Having to prepare healthy family meals every now and then is a lot of work, not when you still have your job to keep, after-school activities to tend to amongst other things in life that need and demand your attention. Cooking meals from scratch very often is therefore not very practical for most families, parents and caretakers surely need to find creative ways to prepare healthy meals in bulk, have them preserved so that they can be enjoyed for extended periods of time.
This idea of cooking so much at once which will then be enjoyed later can be frightening at first, especially when you’re not used to it. However, the fact is that it’s a lot easier and way cheaper to plan and cook meals in bulk than you might know. For one to be very effective at adopting this style, you’ll only need to know your groceries (i.e. all the items you will need and might be needing), plan your menus, make a complete shopping list (so you only have to go once), pick out a day to go do your shopping and then cook your meals.
This might take a while especially if you’re new to it, you might make a few mistakes the first time, missing out on a few items but it’s all part of the learning process. Once you’re able to perfect your planning, it becomes a whole lot easier and cheaper to have meals prepared in bulk. Even if you don’t have enough freezer space, ideas of freezing meals in flat zippered bags can do the trick.
One of the main reasons for food prep is that you get to SAVE MONEY. Food prep enables you to buy more foods in bulk, like meat and vegetables, rather than buying them in small portions. Food prep also helps you not to eat out often, thereby leaving you with more disposable income to use for other needs. Food prep also means you’re eating healthier and more nutritious meals because meals prepared at home contain more vegetables, less carbohydrates, and less fat than fast food meals.
Food prep helps you create a better relationship with food. When you Food prep, you learn more about nutrition and how to treat food for what it is: energy and nutrition. You learn to eat only when you’re hungry instead of making unhealthy eating decisions in a rush. Using food prep also helps you to save more time and money which can be invested into the family time and budget.
Isn’t that wonderful? We get to eat healthy, save time and also save money. In order to help you out with your Food prep plans, here are a few ideas you can adopt to get started and going.
- Plan ahead
Food Prepping has a lot to do with proper planning. The first step to any successful food prepping is knowing exactly what you want to do and when you want to do it. That way, you can block off time in your planner for a day or two that you will dedicate mainly for that activity.
One way to get ahead in your planning is to first know what meals you want to have through the period you’re prepping for before concluding on what items to buy and in what quantity. This eliminates the guesswork and stress of trying to figure out what to have when you’re ready to eat your meal.
- Prepare your staple ingredients ahead of time
Do you usually make use of staple ingredients like onion, tomatoes, garlic, and carrots in your cooking? Then have them already purchased, washed, chopped and stored in your refrigerator in preparation for the day when you’ll be ready to do your cooking.
You can do likewise to your fresh herbs; purchase, chop and store in the refrigerator or have them wrapped in paper towel and stored in a sealed plastic bag so as to maximize their freshness when you’re ready, in case you don’t want them chopped before time.
- Pick your date and stick with it
This tip is what Food prepping is all about. The goal is to prepare a large enough quantity of food to have for several days. It can also mean preparing a large amount of a staple ingredient to be used in a variety of ways for several days.
Make sure not to skip the date you’ve set aside for your meal prepping unless it’s absolutely necessary for you to do so. Food prepping becomes less efficient if you do not strictly adhere to your shopping and cooking plans. That way, the purpose of trying to save money and time with food prep gets defeated each time you do not stick to pre-set timelines.
I hope these 3 tips can at least get you started and get you ahead. Remember, there might be a few slips at the beginning so don’t work up about it if it happens. With time, you gain mastery and become more efficient with process, saving you plenty of time and money to devote to other things.
Food prepping is totally do-able if you’re interested in it and even very necessary if you’re a parent with kids and a home to cater to. The moment you can effortlessly incorporate food prepping into your routine, you’ll have less stress around meal time, save yourself more money and time and enjoy more home-cooked and nourishing meals frequently.
Save money! Save time! Eat healthier! – That’s one offer I’ll definitely take any day, any time
Plan, Prep, Eat and Repeat
“If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good food’
Much Love and gratitude, Xo.
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Disclaimer: Please note that I am not your doctor while I am a health coach by profession. This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice nor does it establish any kind of medical relationship between you and me. I will not be held liable for any damage resulting from or related to your use of this information.