want to heat the house
Crockpot meals are perfect if you will be gone all-day
Most of all, you will not like every recipe or type
That’s ok! Investigate, find what you like, and hold the tools for the next night you are exhausted
One pan meal
I love one-pan meals!
They are often so yummy and have very few dishes
Broccoli beef is one of my favorites!
I often add another pan so can add rice to the meal, or I use leftover rice
Everyone’s preferences are different, but I have not tried many one-pan meals that I haven’t enjoyed
There are many places you can find recipes!
I like to visit taste to see what they have
Or I will type what I have on Google with “one pan meal” or “one pot meal”
For example, if I have a lot of chicken (or that’s all the store has) I will research “chicken one pan meal”
Then just look at the recipes to see what has good reviews and looks like a good dinner!
Crockpot meals
I am not a fan of crockpot meals, but I know many moms who only survive because of their crockpot
So I will add it to the list!
There are more options with today’s technology than just crockpots
You can also do things with Instant Pots
The idea behind these meals is to be able to throw everything in the machine and let it cook by itself
Foil-wrapped meals
I really like foil-wrapped meals!
These are right on the edge of meal prepping and meal planning
The idea is to have quick, low mess, and easy meals for tired moms
There are so many recipe options!
I like to prepare these ahead of time
That way I can just throw them on the BBQ or in the oven for dinner
They aren’t fully prepared because I need to cook them
But they are perfect for nights where turning on the oven is hard enough
Finger food
This is my son’s favorite
He loves anything he can eat with his hands!
This can be prepackaged food (like chicken nuggets) or a grilled cheese
As long as it is pretty easy
I like to make quesadillas, pinwheels, grilled cheese, and cheesy fries
But there are so many finger food recipes to try out!
Cold food
Cold food is perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want to turn the stove on
We like the BBQ these days too, but sometimes cold options are best
They are fast and require no cooking!
Pinwheels are an example in this category too
There are many options ranging from light cooking to no cooking
Have fun and see what your family enjoys!
Prepared ahead of time meals
Meal prepping can be a great option for busy moms
The recipes themselves may not be quick and easy, but you prepare everything for the week at the same time
Instead of cooking every night, you can cook once a week and portion the food into meals for the week
I did this before I was a mom when I was working three jobs and going to college
It helped a lot!
Instead of spending an hour a day cooking…
I spent three hours every Sunday cooking
Then I just needed to reheat the food energy day for dinner
Leftover night
I like leftover night, but my husband isn’t a fan
He is a fairly picky eater and getting him to eat leftovers is a struggle
What I did when we had a regular leftover night is make a little extra food every night
That food would either be lunches or be there when leftover night came
Then we each choose what we wanted from the refrigerator for dinner
Whatever was left (if anything) was thrown away to clear space for the next week
I try very hard to make sure there is no food waste so I eat leftovers for lunch pretty often