Try These Tips to Plan and Prep Meals
By Paul Rothbart
Working a full-time job and taking care of a house and family can be quite a challenge. There never seems to be enough time to get everything done. There are shortcuts but you want things done well. When it comes to meals, you want nutritious food that tastes good. Having some variety is always nice. Planning meals ahead each week is a good idea, but that can become overwhelming. Try these tips to help you plan and prep delicious, healthy meals.
Choose a Method
There's more than one way to do anything and that includes meal prep. It's best to choose the one that suits your schedule, lifestyle, and how you like to work. Here are four to choose from.
You can prepare ingredients ahead of time for the meals you plan to cook. You can then refrigerate them until it's time to prepare the meal. This works well for people who like to cook and then serve right away. Doing prep in the morning works well with this method. You can then have a great meal that night with much less cooking time.
Another method many people like is to cook an entire meal ahead of time, then allow it to cool and refrigerate it until dinner time. It then just has to be reheated and served. This works well for soups, stews, and casseroles, which can be loaded with nutritious and tasty ingredients.
Some people prefer to prepare several meals at once and then freeze them. This is a good plan for people who have one day a week with enough time to prepare meals. Then you just thaw and eat each evening.
Preparing and storing individual meals is a good method for single people who need breakfast or lunch on the go. You can refrigerate all your daily meals at once.
Create a Menu
When planning meals ahead of time, it's a good idea to have a menu for the week. This will help when shopping and also give you a written guide when preparing each meal. You also avoid the "what should we have tonight" debate. It can streamline preparation and cooking significantly.
Shopping
Using your menu, compile a shopping list to take with you to the market. This will ensure you don't forget anything or spend money on items you don't need. It's also easier to come up with a substitution on the fly if what you need is not in stock. Thorough planning can save a lot of time.
Preparing and cooking healthy meals that you and the family will enjoy can be hard when you have a busy lifestyle. But by using these tips, with a little planning and prep, you'll be able to consistently serve nutritious and tasty meals to your loved ones.
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