A savvy woman who is at 37 weeks pregnant has made the perfect arrangement to welcome the newest addition to her family – by preparing a whopping 152 meals and 228 snacks.
Jessica May Magill wanted to make things easier for herself and her family after she gives birth to her fourth child so she went a step ahead to get ready for the baby’s impending arrival.
Jessica, who is from Sydney, cooked up a range of foods for her family including an impressive collection of snacks as well as pre-school meals.
‘I am almost 37 weeks with my fourth baby and my eldest is only 4, so life is about to get (even more) crazy!’ the woman explained.
‘I spent today in the kitchen and while I no longer have ankles, I now have two full freezers ready for when bub arrives!’
Jessica made four serves of Bean and Corn Enchiladas, 8 serves of Vegetarian Chilli, 8 serves of Chorizo Pasta and Lentil Bolognese, 8 serves of Lentil Patties and Devilled Sausages, 12 servings of meatballs, and 12 servings of San Choy Bo.
In addition to that, the mother-to-be prepared 32 serves of Choc Chip Banana Bread, 28 serves of Loaded Veggie Sausage Rolls, 24 kids’ serves of ‘Hulk’ Mac, and 8 serves of Peanut Butter Chicken Curry.
As if it wasn’t enough, Jessica also made 24 serves of Wholemeal Choc Chip Muffins, 20 serves of Bounty Bites, 12 serves of 5 Ingredient Choc Chip Fudge, and 18 serves of Peanut Bubble Crunch.
‘Everything I made was vegan (except for kids’ scrolls) and lots are nut free for preschool lunch boxes, showing you can eat yummy food with allergies or food preferences,’ she said.
‘All up I made 152 serves of dinner/lunch and 228 snacks!’ Jessica, who has been regularly keeping up with the global weight loss program, The Healthy Mummy, said.
‘I know I will be starving while breastfeeding and my kids are massive snackers, so now I can relax and know we all have healthy options sorted.’
Jessica has also done such things before.
For instance, she made 43 meals and 38 snacks for under $120 in just a few hours when she was at 14 weeks pregnant with her fourth child.
‘I want to show moms that eating well doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming,’ she said.
Sharing some tips for other women, Jessica said: ‘Pick recipes with similar ingredients so you can buy in bulk and save money.
‘It also helps to make double batches of the same recipe – again this saves money but it also only takes a few extra minutes for a lot of extra food.’
She further advised women to ‘organize yourself so you’re making the recipes that take longest first.’
‘Start a lasagna first so that it can bake in the oven while you whip up a soup or bolognese,’ she said. ‘Clean as you go, there’s nothing worse than finishing a big prep and having to clean up.
‘Then, shop fruit and veg in season – I always swap vegetables around to suit our taste and budget. Frozen fruit and vegetables are often cheaper too.’