The goal of food prep is to get all or the majority of your cooking done for the week ahead saving you time to relax a bit throughout the week. Prepping your meals in advance helps you save a ton of time on busy days, as well as make smarter food choices. When you’re busy or just plain tired and can’t be bothered to cook, it’s all too easy to reach for something unhealthy or even order take out. While balance is important and this is fine from time to time, you should be taking care of your health by avoiding take out and pre-packaged food as much as possible. Below are a few tips that can help you to master food prep once and for all.
1. Have Plenty Of Storage
This seems simple enough, but it’s something that many food preppers have trouble with down the road. If you don’t have enough storage containers, you won’t be able to complete the majority of your meals. You should invest in some sturdy tubs that will stand the test of time. There are all different kinds out there, so figuring out what will suit your lifestyle best can help. Some even have lots of separate compartments, which is useful if you take snacks out and about with you.
2. Figure Out Your Favorite Recipes
Having a few failsafe recipes will mean you always have something to cook. You can cook chilli and rice, soup, stew, and a number of other dishes in advance. Some people like to have a meat or meat substitute, vegetables, and then something like rice or sweet potato if they are trying to be super healthy. Making sure you enjoy the meals you are prepping is a must, so keep this in mind.
3. Buy Food In Bulk
Buying food in bulk can help you to save money. If you know you’re going to be making a huge batch of something, and you have room to freeze some for later, see if you can save money by making a larger order. You’ll also spend less money and time going to and from the supermarket for ingredients, too!
4. Experiment With Different Cooking Styles & Methods
There are all kinds of cooking styles and methods that can work for food prep. Slow cooking is popular, as you can simply throw a bunch of ingredients in the slow cooker. You might like to look at the benefits of induction cooking, as this is something that is becoming increasingly popular these days. Do your best to choose a method that suits you so you can save as much time as possible and enjoy the process.
5. Carve Out Time To Prep Once Or Twice A Week
You may be able to carve the time to prep once a week. Some like to do it twice a week, as this ensures they are always eating fresh food. For example, many people will not want to eat chicken that they cooked on Monday the following Sunday!
6. Prepare Snacks Too
Don’t forget to prepare your snacks; salad in a jar is a great hack. You can divide chopped up vegetables or fruits, or small containers of nuts to eat throughout the week.
This is a contributor post, which has been reviewed and edited personally by me before being published. Links to external reviews are meant to provide additional ideas to readers and do not reflect my personal opinion or review of products.
Featured photo credit: Ella Olsson