I jokingly say occasionally "I'm not an adult", which obviously isn’t true. But I think I try to convince myself that if I say that it means all the things am responsible for stop for a while? Ha! That’s the hope anyway 😌I mean what really really classifies one as an adult anyway?! 🤔
Since that question hasn't seemed to have magically worked even after writing it down, on to the adulting then I guess! Here are my thoughts, tips and maybe even common-sense advice on getting through a busy work week - planning! There are few reasons I think planning is key, it saves time in the long run, it saves money, and it makes you an adult (🤣?). Okay let me be serious here, it’s just important OK.
So am fully aware that not everyone does a "9-5" and not even "Mon-Fri" but these tips should help you no matter your situation- just tweak as needed 😊
Meal planning gives a stress-free week with regards to what to eat and also knowing exactly what's going in your food, a win-win situation. You'll need a few things to help this process including good quality cooking utensils, pots, knives etc.
First things first, have a notepad of some sort and a pen that is specifically for making lists in the kitchen. This way you know to always find it there and can quickly jot down things down as they run out. Also, for whatever day you choose to meal prep you can write down the list of food you want to cook or prep. There is such as satisfying feeling from ticking things of a list! A permanent marker to write the contents of containers on the cover and allow to dry out before freezing, for easily identifying it at a later time.
Secondly, food containers for storing fully cooked or prepped meals is essential. Think of different sizes depending on your needs. Different sizes for dinner portions where you are likely to serving multiple people at once and 1 portion containers to grab-and-go for work, at home or the office. Also ensure these are sturdy for easily freezing meals in the freezer when you've made a big portion of sauce to defrost for another weeknight meal!
Once you have a list of meals for the week, grocery shop obviously! I find it extremely useful to think of this during the week, as I meal prep at the weekend and go on a Thursday to buy whatever I need. When you figure the least busy days at your local supermarket or maybe even consider online shopping - you'll be taking a lot of stress from the process.
Think about the utensils and kitchenware you'll need to prepare your meals to have them clean and ready to use! The basics including pots, pans, spoons, spatula, chopping board, sieve, knives, blender and a food slicer of any kind!
Also decide if you are fully cooking a meal to heat up later or prepping it to finish off just before sitting down to eat. With food that freezes well think about doubling the portions you make (either on your designated prep day or evenings), as you can freeze some to easily pull out to defrost at a later date. Pairing with freshly made vegetables and/rice on the day gives best of both worlds!
Chances are your meals have similar ingredients so this will help in saving time! For example, I use a lot of peppers - blended or chopped so I do this at once and just share it appropriately. Also, if you are dealing with meat, try to start with the handling of this first, marinating, roasting or fry then you can clean all used utensils immediately before moving on to everything else to avoid contamination!
Don't be afraid to use jars of sauce or spices to cut down your cooking time! Not all jars are the same and sometimes the branded stuff does count. For example, I love Indian sauces and just add seasoned meat and fresh vegetables to make it to my taste with Patak’s or Sharwood's curries.
A pot mat/pan trivet that is heat resistant will come in handy for allowing food to completely cool down off the hob before transferring to an airtight containers.
Start with the meals that take the longest to cook so that you have them on the hob or in the oven whilst you move on to other dishes. You will be able to keep an eye on stuff as they cook and then also finish cooking / prepping most of them at the same time.
Remember to have some music or a podcast to keep you company and you'll see the time spent in the kitchen fly bye. The end result being delicious meals for the week ahead and possibly some additional sneakily meal choices for the following weeks ahead.
That's it for my guide to effective and stress-free meal prepping. Hopefully if you were totally struggling beforehand this gives you some new ideas. Also have a look at my recipes for food ideas that I regularly make myself. As always, check my amazon list for my recommended brands for kitchenware and utensils updated when a post is published!
If you have some tips to share or having any thoughts on what I have shared, please do leave a comment below 😃
Happy Cooking!
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I need to get on board with meal prep...
After reading this, its just gonna make planning to cook/ actually cooking a whole lot easier for me, thanksssss xo