Meal preparation or "meal prep" is not a new concept, but its systematic use in our everyday lives has only become widespread in recent decades. Quite simply, it's about cooking weeks or even months in advance, saving time during a busy workday. But, of course, it can be done well and not so well, so we've put together a few tips to help you make the most of meal prep.
About dos and don’ts
Whether it's a big Sunday feast or simply getting meals ready for the week, there are many ways to plan our everyday lunches. You can prepare 2-3 different dishes, mix them up with different side dishes, and put them away for the week. But you can also make a huge bowl of one dish and freeze it in portions, so you can have your Thursday lunches months in advance. Or you can vary and combine these methods, the key is to set your goals and choose a meal prep method that suits your rhythm.
The process can be divided into three steps: planning, where we sit down and figure out what we want to eat a week in advance. Shopping, so that we have everything for Sunday's cooking, and pre-cooking, when we actually prepare the food.
What should we eat?
Of course, food preparation also raises the eternal question: but what should we cook? The situation is even more complicated here, because we have to plan it all days or weeks in advance. But don't be intimidated by what at first seems like a big challenge. The more we start to think about it, the more we can overcome the obstacles. To start with, choose recipes that you know well so that you can get used to meal prep more easily. It's also important to think about a variety of meals, as you need to ensure you have the right nutrients beforehand.
Meal prep works really well with recipes, it's good to have something to stick to. You can buy more of a few staple foods, such as various tinned beans, tinned tuna, eggs or pasta. It's a good idea to stock up as much as possible with ingredients that are healthy and go well with a wide variety of foods. In addition to the basics (onions, garlic), you should consider oatmeal, chickpeas, bulgur, buckwheat, various yoghurts and dairy products, frozen vegetables and various meats as well.
How long does it take?
All this cooking can seem daunting at first. But in practice, it saves time. How is that possible? Simply by reallocating the time you spend cooking, you can have a more relaxed weekday. For example, you might go shopping on Saturday and cook enough food for the week on Sunday morning. Although this will add hours to a weekend day, the "time investment" will soon pay off when you don't have to go to the stove right after work.
To make the process even faster, it is worth choosing dishes with different cooking techniques. Instead of spending all day with the oven, for example, take advantage of having a stove, a microwave, a rice cooker or any other kitchen appliance that can help you prepare as many types of food as possible at once.
Boxes, boxes, boxes
Since we're talking about putting food in the fridge or freezer well in advance, we also need to make sure we have the right quality food containers. Our food will spend most of its time in this box, so there are several things to look out for: the container should seal properly to prevent liquid leaks; it should be able to withstand the waves of the microwave; and, most importantly, it should be frost-proof.
Safety first
During meal prep you will be eating a lot of frozen and then defrosted food, so there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, cooking. Always cook your food long enough, at the right temperature, at least 75°C, as this will neutralize most bacteria. On the other hand, when you freeze your lunch, try to be safe and put it in the fridge first instead of leaving it on the kitchen counter. It is equally important to reheat food only once and to eat it within 24 hours of defrosting. And another useful tip: label your food with the date, so you know when it was made and when it was frozen.