Meal prepping is a time-efficient way for parents to prepare meals in advance and all at once, thereby drastically cutting down their time spent in the kitchen. However, just because you prepare meals in advance doesn’t necessarily mean they’re healthy. Parents still need to be cautious about what ingredients they’re using, how they’re storing the food, and how much their child is eating. This can be especially tricky if you have a fussy toddler with picky eating habits.

But preparing healthy meals ahead of time doesn’t need to be a difficult task. With the following tips, and a little bit of patience and practice, you’ll quickly get into the swing of meal prepping delicious and hearty meals that your whole family will enjoy, including your picky toddler.

Always Make Double

When you’ve discovered a healthy recipe that you can make in advance (and your child actually enjoys), always make double. It takes less time to create a huge batch of food than to create smaller portions but at two separate times, Plus, you’ll have less to clean up if you do it all at once. Put one of the portions in the fridge to eat within the next 24-48 hours. With the second portion, put that in the freezer so you can take out on a day that you know you won’t have a lot of time to putter around in the kitchen. Easy peasy!

Pay Attention To The Ingredients List

One of the easiest ways to make your meal prepping healthier is to be cautious of the ingredients you’re using. BabyGaga recently had the pleasure of speaking to Little Dish’s founder Hillary Graves, who shed light on how busy parents can make meals healthier for their young kids. One of her expert tips includes paying close attention to the ingredient list.

“The best options are those that offer full transparency on the ingredients lists so you can choose meals or cooking components which are completely clean and natural,” Graves explained.

Plan Your Meals For The Week

One of the key steps in meal prepping is planning your meals ahead of time, and by that we don’t mean a day in advance. Most people who like to meal prep will create a schedule for the entire week. That way they know what ingredients they need to buy, and even more, each day’s meals is already lined up, so everyone knows what to expect. It creates less hassle while also preventing parents from getting too stressed out when they realize they don’t know what to make for dinner.

Consider Making Homemade Snacks

Yummy Toddler Food has a tip to make meal prepping even more efficient – don’t just prepare meals in advance, but snacks too. It’s all too easy to offer your child a processed snack, like a granola bar or a fruit cup. Even if you go for the “healthier” snack options on grocery shelves, it’s still not going to be as healthy as if you made the snack from scratch, paying attention to make sure you know what’s going into it.

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This may sound time consuming, but if you do it all at once and stick to a simple recipe, it doesn’t have to be burdensome. Plus, it will save you money in the long run. The publication recommends trying something out like homemade granola or even homemade muffins, which can be stored in the freezer to consume at a later date.

Find A Time To Prep & Be Consistent

One of the biggest challenges of meal prepping is that you need to set aside a decent chunk of time in order to do all of the preparations. This is why one of the important elements is finding a time in the week (or a couple of times) that you can devote to meal planning. Perhaps the most opportune moment will be when the kids go to sleep, such as bed or naptime. Obviously, the decision will depend on your family’s schedule. But once you find a time, stick to it weekly so that meal prepping becomes a habit rather than a chore.

Get Your Kids Involved, Too

Getting your children involved in meal prepping may make the process a bit longer – after all, most children are sous chefs – but it’s a great opportunity to teach them about cooking and healthy eating. They’ll appreciate the time they get to spend with you, while you’ll enjoy the sweet memories the two of you will create. Explain each step to them, including why it’s important. This will encourage them to develop healthy eating patterns well into the future, proving that meal prepping isn’t just about eating healthy in the moment, but creating long-lasting lifestyle habits to benefit the whole family.

NEXT: The Mistakes Most Parents Make That Enable Their Picky Eater

Sources: Yummy Toddler Food, Baby Foode, The Lean Green Bean