DAVISBURG, Mich. (WXYZ) — A packed schedule can make the drive-thru seem unavoidable, but the convenience can come at a cost.
For families rushing between work, school, practices and other commitments, grabbing fast food may feel like the easiest dinner option. Recipe creator and author Jen Fox says a little preparation can make eating on the go more affordable while still giving families quick options.
Watch Kiara Hay's video report below:
“It’s like one day, we’re here and the next day, we’re there and we, you know, it’s crazy. It’s crazy,” Fox said. “And so being prepared with what we’re eating, you know, eating healthy is very important to me.”
Fox is a mother of two who has built a large social media following sharing recipes. She says having meals prepared ahead of time can help families resist the temptation of an unplanned drive-thru stop.
“That gets really expensive,” Fox said.
Make convenience work for you
One of Fox’s suggestions is creamy ranch chicken, her take on chicken salad.
The meal takes less than five minutes to prepare, according to Fox, and families can save prep time by swapping chicken breasts for a precooked rotisserie chicken.
Based on the ingredients used for our demonstration, the dish came out to about $4 per serving.
Fox says another important part of making meal prep work is having food that's genuinely easy to take along.
“The containers are key,” Fox said. “You can’t eat on the go unless you have the right containers.”
The dish is also versatile, making it easier to prepare ahead.
Make meal prep appealing to kids
For parents trying to get their children on board with a prepared meal, Fox has another tip: give the dish a fun name.
One example is her “pizza pasta salad.”
“I like to make this on a Sunday,” Fox said. “It stays good all week and it has all the flavors of a pizza so I don’t have to fight my kids on eating it.”
The recipe takes the familiar ingredients and flavors of pizza and turns them into a pasta salad. Fox combines noodles with pizza toppings and a homemade dressing made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Parmesan cheese and seasonings.
Using the ingredients in our demonstration, the pasta salad cost about $17 total, although the final price will vary depending on which toppings you choose.
For Fox, the key to making meal prep sustainable is keeping it realistic.
“It’s got to be simple, or I’m not going to make it,” she said.
Fox shares more recipes in her cookbook, "Recipes That Don’t Suck," which is available on Amazon.
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