10 easy meals for busy moms—because moms got to eat too!
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Delicious and easy meals that will fit right in your schedule.
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Sunrise to sunset and all of the hours in between is a busy moms work schedule. So, the existence of a work-life balance scenario where mom can make time for herself isn’t a reality for most people or at least not all of the time. Easy meals for busy moms is key to nourishing yourself and not skipping a beat.
Between the morning rush of getting the kids their breakfast and out the door on time to lunch time chaos when you’re picking up the kids and getting their after-school snack (or fully prepared lunch) ready, sometimes there just aren’t enough minutes in the day to also grab a bite for yourself. Check out these meal ideas for busy moms that fill you up without taking up those precious extra minutes.
Easy meals for busy moms—breakfast edition
1. Breakfast wrap
One of the easiest make-ahead meals for busy moms is a classic breakfast wrap. Scrambling an egg or two doesn’t take more than a couple minutes but if you know you’ll really be pressed for time simply make it the night before. In a wholewheat tortilla (or wrap of your choice) add in diced tomatoes, spinach, cheese, and avocado. Seal it in a Ziplock bag and store in the fridge so you can grab and go in the morning.
2. Smoothie
Meal prep for a smoothie can be easy as buying packaged frozen fruits. You can also customize your smoothie with any fruits and veggies you have on hand. Simply dice everything and separate into snack-size baggies for storing in the freezer. Whenever it’s a smoothie type of morning, grab a bag and put it in the blender along with the milk of your choice or even pressed juice, a dollop of yoghurt and a scoop of chia seeds.
3. Peanut butter and banana sandwich
We couldn’t leave tried and true classics out of our list of easy meals for busy moms. Slather peanut butter on one side of your bread (toasted if you’d like!) and add slices of banana. Optional: top it with another piece of bread. You can also substitute almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter or even hazelnut spread for the peanut butter.
4. Yogurt bowl
In a bowl scoop some yogurt (whatever your go-to is) and add walnut, blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries and sliced banana. You can keep all of your toppings in little Ziplock baggies so you can simply grab a bag and pour on top of your yogurt in the morning.
5. Quinoa fruit bowl
Simply cook the quinoa according to package instructions the night before then choose your fruits to dice and slice. Mangoes, kiwi, strawberry, banana, apples and whatever else you have on hand can all be separated into little baggies and topped with quinoa. Every morning, grab a bag and you’re good to go!
Easy meals for busy moms—lunch edition
1. Pasta salad
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Let cool then add sliced avocado, mini cherry tomatoes, canned corn, canned chickpeas and your choice of protein—chicken, tuna or other fish. Top with some basil and spinach. Separate into Tupperware and enjoy!
2. Chicken wrap
Simply chop chicken breast in small pieces, toss it in olive oil and seasoning then cook it in a pan or pop it in the air fryer. Top it with your go-to sauce and put it on a wrap along with diced tomatoes, avocado, bell peppers and lettuce. This is one of those make ahead meals for busy moms that you can store in the fridge and take out for lunch any day.
3. Quesadilla
As far as meal ideas for busy moms go, if there’s something you can easily put together and store in the fridge for easy heating, it’s a quesadilla. What goes inside your tortilla can be as simple as shredded cheese, turkey, sliced tomatoes and avocado. You can also go with last night’s chicken, black beans, a dollop of sour cream and some greens like spinach or kale.
4. Tuna salad
Add canned tuna to a mixing bowl. You can drain the tuna beforehand or leave just a bit in. Use a fork to fluff and separate the tuna. Then, add seasonings, hot sauce, a dollop of sour cream and Dijon mustard. Add sliced avocado, sliced tomatoes and spinach or kale (or both!). If you’re not a fan of tuna you can switch it out for another protein, like chicken.
5. Deli meats and cheese box
Adult Lunchables! Simply layer small slices of deli meat with slices of cheese on whole grain or whole wheat crackers. You can also top it with finely chopped greens. Put to one side of your Tupperware then add apple slices and some grapes to the other half. You can also leave some room for some pretzels.
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