Meal prepping has been around since people discovered preservatives in Ancient Rome, but it became a popularised trend in the 80s and 90s thanks to grocery stores selling frozen TV dinners to busy working families. Then – with the advent of the internet, Pinterest, and food bloggers – bulk meal prepping with affordable cookware sets emerged as a way to get home-cooked food on the table when time is of the essence. Now, it’s the perfect way to ensure everyone in your home gets a balanced meal that tastes delicious every day of the week.
Start with Top Quality Cookware
Not all kitchen equipment is created equal. When it comes to meal prep, the first place to start is with your pots, pans, and kitchen gear. Opt for well-made cookware sets to prepare delicious meals. The reality is that high-quality cookware makes cooking fun and simplifies the cleanup process.
Decide What Proteins, Grains, and Veggies You Want
Whether or not you’re tracking your macros, you want to ensure you’re cooking balanced meals for yourself and your loved ones throughout the week. When it comes to meal prepping, you need to incorporate protein, grain, and vegetables into each dish. To ensure you don’t get tired of eating the same recipe repeatedly, top your dishes with different combinations of sauces or garnishes to keep things interesting.
Grab All the Ingredients You Need in One Trip
Once you know what you want to eat throughout the week, it’s time to head to your local grocery store to stock up on your meal prep essentials. Have the individual ingredients you need to buy written down in advance, so you don’t have to guess or get distracted while shopping.
You can split up your list by recipe or section of the store, depending on your preference. A bonus of having (and sticking to) a list is that you’re much less likely to make impulse purchases when you know what you need for the week. Reduce the stress of shopping by planning in advance and showing up with your trusty list.
Prepare Individual Components You Can Turn into Multiple Meals
There are two different ways to meal prep:
- Cook base ingredients like chicken, rice, and broccoli, then combine them in various ways to create unique meals;
- Cook entire recipes to save and eat as leftovers.
Either method can be highly beneficial – it all depends on what works best for your family.
A benefit of prepping individual components vs a complete meal is that you can mix and match base ingredients and add unique sauces or toppings to spice things up. This strategy will save you from eating the same boring combination of chicken, rice, and broccoli every night for dinner.
Dedicate a Day to Meal Prep
Many people find it easiest to dedicate a day (or half a day) to meal planning and prep. There’s no reason you can’t meal prep every day of the week, but since the point of prepping is to make your life easier, it helps to pick one day a week to do it all at once. Preheat your oven, get out all your favourite cookware and appliances, put some music on, and get cooking!
Meal prepping can make your life simpler and save you money. It is also a great activity to enjoy with your partner or children. So, why not forgo takeout and pricey meal delivery services in favour of pre-planned and prepped ingredients you can throw together for a delicious home-cooked meal? It won’t take long to get on the table, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
