Summer? What? Didn’t we just enter spring? What’s next- Halloween party snacks?
I’m not one to rush seasons along, but part of being a mom inherently means that you’re always trying to enjoy the current season while simultaneously planning the next. Sign ups for all the things come at least a few months in advanced and currently our summer is starting to fill up!
While I have these ideas in my head of long, leisurely, wide open days, the reality is that even in summer we usually stay rocking. Whether it’s time at the pool, hiking with friends, a vacation, or appointments (K will be getting an expander soon), our days often fill up and a little but of planning with meal prep can go a long way.
One thing I love about summer is the plethora of fresh produce available. We are part of a weekly farm share and get to pick up fresh produce from it every Tuesday. We hit up the Saturday farmers market when we can. And doing this means I’m also determined not to let any of this precious food go to waste. So today I’m sharing a few of my favorite easy and convenient ways to prep food to keep eating healthy all summer long!
Summer Meal Prep Ideas
Is Meal Prep Safe in the Summer?
Sure it is! But there are a few factors to keep in mind that can help ensure it stays that way. Keeping food stored at the right temperature (less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit for cold food and higher than 140 degrees Fahrenheit for foods being served warm). With more gatherings and picnics, that can be an issue, so it’s good to keep in mind. I regularly use my travel slow cooker for these types of occasions.
Other than that, the basics apply. You want to make sure you wash your hands, surfaces, and utensils thoroughly and avoid cross contamination. Also make sure you keep an eye on expiration dates, such as those on your favorite dressings and sauces, to ensure they are still within the ideal date range.
Why You Should Meal Prep In The Summer
To reduce food waste.
We all know good food isn’t cheap, so I’ve been trying to do even better about not letting any food go to waste. Implementing a weekly leftover night (or lunch as leftovers) helps, as does making meals that you can throw almost anything into, like pasta, a soup, or topping a pizza. I’m even saving the ends of cucumbers and radishes to share with the chickens!
To save money.
Ditto to above. When we waste less food it stretches further and saves us money. I also find when I have food prepped and ready to go, I’m far more likely to rush home for lunch rather than grab something out, which definitely saves some cash.
To be prepared for last minute invitations.
Want to meet us at the pool? is a much easier request to say yes to when I have done some meal prep. I can throw together a quick salad or a sandwich or, honestly, the kids’ favorite, a snacky type lunch in no time. I was just gifted this food storage set and must admit, it’s pretty nice for on the go meals! It’s beautiful and nontoxic, yes, but also the little containers are great for tucking dressing, hummus, tzatziki, pimento cheese, olives, and other accoutrements in the containers, making for easy summer meals on the move.
To take advantage of all the in season produce and eat healthy.
I’m sure my garden will be exploding with fresh produce soon (just putting that out into the universe) and I won’t want to waste a bit of it. Whether you have a garden, load up at the farmers market, or have a cart full at the store, it’s a great time of year to take advantage of in-season produce. One thing that always helps me waste less is washing and prepping produce as soon as I can after bringing it home. I’m much more likely to eat the radishes if they’ve ben washed and trimmed rather than sitting in the fridge drawer in their original state.
This lends itself naturally to healthful eating and makes me really not want to waste a bit. Meal prepping encourages me to eat what I can and also take good care of the leftovers. Whether it’s freezing or canning, it’s nice not to waste a bit.
How to Meal Prep in Summer
Whether you’re making summer recipes or prepping the components to throw together easy summer meals, here are a few tips and tricks I do to help make the most of meal planning in the summer. These things make it easier to eat a quick, healthy lunch or throw together a satisfying dinner. If you need some inspiration for the breakfast hour, check out these high protein breakfast meal prep ideas. And if you need quick and easy lunches for toddlers (and beyond), check out these healthy, kid-friendly wrap ideas.
Freeze Pizza Dough
Long days outside often has us returning home hungry and ready to eat. One of the tastiest way to feed the family is with pizza and keeping frozen dough (or parbaked pizzas) on hand makes this faster than any delivery spot could get to you anyway. Here’s how to do it:
Use your favorite recipe (I usually use this bread machine pizza dough). Make it and let it rise as usual, as if you are about to make it in real time. Form into dough balls, each the size you’d need for one pizza. Lightly coat each dough ball with a little olive oil and wrap each ball individually in plastic wrap and place in the freezer. You can also opt to vacuum seal it if you have one. When you’re ready to use one, transfer to the fridge from the freezer for at least 12 hours, up to the night before. Then roll out and use as usual.
