Mia
Meal prepping has been blowing up on social media. Whether you want to cut down time spent in the kitchen, find it easier to stick to healthy eating or give yourself more time for other objectives, meal planning and prepping can help you reach your goals. Here are six tips for easy and efficient meal planning and prepping.
1. Find Food Inspiration With Financial Awareness
Meal preparation and planning require creativity and awareness of your budget. Find inspiration for meals you want to cook but be mindful of your money. You can find cheap alternatives to the meals you want to try, and buying off-brand ingredient options can reduce your grocery bill.
Legumes, lentils, rice, and beans are all great ways to ensure that your meals are filling, full of protein, and inexpensive. Always try to include a variety of vegetables and proteins to ensure that you aren’t tired of eating the same foods repeatedly.
2. Have A Set Day Each Week To Meal Plan
If you’re putting detailed intention into the meals you’re eating, giving yourself time to create a plan is essential. You can create healthier and more enjoyable meals by giving yourself an established day to plan weekly meals.
Attempting to do everything at once will limit how successful you are with your cooking and the energy you have to place food into lunch boxes. Create a meal plan, a weekly ritual you look forward to, so you find meals you want to make.
3. Cook Everything In One Day
With your meal plan ready to go, your only task is to get cooking. Choose a day to prepare your meals for the upcoming week. Sunday might be a great day for meal prepping so you can prepare all meals for the upcoming week.
It may be helpful to cook on the day you go grocery shopping. This way, the ingredients you’ve purchased will be fresh, and you can create successful meals with more awareness of the foods you’ve purchased for the week.
4. Purchase Reusable Containers
To keep your meals fresh throughout the week, purchase reusable containers to keep your food fresh. If you plan to take meals with you, store them in takeaway containers. Glass Tupperware and plastic Tupperware are best so you can take meals with you.
5. Make One-Pot Meals
To save time in the kitchen, consider easy, one-pot meals (think pressure cookers, air fryers, casseroles, stir-fries, etc.) instead of college food. You’ll create less mess in the kitchen as you’ll need fewer materials to cook your meals.
Cleanup will also be faster, giving you more time to do other things. Look at the various cooking supplies that support easy meal prep, and purchase the pots, pans, and dishes that will allow you to cook meals quickly without diminishing the taste or quality.
6. Wake Up Early
On the day you cook, wake up early. By preparing the meal earlier in the day, you have more time to devote to other things. You’ll also feel less rushed, and your cooking may be more successful because you’ll have time to go slowly with each recipe.
You want to give yourself space to create food each week without interruptions. The morning is the best time to meal prep because there is less distraction and more time to focus.
Cook For Taste And Time Efficiency
For efficient and easy meal planning and prepping, follow the suggestions above. Make the process for both of these kitchen tasks as enjoyable and productive as possible to get the results you seek in your cooking and time-saving strategies.
