Back to School Meal Prep Ideas and Tips

The weeks and days before kids go back to school can be chaotic, stressful, and overall, quite overwhelming. Between sorting out uniforms, backpacks, stationary and books, meal prep often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list.

But don’t worry – we’ve got your back! If you’re wondering ‘how can I prep for the week without spending hours in the kitchen?’ the answer lies in smart planning and the right tools. With Magimix food processors, blenders, and thermo cookers, you can cut meal prep time in half, giving you more time and energy to focus on your kids. Here’s how to tackle cooking like a pro and get the whole family ready for the school week:

Plan your menu

The foundation of efficient meal prep is having a clear plan. Take 5-15 minutes to decide what’s on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Ideas:
• Breakfast: Smoothies, acai bowls, or overnight oats packed with nutrients to start the day right
• Lunch: Hummus and veggie sticks, chicken wraps or a pasta salad
• Snacks: Homemade energy balls, banana bread, or blueberry muffins
• Dinner: Soup, shepherds pie, bolognese or casserole

Batch cook like a pro

In order to meal prep, cooking in bulk is essential to creating less work for you. If you make big batches of pasta, sauces, and muffins, there’s less work in creating multiple different meals. In order to meal prep, batch cooking your meals can save you a tonne of time. By cooking larger portions for multiple days, you can reduce the time spent in the kitchen.

To speed things up even more, the Magimix Cook Expert thermo cooker is a one-pot cooking wonder that allows you to saute, simmer, slow cook, and even functions as a food processor – all in one bowl. This is perfect for Bolognese, casseroles, and even soups, with the ability to blend and cook up to 2.5L of soup. Thanks to its intelligent temperature control and pre-programmed functions, you can leave the Cook Expert to it whilst you get on with other tasks.

Batch Cooking Ideas:
• Lunchboxes: Chop and roast a variety of veggies to add to wraps, sandwiches, or salads.
• Dinners: Make a big batch of Bolognese sauce to freeze for pasta nights or use as a topping for baked potatoes.

Prep Lunchbox Snacks in Advance

Snacks can make or break a lunchbox. Keeping your kids healthy without having them turn their nose up at food can be tough. Fortunately, it’s possible to make healthy and delicious snacks. Try to avoid store-bought, processed options by prepping healthier alternatives ahead of time.

Appliances like the Magimix food processor are the perfect tool to ensure perfectly uniform chopped veggies with the sabatier steel blades and slicing discs, or use the BlenderMix ring for super smooth soups & smoothies.

Snack Ideas:
• Energy Balls: Blend oats, honey, cocoa, and dried fruits in seconds with your Magimix blender for quick, no-bake treats.
• Smoothie Packs: Pre-portion fruits and freeze them. Blend in the morning with milk or yoghurt for a speedy breakfast or snack.
• Veggie Chips: Slice zucchini, sweet potato, or carrots with your food processor, bake, and store in an airtight container.

Prep Breakfast for the Week

School mornings are busy enough without trying to cook breakfast from scratch. Which is why prepping ahead can make weekday mornings run much smoother. With a blender, you can ensure perfectly smooth batter or smoothies – so there are no lumpy surprises when it comes to making breakfast.

Breakfast Ideas:
• Make overnight oats in jars with different toppings like fruit, nuts, or peanut butter.
• Blend pancake batter in advance with your Magimix blender and store it in the fridge for quick weekday breakfasts.
• Bake a batch of mini frittatas using pre-chopped veggies and cheese—perfect for grab-and-go mornings.

Store Everything Smartly

Meal prep is only helpful if your food stays fresh. Which is why it’s important to invest in quality storage containers to keep prepped ingredients and meals organised in the fridge or freezer. Make sure you label everything with the date to avoid waste.

Storage Tips:
• Use clear containers so you can see what’s inside at a glance (preferably glass to avoid any nasty chemicals).
• Freeze leftovers in portioned sizes for easy reheating.
• Pre-pack lunchboxes the night before to save time in the morning.

Get the Kids Involved

Why do it all yourself? Older kids can help pack lunches, chop veggies (with supervision), or even blend smoothies. Not only does this save you time, but it also teaches them valuable kitchen skills. Magimix appliances like the food processor or blender are easy to use, with only a few buttons (and auto programmes for the blender). The food processor also includes safety features where the appliance will only work if the bottom of the large pusher in the lid is level with the MAX level indicator – meaning no trapped fingers or accidents. Perfect for involving kids in the kitchen safely and confidently.

Kid-Friendly Tasks:
• Spreading butter or hummus on sandwiches.
• Washing fruits and veggies.
• Adding ingredients to the food processor or blender.

With Magimix appliances and these simple tips, you’ll be prepped and ready to tackle the school week like a pro. No more last-minute stress—just quick, healthy meals your family will love.