If you prefer an even faster prep method, here’s what I do. I half bake our rolled out pizza dough, as if I was about to top it. Then I let the half baked crust cool completely. When cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (or vacuum seal) and place in the freezer. When you’re ready to use one, transfer to the fridge from the freezer for at least a few hours, up to the night before. Then top it with your favorite toppings and bake as usual.
Make a Batch of a Grain
With all the fresh greens and grilled meats of summer, it’s the perfect time for lunch and dinner bowls. I find it even easier to throw these together when I have a hearty grain prepped. A few of my favorite options are quinoa, farro, and good old fashion rice. Make a batch, let it cool, store in the fridge, and reheat the portion you need when you’re ready for it. Bonus? Your body has less of a glycemic response to grains that have been cooled and then reheated!
Make a freezer batch of meatballs
Slow cookers are still great during the warm months and one of my family’s favorite slow cooker dinners is meatballs and marinara. Easy peasy. We buy the meatballs from Butcher Box and they’re great but when I have the time I really like making and freezing my own.
So here’s the thing- you can freeze them raw or cooked. I’ve done both and you can go either route, but know that if you freeze cooked meatballs, they can sometimes turn out a little soggy when thawed. This is not a big deal if you just plan to throw them into some marinara on slow cook, but if you want to serve them on top of a dish or on a sub, you might prefer freezing them raw, then allowing them to thaw and cook them fresh.
Prep Salads in a Jar for Lunch all week
Salads in a jar are so fun and convenient. They take a little bit of prep time, but if you do that before a week of on the go park dates or pool days, then it’s totally worth it. It’s so easy to grab a jar, a bowl, and a fork and lunch is done! My favorite salad in a jar recipes are Greek Salad in a Jar and Southwest Salad in a Jar.
Make a New Dressing Each Week
I am no stranger to buying salad dressings. I often buy Primal Kitchen’s, Garlic Expressions (yes it has seed oils but my whole family loves it so I sometimes I choose to overlook it), and dressings from our local market. However, when I take the time to make my own dressing I’m always happily surprised by how delicious and fresh it tastes and the fact that it really isn’t that hard. Summer is a great time to put forth the effort for salad dressing making because we usually are eating so many more fresh salads. Make a batch of your favorite, or try something new, at the beginning of the week and eat well all week long!
If you’re a salad lover too, then you’ll want these tips on how to meal prep salads and keep them fresh. Also, may I recommend my favorite homemade dressing. It’s so good!
Hard Boil Some Eggs
Hardboiled eggs are the perfect summer prep food because there are so many possibilities! Certainly you can just grab one and eat it as a snack, but you can also turn it into egg salad and eat it as a sandwich. You can slice them on avocado toast, make them into deviled eggs, or throw them on top of a salad for an extra protein boost!
I know everyone has the method they swear by, and this is mine: Place eggs in a pot and fill with water until the eggs are covered by at least an inch’s worth. Put it on the stove over medium high heat. When it comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Set the timer for 12 minutes. When the timer goes off, drain in the sink and rinse with cold water. Once cool enough to handle, peel. Enjoy!
Prep Veggie Burgers
Along the same lines as prepping a grain for a bowl base, having veggie burgers ready to go make healthy meals a breeze. They are such a great addition to a simple salad or served on a bun. You can freeze them both cooked and uncooked, but I tend to prefer freezing them cooked, as it’s faster to reheat and eat. Three delicious veggie burger options:
Make a Batch of Chickpea Salad
I have two chickpea salads that I fell in love with during the days I was vegetarian and I still love them now! The first one is a play on a classic chicken salad and this recipe for chickpea “chicken” salad is just perfection. The second is in Oh She Glows Everyday – I can’t find it online but it’s a curried chickpea salad, so if you have this cookbook, you must try it! And if not, give a google search for curried chickpea salad and see if you can find one that appeals to you. Both are delicious for a quick lunch, scooped on top of greens or eaten with a crunchy cracker.
Cook an Extra Protein
Not specific to summer, as it’s a trick I use all year long, I find it helpful to make a little extra of whatever protein I happen to be cooking for dinner. An extra chicken breast grilled up the night before or a roast that’s a half pound bigger than what we need for dinner is always appreciated the next day when I’m trying to throw together a quick and balanced lunch.
That sums up some of my favorite summer meal prep tips; I hope it was helpful or inspiring or at the very least got you a bit excited for all the gorgeous summer produce heading our way! This year I hope (plan?) to do a bit more with canning, as it’s a skill I want to improve upon for when my garden produces abundantly (again, putting it out into the universe ;)). Happy eating!
