Meal planning, food shopping and preparation, not to mention the dreaded clean up, all take time and effort. However, by streamlining efforts, your energy will go further. Consider the following.
- An organized kitchen is the key to success
- Keeping your kitchen and equipment organized will allow you to start food prep without spending time searching for recipes, utensils, and ingredients.
- Meal prepping starts with planning. Look at recipes and pay attention to the number of ingredients, preparation, and cooking time
- Practice “Mise En Place.” This is a French term that means “everything in its place.” Get all the peeling, chopping, and organizing out of the way before cooking so all ingredients are ready to go.
- Save time and maximize your efforts by using items like food processors, crock pots, instant pots, air fryers, immersion blenders, and other appliances to your advantage.
- Keep a list of “go-to-meals.”
- Keep ingredients on hand to make mealtime easy, any day of the week. Be sure to include family’s favorites in the rotation.
- Easy go-to meals might include Chicken Fajitas, Tuna Melts, or breakfast for dinner, like this Farmer’s Market frittata.
- This Asian Sheet Pan Chicken is made in one pan for easy no-fuss cleanup.
- Keep your pantry and freezer stocked.
- A well-stocked pantry and freezer allow you to prepare a well-rounded meal. Try to keep food items you enjoy on hand that can be added to recipes or included as a side.
- For example, leftover chicken can be incorporated into a pasta or grain dish along with some frozen vegetables for a well-balanced dish.
- Or make this quick Bean and Corn Salsa with canned beans, corn, and store-bought salsa. Combine with rice or wrap it up in a flour tortilla for a quick and satisfying bite.
- Prepare staple items once a week and use leftovers as “planned-overs.”
- Cook once and eat 2 or 3 times. When prepping, it doesn’t take much longer to prepare extra food.
- Make enough brown rice for this Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry and for this Glazed Salmon dish.
- If Grilled Chicken Tacos are on the menu, cook enough chicken to prepare this homemade Chicken Salad for lunch the next day.
- Enjoy a simple but tasty Black Bean Quinoa Salad for a side or veggie main, and use leftovers for a delicious taco filling.
- Use pre-cut, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables.
- Convenience products provide easy add-ins to stir-fry recipes and side dishes.
- To maximize your time in the kitchen, try pre-chopping produce to make actual meal prep go more smoothly. Or purchase pre-chopped produce from McCaffrey’s.
- It isn’t cheating to use a frozen Asian veggie mix to make this yummy 1-pan Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry.
- Freeze it.
- If you are making dinner, consider doubling your recipe. You can eat one meal now and freeze the other one for another time.
- Leftover or batch-cooked dishes, especially items like soup and stews are perfect for freezing.
- Moist dishes are less likely to dry out when reheated. Foods with a firmer texture, such as root vegetables and meat, tend to freeze more successfully.
- Make sure to label and date frozen items to avoid surprises!
- These Russian Meatballs in Gravy are easy to make and freeze well. Just make fresh noodles when ready to serve.
- Improve your cooking skills.
- If you invest time learning to prepare and cook different foods, you will be able to cut down on prep time as you fine tune your skills.
- Learn how to peel, seed, and chop butternut squash. Or master the art of cutting a whole pineapple in minutes.
Meal prep can be easy and fun. The key is being prepared and organized.
