Ready Prep Go: Family Favorites Week
our favorite weekly meal prep recipes I make on repeat
Whenever I get stuck wondering what to make, I fall back on a few simple recipes: food my kids will eat over and over again. This week, I wanted to share some of those with you in the hopes that your kids will love them too!
This week’s recipes
Get a sneak peek here:
3 Weekly Meal Prep Recipes
Banana Bread
Monster Energy Bites (the OG)
Sugar Cookie Bars
2 Healthier Options
Taco Soup
Overnight Oats
1 Quick Win Tip
How to cut a ripe pineapple
3 WEEKLY MEAL PREP RECIPES
Banana Bread
If you’re anything like my family, you can never figure out bananas. One week you buy one bunch and they’re gone in two days. Then, next week, you buy two bunches, and the kids don’t even touch them!
Anyone else?
On those weeks when we start to have bananas going ripe I turn to one of our family favorite recipes — Banana Bread. At this point, because my family is so big, I basically need to make two loaves or it’s gone in just a day!
But that’s what I love about cooking … the joy it brings my kids when I make something they love. 💙
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour
Get the PDF instructions at the bottom of this newsletter.
Monster Energy Bites (the OG)
This is another high-protein snack that my family loves. It’s great to eat before a soccer game, as an after-school snack or even late at night as a healthy-ish sweet treat.
The fun part of these is that if you have young kids, you can get them involved and let them make these with you!
Ingredients:
3 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Honey
1/2 cup mini m&m’s
Get the PDF instructions at the bottom of this newsletter.
Sugar Cookie Bars
I like to think that saving time in the kitchen while still being able to feed my family homemade foods is my super power. And like I said last week, cookies in bar form is always a time-saving win!
✨And, you can customize these bars for any celebration or holiday with different colored sprinkles making them much more fun and versatile.
Ingredients:
Sugar Cookie Bars
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
Frosting
1/2 cup butter softened
2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp milk
*optional sprinkles
Get the PDF instructions at the bottom of this newsletter.
2 HEALTHIER OPTIONS
Taco Soup
Perfect for fall, this recipe is filled with protein and veggies. Plus it’s hearty, filling and loved by everyone in my family. Customize it by switching up the meat and toppings and you can create this soup to be one that your family loves!
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
4 oz can of green chilis
14 oz can of tomato sauce
15 oz can of black beans
2 cups frozen corn
4 cups beef bone broth
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of ranch seasoning
Get the PDF instructions at the bottom of this newsletter.
Lazy Overnight Oats
Moms need breakfast too!
I focus a lot on feeding my kids and often skip feeding myself. Or I’ll cook for the kids and just eat their cut-off crusts and leftover bites. Anyone else? ✋
But this breakfast is so easy, delicious and very quick to prep. Then all you have to do in the morning is grab it, add your toppings and eat it on the run!
Ingredients:
1 packet instant oatmeal (*any flavor)
3/4 cup of yogurt
1/3 cup of almond milk (*any milk will work)
Get the PDF instructions at the bottom of this newsletter.
QUICK WIN TIP
Pineapple is a great fall fruit to buy. While berries are expensive and “iffy”, pineapple is affordable and delicious. But how can you make sure it’s ripe enough?
✅Let it sit out on your counter for 2-3 days, until the bottom starts to smell sweet and is a little soft to the touch.
✅Cut the top off the pineapple, turn it upside-down and leave it for 3-4 hours. This allows all the juices from the bottom of the pineapple to drain through to the top, making the pineapple ripe and juicy.
✅Cut the pineapple and enjoy!
Buy a pineapple this week and try it out. 🍍
Want to see this in action? I shared it HERE.
I hope you have an amazing week. Thank you for supporting me and this newsletter. Any feedback you have is appreciated — shoot me a message here or on Instagram.
Stop wondering what’s for dinner, and let’s get cooking. 🫶
Xoxo - Alicia
