MEAL PREPPING AND HOW IT CAN BENEFIT YOU
Meal prepping is an incredibly useful cooking preparation method that can lessen stress, saves time and money, and can help to avoid unhealthy eating. It involves cooking your meals ahead of time and then properly storing them to have throughout the week or at a later time. Having full meals or portions of meals already prepared can reduce cooking time and promote the avoidance of fast food or unhealthy quick meals. Meal prepping might seem intimidating at first, however, there are several different methods of meal prepping, and it is important to find the right one.
COOKING IN BATCHES
‘Cooking in Batches’ involves cooking one big dish that can easily be heated up and eaten throughout the week. The dishes are cooked in larger quantities so that multiple portions may be consumed throughout the week. These are typically ‘one pot’ meals such as soups, chilies, stews, and pasta dishes. Other options could be ‘sheet pan meals’ where the entire meal can be cooked on one sheet pan in the oven, and multiple portions are being made. One example could be chicken with sweet potatoes and broccoli. This is a great method to use for families, larger groups of people, or for individual meal preparations.
MAKING INDIVIDUAL PORTIONS
This is the most common method people think of when they hear about meal prepping. Making individual portions typically requires the creation of whole meals that are portioned out into containers for the week. This will create grab-and-go meals that can be easily heated and consumed right away. The ‘individual portion’ method can be used for as many meals throughout the week as you would like. This method is best used for individual meal preparations.
INGREDIENT PREPPING
Ingredient prepping involves preparing aspects of future meals without completely making them. For example, you might want to grill chicken to have on salads or bowls for lunch throughout the week or prepare sauces and dressings ahead of time. You can also wash and cut fruits and vegetables for the week. This is a great method for families, larger groups of people, or for individual meal preparations.
STORAGE OF MEAL PREPARATIONS
All meal preparations should properly be stored in a fridge or freezer to ensure safety and that the food stays fresh. Choose air tight containers, the ones that have ‘click shut’ lids are preferred. When stored in the fridge, meals should be eaten within 3-5 days. Freezer preparations can typically last between 2-5 months when stored properly.
