Is it possible to cook once and eat all week? Even in today’s fast-paced world, in which finding time to prepare healthy, nutritional meals can be presented as a challenge, we believe that meal-prepping is possible (following these easy tips) and has a LOT of benefits.
Meal prepping is a fantastic way to save time, money, and energy, and even enjoy what you are doing. It also helps you to have a more balanced diet and healthier lifestyle, since you dedicate time to the food you are going to eat and make dishes according to your taste and goals.
“Cook once, eat all week” will be your next mantra after getting to know the numerous benefits that meal prepping provides and, also, learning how to succeed at it! We promise you’ll end up enjoying yourself, and your kitchen and end up spreading the good energy!
5 Ways in Which Meal-Prepping Will Change Your Life (Forever)
Although it may sound like an exhausting and heavy task to do, there are many benefits to meal prepping. Knowing what you are going to eat will not only help you manage your grocery budget better, but it will also save you time and a lot of stress.
Here are five benefits that will make you jump into the meal-prepping wagon:
1. It’s time efficient: One of the most significant advantages of meal prepping is the time it can save. You can schedule on your calendar which day and times you need to prepare meals in advance, which will spare you from not only trying to guess what to cook but also the need to cook every single day. And then you can just enjoy the extra time relaxing, taking care of yourself, or even going out with your loved ones.
2. Consistent Nutritional Intake: Everyone has nutritional goals. It is a way to acknowledge the importance of eating in-season veggies and fruit, making your dish colorful, and feeling better. Meal prepping allows you to plan and control your meals so you can meet and even enjoy those goals. By committing to your cooking, you’ll discover the right portions, ingredients, and ways of serving yourself the food you like and enjoy making.
3. It helps build a more mindful approach to eating: By dedicating a specific moment of your week to just cooking, you can focus on that task and pour yourself into it, with the care that a good (several) meals require. From picking the freshest ingredients to prepping them in an attentive manner, it’s the best way of intentionally making the meals you want and need, and not the result of mixing up in a hurry whatever is on the fridge.
4. It will save you money: Yes, meal prepping looks out for your budget as well. Eating out or buying without knowing how to combine the ingredients can be not only expensive but stressful. By planning your meals and cooking in advance, you’ll know what ingredients to look for, reduce food waste, and only search that delivery app whenever you are craving something special and not because you’ve run out of ideas.
5. It’s stress-reducing: Picture this: coming home from a long day at work or ending your remote shift and going for a walk without having to think about what you are going to eat that day. Everything will be ready, you just have to open the fridge and turn on the oven or the microwave. Yes. It is as ideal as it sounds. Fact: Meal prepping reduces the stress associated with last-minute meal decisions and the rush to cook dinner.
AI & Meal Prepping; The Allies You Didn’t Know You Needed (Until Now)
We asked AI to build a series of steps to make meal prepping not only possible for every time schedule, but for everyone to have fun and succeed at it as well.
So, now that we’ve established the great benefits of planning and cooking your meals, let us dive into how to take it from this blog post to your kitchen:
1. Plan Your Meals: Start by creating a meal plan for the week. Decide what dishes you want to prepare and make a shopping list accordingly.
2. Invest in Quality Containers: Invest in a set of good-quality, airtight containers in various sizes. These will keep your prepped meals fresh and well-organized.
3. Set Aside Time: Dedicate a specific day or time each week for meal prepping. Many people find that Sunday works well for them because it sets the tone for the week ahead.
4. Cook in Batches: Cook larger quantities of your chosen dishes. This ensures you have enough meals to last the week, making it easier to stick to your plan.
5. Label and Date: Label your containers with the name of the dish and the date it was prepared. This helps you keep track of freshness and prevents food waste.
6. Variety is Key: Prepare a variety of dishes to avoid getting bored with your meals. You can freeze some meals for later in the week to keep things exciting.
7. Use Time-Saving Techniques: Utilize time-saving kitchen appliances like slow cookers, pressure cookers, and food processors to streamline the cooking process.
8. Stay Organized: Keep your kitchen organized and clean to make meal prepping a seamless process. Arrange ingredients and utensils efficiently.
9. Start Small: If you’re new to meal prepping, begin with a few days’ worth of meals and gradually increase as you become more comfortable with the process.
10. Stay Flexible: Be flexible with your meal plan. Life can throw unexpected events your way, so be prepared to adjust your prepped meals accordingly.
This is a checklist made by AI according to generalized routines, but don’t be afraid to ask how to make your own personalized meal prep plan. Even better, grab that notebook, and your calendar and plan it yourself.
Whatever works for you will be fine and invite you to explore new recipes, and flavors, and have fun in the kitchen.
