Easy Quick Summer Meals
When the temperatures rise we need easy quick summer meals our whole family will enjoy! The last thing working moms who homeschool want to do is spend hours in front of a hot stove, am I right?
Here are 5 tips to help you beat the heat and make delicious meals without the extra time and effort.
Summer is a great time to enjoy outdoor activities, but it can also leave you feeling exhausted with all that heat and humidity. This often leads to a lack of motivation to cook, but that doesn’t mean you have to resort to unhealthy takeout or frozen dinners.
With these easy quick summer meals, you can have fresh, nutritious food ready in minutes without standing over a hot stove in a sweltering kitchen.
Don’t feel bad if you’re struggling to find the energy to cook during the summer months. We all feel under attack from the heat. By following these tips for easy quick summer meals, you’ll have more time to enjoy the season while keeping yourself and your family nourished.
5 Ways To Make Easy Quick Summer Meals
After working and homeschooling all day, you know how challenging it can be to prepare meals during the summer months. The heat and humidity can leave you feeling exhausted, and the last thing you want to do is spend hours in a hot kitchen. But don’t worry, these easy quick summer meals are here to save the day!
By following these tips, you’ll be able to make delicious and healthy meals without breaking a sweat.
1. Quick Summer Meals Use Your Grill
One easy way to make fun, flavorful, and healthy meals is to use the grill. Grilling is a great way to cook food quickly without heating up your whole house. Not to mention, it gives your food a delicious smoky flavor that is perfect for summer!
Grilling is not only a great way to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and warm summer breeze but it is also a healthier way to cook your food. Grilling allows the fat in meats to drip off, resulting in naturally low-fat meals without any special tricks or techniques required. This makes it perfect for working moms who homeschool and want to prepare easy quick summer meals for their family.
One thing that is vital as a working mom is to teach your kids how to cook, and that includes using the grill.
If you’re looking for tips on how to get your kids cooking on the grill (and some amazingly delicious recipes to try tonight!), be sure to check out my tips for cooking on the barbecue with kids. With these grilling tips, you’ll be able to whip up easy quick summer meals that your whole family will love!
2. Prep Meals Ahead
Prepping your meals ahead is an excellent way to save time and money during busy summer days. When you have meals ready to go, you won’t have to worry about what to make for dinner after a long day of homeschooling and work.
You can prep meals on weekends or during free time, making it a convenient option. There are three ways to prepare food ahead of time:
- Cook meals in advance, such as grilling chicken breasts to add to salads, soups, and sandwiches throughout the week.
- Cut up produce into individual pieces for easy carrying and quick addition to other dishes, known as “cutting up for success.”
- Prepare salads and other dishes beforehand by making dressing and adding ingredients like cooked chicken, hard-boiled eggs, or croutons.
By preparing ahead, you’ll have access to healthy and filling easy quick summer meals without any extra work while enjoying the summer heat.
3. Meal Planning
When you’re making your easy quick summer meals, meal planning can save you time and effort. Plan your weekly meals ahead of time, and prepping becomes much easier and faster, especially when you’re not sure what meal to cook during the week. With meal planning, you can avoid the long hunt through all of your cupboards when you can just plan out which one fits your needs.
One tip for working moms when it comes to meal planning for easy quick summer meals is to make sure you look at the upcoming week and see which nights you have time to cook and which nights you don’t have time to cook. On those nights, plan to use one of the meals you prepped ahead.
Meal planning is the best way to cut down on decision fatigue, especially for busy homeschooling working moms. It’s one of the first routines I encourage them to get in place. Meal planning does not have to be complicated. I share my simple meal planning process that allows me to plan my entire week of meals in 15 minutes to make it easier for you to get started.
If you don’t have a place to organize your meal plans to save you time, here are two options for you to check out:
You can also find several online templates for meal planning or check out my Quick & Easy 4 Week Meal Plan Bundle which includes 32 recipes and 4 shopping lists. This way, you’ll know exactly what ingredients to buy when you’re at the grocery store.
There are also companies out there that do this for you.
Disclosure: I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
- Hello Fresh – a box subscription that gives you all the recipes and ingredients delivered to your door.
- EveryPlate – Make affordable, crowd-pleasing meals at home.
- Freezer Meal Plans – Batch cooking at home. (I’ll share more about this below.)
The best part about this approach? You don’t have to take any steps at home after a busy day because someone else planned it all out for you!
4. Use a Slow Cooker Or Instant Pot
This is the best way to make a big meal without any effort, perfect for those long days when you don’t have time to cook a meal, or you have late meetings or social activities lined up for your kids. You can find easy summer recipes online for crockpot chicken, pulled pork, and even some tasty desserts perfect for the hot summer days!
Making a big batch will last you all week long, which means less time in the kitchen and more time outside enjoying the summer weather.
Slow cookers are a magical thing. You can set it and forget it, which is perfect for those busy days. Most slow cooker recipes only require 5-10 minutes of prep time too, which is even better when you don’t have time to stand over the stove and cook. And when you come home after work or are out doing your summer adventures with your kids, your house will smell amazing and dinner will be ready!
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker, Warmer & Sterilizer, Includes Free App with over 1900 Recipes, Stainless Steel, 6 Quart
BLACK+DECKER 7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker with Chalkboard Surface, Slate, SCD4007Crockpot 8 Quart Slow Cooker with Auto Warm Setting and Cookbook, Black Stainless Steel
Instant pots just make life easier. If you forget to take something out for dinner or forget to turn on the slow cooker (just me??) you can quickly and easily get dinner on the table fast!
Summer Instant Pot Recipes make easy quick summer meals!
5. Freezer Meals
A few years ago, I fell in love with freezer meals. Creating freezer meals is another great way to prep ahead and have easy quick summer meals on hand for those busy summer days. You can make large batches of soups or casseroles and freeze them in individual portions, so you can just grab one out of the freezer when you’re ready to eat.
There are so many things you can freeze! And even though soups or casseroles may not take long to cook, having them prepped ahead of time can save you precious time on busy summer days. You can also freeze rice, noodles, or other ingredients that you can quickly add to complete a meal.
Another great idea is to cut up fruits and vegetables and store them in the freezer for easy access. This is a great way to make sure you’re getting your daily dose of fruits and vegetables, even when you’re busy.
Plus, frozen fruits and veggies are perfect for tasty summer smoothies that make for easy quick summer meals!
Quick Meal Planning Helps:
Looking for some inspiration on how to make easy, quick summer meals for your family? Check out these blog posts for some summer meal planning ideas!
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup – freezes really well
- Dinner Ideas Kids Can Cook
- 25 Summer Dinners You Can Make
- Easy Ways To Save Money On Your Grocery Budget
5 Tips For Easy Quick Summer Meals Your Whole Family Will Enjoy
These 5 tips for creating easy summer meals will help you get dinner on the table quickly and easily without sacrificing taste or nutrition. And if your family is anything like mine, they’ll love all of these ways to make quick summer meals!
What’s your favorite quick summer meal? Let us know in the comments below!
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Hi, I’m Jen. I help working moms juggle their career and homeschool their kids by providing support, systems and tools. You are warmly invited to Join the Online Community Here!