An overview of weekly Meal Prep Ideas
Weekly Meal Prep Ideas involve planning, preparing, and portioning meals in advance, Weekly meal prepping for infants offers numerous benefits, including ensuring a balanced diet promoting healthy eating habits saving time and money and reducing stress. By planning meals in advance, parents can carefully select nutritious ingredients, prepare meals with appropriate portion sizes, and avoid reliance on less healthy, pre-packaged options.
Benefits of weekly Meal Prep Ideas
- Nutritional Balance:Meal planning allows parents to ensure their infants receive a variety of essential nutrients, including proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, carbohydrates, and minerals, crucial for growth and development.
- Healthy Eating Habits:When infants are involved in meal preparation, even in age-appropriate ways, they are more likely to try new foods and develop a positive attitude towards healthy eating.
- Time and Cost Savings:Meal prepping can significantly reduce the time spent on meal preparation during the week, as well as potentially lower food costs by minimizing food waste and impulse purchases.
- Reduced Stress:Planning meals ahead of time eliminates the daily decision fatigue and potential stress of figuring out what to feed the infant, making mealtimes more relaxed and enjoyable.
- Cognitive and Motor Skill Development:Cooking with infants, even in simple ways, can boost their cognitive skills through exposure to different foods, textures, and measurements, as well as enhance fine motor skills through activities like stirring, pouring, and spreading.
- Family Bonding: Meal preparation can be a fun and engaging activity for the whole family, providing opportunities for quality time and strengthening family bonds.
To get started, consider these tips:
Weekly Meal Prep Idea Tools
24HR Recall
Individual Assessment:
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Definition:A child is considered to have met the minimum dietary diversity if they have consumed foods from at least five of the following eight food groups:
- Breast milk
- Grains, roots, and tubers
- Legumes and nuts
- Dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese)
- Flesh foods (meat, fish, poultry)
- Eggs
- Vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables
- Other fruits and vegetables
-
Importance:MDD reflects the variety of foods consumed, which is a proxy for micronutrient adequacy and overall diet quality.
Points to consider during meal prep
How to feed a 6 -24 months old child:
• Between six and nine months the baby should be breastfed first and then given other nutritious soft foods.
• The child should be started on soft foods and fruits.
• The child should be given at least three small main meals
and three snacks in between meals daily.
• Ensure the baby has enough food for his or her small size.
• Meal should be made from a mixture of different foods
mashed together.
• Feed the child on different foods at each meal every day.
• Prepare porridge from maize, millet and sorghum flour
Food nutrients need to be improved by adding:
• Little sugar and oil/ blue band margarine/ butter in porridge
or mashed foods.
• A spoonful of groundnut paste in baby porridge and
mashed food.
• A spoonful of mashed avocado into the baby food.
• A spoonful of mukene flour.
• A spoonful of mashed beans, milled beans, chickpeas,
milled pumpkin, or greens.
• Give molted porridge from fermented cereals (ferment or
germinate millet, sorghum or maize seeds before milling
Method to consider during weekly meal preparations
The infant has to have a meal comprising of two proteins every serving i.e animal protein and plant based protein,this should be served with one carbohydrate and a vegetable with the standard measurement being a palm.
Steaming is a preferred method of cooking to preserve nutrients
Dry beans or cereals are soaked overnight
Cooked covered to minimize nutrient loss
Serve while hot
Give a whole fruit after the meal
Avoid feeding along with drinking as the same time. This interferes with digestion.
Water or juice is given at least 15 minutes after eating food
Weekly Meal Prep Ideas
|
Two proteins |
One carbohydrate |
One vegetable |
Fruit |
Drink |
|
G.Nut paste/Mukene |
Matooke |
Nakati |
Sweet banana |
Fruit juice |
|
Beans/Mukene |
Posho |
Cabbage |
Watermelon |
passion Fruit Juice |
|
simsim /meat |
sweetpotatoes |
Amaranthus |
Mango |
Fruit juice |
|
Soya/Nkejje |
Sweet potatoes |
Bbugga |
pineapple |
Water |
|
Fish fillet/G.nuts |
Cassava bread |
Pumpkin leaves |
pawpaw |
Fruit juice |
|
Cow peas/nkejje |
Karo |
jjobyo |
jackfruit |
Fruit juice |
|
Nkejje/g.nuts |
kalo |
nakati |
tangerine |
water |
Here’s a simple and balanced meal plan to follow for a week. Each dish is straightforward, requires common ingredients, and can be mixed and matched throughout the week for variety.
Day 1: Mukene in beans
This nutrient-packed meal is perfect for a refreshing lunch or a light dinner. Simply soak beans over night if dry, cook till soft mix it powdered mukene , mash well with a diced avocado, posho and steamed cabbage. Serve with a water melon whole fruit and passion fruit juice to blend the colors well.
Day 2: Nkejje in G.nut paste
Adding a mashed boiled egg york to Nkejje in G.nut paste makes for a protein-rich dinner. The mixture is mashed with steamed matooke and steamed nakati .The mixture is bright yellow.Serve with a whole green fruit,ie apple, guava if appropriate or pear, and serve with red juice,probably,beet root mixed with mango and tangerine.
Day 3: Meat in simsim
Meat is grated to small pieces and placed in simsim paste all together steamed with sweetpotatoes measured in a palm together with bbugga.This is a good meal for toddlers who love sweet dishes. The mixture is red.Serve with a pineapple if fully ripe and water.
Day 4:Mpuuta in soya
Adding extra carrot improves the colour of the mixture .Adding a piece of pumpkin or pumpkin flowers brightens the mixture since it is served with cassava bread which is dull coloured. Serve with a yellow banana and green juice probably made of spinach leaf,apple avocado.
Day 5: Fish fillet in G.Nut paste
This dish combines de-boned fish and kalo combined with spinach or Sukuma for a wholesome dinner. Mash everything together with your favorite spices until the kalo is tender Serve with a mango juice.
Day 6: meat in peas
Peas are soaked and boiled till soft,vegeatables of different colours are added to the rice and steamed. The assorted mixture is served with water
Day 7: Egg york in mung beans
Mung beans are commonly called choloko, soaked the evening before and boiled,egg yolk is added together with irish potatoes,add along with extra onion,carrot and parsley. The mixture is cooked together with a palm of rice. and served with a purple fruit like grapes and purple juice probably mango juice with beetroot and tangerine
Tips for Successful Meal Prep
To make your meal prep as seamless as possible, consider these helpful tips:
-
- Plan Ahead: Take a few minutes to jot down the dishes you’ll prepare and the required ingredients.
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- Batch Cooking: Cook large portions of grains, proteins, or vegetables at once to save time.
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- Use Versatile Ingredients: Choose ingredients that can be used in multiple dishes to keep things interesting.
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- Invest in Containers: Quality meal prep containers will keep your food fresh and organized.
Conclusion
Meal prepping doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. With these 7 easy dishes, you can simplify your week and ensure you have healthy meals on hand. Experiment with flavors, mix and match ingredients, and enjoy the satisfaction of a well-prepped week. Happy cooking!
