- Designate one day each week for meal prepping to save time and energy throughout the week.
- Create a grocery list beforehand to avoid any last-minute trips for ingredients.
- Consider using ready-to-cook mixes such as burrito, soup, baking, and rice mixes for a quick and tasty meal.
- Utilize multi-tasking kitchen appliances such as slow cookers and air fryers to quickly make several dishes at once.
For many people, meal prepping is a daunting task. The idea of having to cook several meals in advance and plan out the entire week’s worth of food can be intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be! You can make meal prepping easy and fun with some simple tips and tricks. Read on for some time-saving tips.
Choose One Day for Meal Prepping
It’s much easier to stick with your meal-prepping goals if you designate one day each week to prepare your meals. Choose a day that works best for you — whether it’s a weekend or a weekday — and commit to making that your designated meal prep day from now on.
It may take some adjustment at first, but eventually, it will become part of your weekly routine. For example, you could make Sunday your meal prep day and spend just a couple of hours in the kitchen getting everything ready for the week ahead.
Furthermore, by prepping all your meals on one day, you’re sure to save yourself time and energy down the line. This means that when it’s time to eat, you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen cooking each meal. Instead, you can just grab whatever food is ready and go!
Make a List
When it comes to saving time while meal prepping, preparation is key. Make sure you know exactly what ingredients you need before heading to the grocery store by writing out a list of all the items you’ll need for the week ahead.
It also helps if you make this list ahead of time so that when you hit the store, all the ingredients are already there in front of you and ready to go. For instance, you could make your grocery list on a Friday and then head to the store on Sunday morning — that way, you have to grab the items and get back home!
Bonus tip: To avoid any last-minute trips for ingredients, check your pantry first before making a list. That way, you can rest assured knowing you won’t forget any items when you go to the store.
Consider Using Ready-to-Cook Mixes
If you’re looking for a way to save time and energy in the kitchen, consider using ready-to-cook mixes. These are pre-packaged mixes of ingredients that have all been measured out for you — all you have to do is add in your own extra spices or sauces, and voila! You’ve got yourself a quick and tasty meal. Here are some examples:
Burrito Mixes
If you’re looking for a quick and easy meal option, burrito mixes are the way to go. Just add in your favorite protein (chicken or tofu work great!) and extra spices if you’d like, wrap it all up in a tortilla, and enjoy!
Soup Mixes
Soup mixes are great for meal prepping because they’re so easy and customizable. Just simmer the mix on the stove with vegetables, meats, or whatever else you want to add in, and it’s ready in no time.
Baking Mixes
Baking mixes are famous for meal prepping because they can be used to make a variety of different dishes. Many popular baking mix brands offer multiple flavors and varieties, so you can pick the right one for whatever dish you make.
Rice Mixes
Rice is a great base for any meal, so why not make it even easier by using a pre-packaged rice mix? These mixes typically just require boiling water and simmering for 10 to 15 minutes — you can’t get much easier than that!
Use Multi-Tasking Kitchen Appliances
One of the great things about meal prepping is that plenty of kitchen appliances are designed specifically to help save time while cooking multiple dishes at once. Slow cookers, electric pressure cookers, and air fryers are great tools that can help speed up the process and make meal prepping a breeze.
Just be sure to read through instructions carefully before using any kind of appliance, as they can vary depending on the brand or model. For starters, slow cookers are great for making big batches of soups, stews, and chili.
Electric pressure cookers are perfect for quickly preparing grains, beans, and other ingredients. And air fryers can be used to quickly make crunchy snacks like french fries or chicken wings without having to oven-bake them.
Meal prepping doesn’t have to be stressful! With these simple tips, you’ll be able to get organized quickly so that every week’s worth of food is taken care of in no time at all. Start by choosing one day each week for doing your meal prep, create a shopping list with all the ingredients beforehand, consider using pre-packaged mixes, and don’t forget about multi-tasking kitchen appliances like slow cookers or electric pressure cookers — these tools can save tons of time in the kitchen!. So next time someone asks how you manage to stay on top of preparing delicious meals each week, tell them “meal prepping made simple” with these handy hacks.
