Is it thateat well is in your goals for the year or’save? Or fromwaste less? Or fromrespect (or not) a food plan? Or less often being caught not knowing what to eat From stress less with meals?
If so, then the meal prep, or meal prep plan is for you. While taking some planning and space in your Sunday schedule to cook, the week will be much easier to start and save you time and money!t!
You don't know how to go about getting started It's not that hard to get started, you don't have to worry. Here is my easy-to-follow method for getting started in your meal preparation..
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Planning!
On the one hand, you need to know how many meals you will need to prepare to eat at home, and how many lunches will be needed to eat away, for example for school or at work (because one day the meals at the restaurant will resume).
Then, before you start any list, write down the recipes you and your family like best. I enjoyed making this list with the kids, and it gives ideas for those weeks where inspiration is lacking.
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Inventory
A great tip to save is to take inventory of what you already have in your pantry, fridge and freezer so that you can incorporate it into your meals. We all usually have the basic foodstuffs, such as oils, spices, pasta, rice, flour, sugar, salt, etc. Make sure to renew before you run out! But also, what is already in the fridge and freezer can be integrated into your menu for the week, which will avoid a lot of waste.
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Develop your menu for the week
The 2e trick to save is to plan according to flyer specials. Plus, it gives inspiration to the menu! Try to spot any specials that might allow you to incorporate an ingredient 2 or 3 times into your meals for the week, in order to lose less food.
For example, spinach can be incorporated into a salad at lunchtime, or as a chicken breast or salmon steak stuffed with spinach and cheese.
Decide if your goal is to prepare your whole meals so that they are ready to heat, or if you want to prepare the ingredients to be ready to use. Wash and pre-cut your fruits and vegetables, marinate your meats or meat substitutes, cook the rice or quinoa in advance. All of them are great ways to save time when preparing meals.
In an ideal world, if you decide to prepare meals ahead of time, recipes for the start of the week might be made ahead and only need to be baked or reheated. Those at the end of the week, on the other hand, should be the fastest to prepare, because unless they've been frozen when cooked, they should no longer be very safe to eat. Freezing, for example, fish, marinated meats or a lasagna and taking it out the day before is a good way to avoid getting intoxicated!
In this way, put together a menu for the week. What are you going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and forthe snacks? And prepare your shopping list!
Don't forget to add containers for take-out meals or to freeze your creations on the first list!
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Go shopping!
Ideally on Friday or Saturday, go do your grocery shopping for the week. It will cost you a lot less if you only go once or 2 if you go every day.
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Pick a prep schedule and Go to the kitchen!
My preference is for Sunday, just before the work and school week. Choose the time slot that best suits you. This moment can become a pleasant family moment, where everyone can help out. Sharing tasks shortens preparation time, and it's a great opportunity to try new recipes together!
Take the opportunity to double certain recipes and freeze additional portions for future use! You can also easily freeze leftover chicken or cereal, or even carcass broth.
You can even go as far as freezing portioned fruits and vegetables for smoothies. Once in the blender, all you have to do is add your milk or vegetable drink and maybe a scoop of protein for nutritious and quick breakfasts!
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Organize your meals and label
It is important to choose the right container when storing your food for storage. The right containers for the freezer, and the right ones for meals to be reheated in the microwave, if you plan to heat the meal directly in the same container (saving dishes! Youhouu!).
Also take a minute to write down what's inside the container, so you don't have any nasty surprises! Thawing a minestrone soup when you wanted to eat a stew changes a menu!
Finally, leaving your week's menu posted on the fridge helps keep the planning going, and can easily save us an evening of fast food. And quite frankly, that also saves us from the famous question that kids always ask: What for supper! »!
My method is not the only one out there, but it has been proven to work. Find your way, above all don't put pressure on yourself to achieve perfection. After a few weeks, you will see how economical, simple and so much less stressful it is at mealtime to have taken the time to plan a bit!
Article written by Audrée Hogue