Contributed By: Meher Manasa
If you are someone who is very busy with your work schedule and find it extremely difficult to spend some time in kitchen to cook yourself a healthy meal. Then, you should definetly try meal-prep. If you have not already heard of meal-prep. Let us start off by understanding the concept of meal-prep.
Meal-Prep is a lifestyle choice adopted by people with busy schedules to reduce the amount of time they spend in the kitchen cooking their meal regularly. It includes cooking meals for an entire week or having your ingredients ready to cook.
Tips to make your meal-prep more effective :
1.Decide on one meal to prep: Pick the meal which is the hardest for you to cook for. If you have early morning schedules then maybe prep your breakfasts. If you stay up late attending work calls. It is best to prep your dinners. Choose a meal to prep instead of prepping all meals for the week.
2.Schedule it: Calculate the number of meals you will have to cook for. Account for all the scheduled meeting which would mean that you are bound to eat outside. Schedule it and stick to it.
3.Select the right kind of recipe: If you are starting out with meal-prep include only the recipes you are already familiar with. As you grow more familiar with the process include more recipes. Ensure to change up the recipes as it could lead to boredom.
4.Cooking schedule and Grocery shopping has to be planned: Decide on which day of the week is comfortable for you to spend some time to cook and stick to it. Write down what kind of food you would be eating the next few days and this will help you better to shop for your groceries. Do not go into the grocery store without having a list.
5.Pick the right containers: Containers that are freezer-safe, microwave-safe with strong compartments that avoids any spill-over. This way one meal of yours will have a variety of food to dig into.
6.Store your meals: Not all foods can be stored in the freezer for long durations. Ensure to consume the food before it goes bad and is advisable to eat before.
7.Label the containers: This will help in keeping a track of how old the food is and if this was prepared with the intention of consuming through the day or for the night.
8.Batch Cooking: Prepare something that can be stored for months and store it in the refrigerator and you are all set for one healthy meal that does not require for you to go to the kitchen everytime.
9.Pickling carrots and cucumber: Store the chopped carrots and cucumbers in a glass containers of pickling concussion and you can eat them for months. This is a very healthy alternative for your snacks bars.
10.Start Slow: Do not rush into this process take your time to understand which meals require attention.
The point of meal-prep is to reduce the number of things on your everyday to-do list. Let it not overwhelm you. However, the list here is in no way exhaustive and can be tweaked to suit your lifestyle.
Healthy and Happy Eating!
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