Do you ever feel like there's just not enough time in the day to get everything done? If so, you're not alone. Busy people on the go can benefit from batch cooking and meal prepping, two activities that are guaranteed to save both money and time. Not only that, with a little planning and preparation, it can also lead to healthier eating habits too.
Smart concept of convenience and savings
Batch cooking and meal prepping are time and budget savvy techniques for households to make convenient, homemade meals. This method involves preparing a few large meals at once, with ingredients that can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
Batch cooking typically means budgeting out ingredients in advance, so that the household can purchase essential items in bulk to take advantage of savings. Through batch cooking, the budget smart cook will find themselves with multiple large containers full of delicious and nutritious food that is poured into small, manageable portions and heated up when needed.
With batch cooked meals ready to eat at a moment's notice, busy household save time having to roam grocery stores looking for quick bites to prepare. It is easy to understand how every budget minded home cook could benefit from this smart concept of convenience and savings.
Control portion sizes
Batch cooking and meal prepping offer health conscious individuals a great way to control their portion sizes and have meals ready for convenience. Not only does this approach save time, but it is also cost effective for those who enjoy making batch ingredients into meals over an extended period of time.
Batch cooking and meal prepping can reduce the amount of food waste, as the cook has control over what is made and how much. By grocery shopping in batch, one can save money on costs, as well as reduce environmental impact by cutting down on the number of packaging materials used.
With a little preparation, health seekers can gain the health benefits associated with eating home cooked meals and use them whenever they want, no more expensive takeout!
Start by finding some delicious recipes
Meal prepping is an amazing way to save money, save time, and stay healthy. Getting started is easy - the first step involves stocking up on Tupperware. Investing in a quality set of Tupperware containers helps you store portions of the batch cooked recipes you make. After your Tupperware collection is complete, start by finding some delicious recipes that can be easily doubled or tripled.
Once you have a few recipes to choose from, shop for the necessary ingredients and begin prep cooking your meals. To keep things interesting, try switching out different ingredients between recipes or combining components from multiple dishes into one meal. This way you can enjoy variety without having to spend too much time cooking each day.
With a bit of planning and preparation, batch cooking and meal prepping are simple solutions for busy people looking to get healthy meals on the table every day.
Pick one main ingredient that can be cooked in multiple ways
Many people find that a batch cooking or meal prep session can help them stick to their dietary and health goals. One way to make it efficient while still covering a variety of meals is to pick one main ingredient that can be cooked in multiple ways.
For example, chicken can be roasted, grilled, pan-seared and incorporated in a variety of different dishes. Pairing chicken with easily prepped vegetables such as broccoli and versatile sides like rice ensures you have the makings of many meals throughout the week.
Recipes that call for chicken and rice bowls, chicken tacos or chicken salsa wraps are just some examples of how batch cooking chicken could result in delicious meals for days!
Difficult to stay on track
Meal prepping and batch cooking can be a great way to lose weight, save time and get healthy. But it can be difficult to stay on track with your routine.
Here are some tips that can help you keep up with your meal planning plan:
- set realistic expectations
- plan out what meals you're going to make ahead of time
- shop in batch then break down the food into smaller portions
- utilise leftovers and freeze them for later meals
- maximise efficiency when assigning tasks during cooking
These practical tips can help turn meal planning into a habit, providing an easier way to lose weight and stay healthy.
