Do you frequently find yourself in a rush to meal-prep for the day ahead? Don’t fret – with these quick and easy time-saving tips, you can make meal-prep a breeze and spend less time worrying and more time enjoying yourself. Read on to find out how!
1. Feasting in a Flash: Quick and Easy Meal Prep Tips for Busy Days
Long days and longer nights mean it can be hard to find time to sit down for a proper meal. All too often, convenience food, take-outs, and unhealthy snacks sneak their way into the menu. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Instead, try these quick and easy meal prep tips for busy days so you can have a delicious, nutritious feast without spending hours in the kitchen:
- Invest in Prep Tools: Before you start prepping, equip yourself with the necessary tools for the job. Invest in meal prep containers that are divided to help you portion out your meals. Stackable containers that store easily in the fridge are ideal. Good knives, cutting boards, and other kitchen utensils also make prepping and cooking a breeze.
- Focus on Variety: Make sure your meals have varied textures and flavors. Pick proteins, vegetables, and starches that can be cooked together without having to create more dishes. Combine raw and cooked foods to give your meal a boost of nutrition and flavor.
- Embrace Leftovers: Cooking once and eating twice? That’s the spirit! Take advantage of leftovers to avoid having to cook something from scratch every time. Exploit leftovers to mix and match with your freshly cooked food. Create salads, sandwiches, wraps, or bake them in a lasagna. The possibilities are endless!
- Share the Load: Get your family or friends in on the meal prepping process. Multiple people in the kitchen can make the creation of meals much faster and easier. Divide and conquer tasks and be sure everyone is on the same page.
In no time, you will have your meals prepped for the week. Get creative in the kitchen and see how much time you can save with easy, delicious meals ready in a flash!
2. Clearing Up Your Kitchen Clutter: Streamlining Your Meal Prep Process
Are you lucky enough to have a beautiful, spacious kitchen? Or are you trying to make the most of a tiny space? We all know the kitchen is often one of the most cluttered places in the house, but understanding the meal preparation process can go a long way in helping you manage the chaos. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Focus on the Equipment You Use Most. Take inventory of the appliances and gadgets on your kitchen counter. Think of it as “if you don’t use it once a week, it doesn’t belong here.” This will help you determine which devices are worth keeping out and which should be stored away until you’re ready to cook.
Maximize Cabinet Space. To make the most of your cabinet space, determine how you currently arrange your items and then think about which items you find yourself reaching for most. Consider organizing like items together in a single cabinet; this will make it easier to quickly find something without needing to search through a jumble of pots, pans, and dishes.
Divide Your Fridge. Dietary restrictions, meal prepping, and leftovers can sometimes fill up an entire fridge, making it difficult to find what you need when it’s time to cook. To avoid this, dedicate one section for each purpose, such as:
- Meal Prep/Ready-to-Eat Goods
- Produce/Dried Goods
- Leftovers/Frozen Goods
- Beverages
Use Baskets and Containers. Use baskets or storage containers to divide a larger drawer or shelf into more manageable sized compartments. You can also use baskets to organize your meals for the week, making it easy to grab and go when it’s time to eat.
3. Reel in the Savings: Cook Once and Enjoy Multiple Times
Making meals for a family can be a challenge: it can be difficult to please everyone, especially when dealing with limited time and money. Fortunately, with some smart meal prepping, you can budget and cook like a pro.
Maximize Meal Time
By making one batch of food that can be repurposed for further meals, you can reduce time and money spent at the grocery store. If you make a big pot of chili, for example, it can be enjoyed as is, repurposed into sloppy joes, burritos, and chili pot pies throughout the week. Making your own broth using bones left from your meals also adds flavor to further dishes, leaving you with leftovers that will go a long way.
Bigger Is Better
Purchasing bigger cuts of meat can not only save you from multiple trips to the grocery store, but often times it is cheaper. Besides, you can easily refashion it for whatever dishes you crave. Consider roasting a whole chicken and dividing it into cooked breasts, wings, legs, and thighs throughout the week. Barbecued, grilled, or even fried, the poultry can take on many shapes. To make it even easier, use a slow cooker and let the chicken simmer away while you’re out and about.
Retro is Recipe
When you’re short on time or in the middle of an ingredient shortage, sometimes the best option is to whip up a tasty casserole. It’s the perfect way to mix and match leftovers and create something new and delicious. Try combining vegetables that are already in the fridge with a can of cream soup. Add some spice to it with a mix of seasonings and top it off with some cheese.
Prep, Don’t Panic
Meal prepping does not have to be a stressful task. Consider it an opportunity to be creative with leftovers. By making a little effort in the beginning of the week, you’ll save time and money in the long run. So take some time to plan ahead and get ready to get the most out of your meals.
4. Time to Start Cooking: Jump Start Your Meal Prep Process Now
- Get Organized – Whether you’re planning out meals for the week or just want to cook in bulk for the month, it’s important to have your ingredients, storage containers and kitchen tools ready before you get started. Map out a grocery list and challenge yourself to stick to it – you’ll save time and money this way!
- Meal Prep Mindfully – Whatever recipes you choose, make sure to think ahead about when and how you’re prepping your food. If you plan to store meals for the entire week, containerizing them ahead of time can save a lot of time and hassle. Consider setting aside an hour or two each week dedicated to meal prepping.
- Consider Timing – Pre-cooking ingredients like grains, beans and meats and storing them in your freezer can help save time on most of your meals down the line. If you’re unsure how long to keep certain food items in the fridge, FoodSafety.gov is a great source of information.
- Stay Creative – Before getting into the kitchen, think of some creative variations for your ingredients. Certain vegetables take on different flavors when cooked differently – for instance, roasted broccoli is ultra crunchy and flavorful compared to steamed broccoli. Shake things up with different flavor combinations for your meals and spicing up your ingredients with unique herbs and spices.
Don’t let the thought of meal prepping overwhelm you – it’s actually a fun activity once you get the hang of it. Having meals prepped and ready to go makes for healthier eating habit and less hassle during busy times. Start by picking your favorite dishes and recipes, make sure you have all the ingredients handy and get ready to cook!
No matter how busy life gets, eating a nutritious meal doesn’t have to be a struggle. By utilizing our time-saving techniques, getting a delicious meal on the table doesn’t have to sacrifice quality or taste. Whether you like to plan your meals days in advance, or you prefer to wing it on the go, finding the perfect balance between efficiency and deliciousness can be done – it’s just a matter of time!
