The Secret To Quick and Easy Meal Preparation

Meal Planning: The Secret To Quick and Easy Meal Preparation

Hardly anyone has time to spend hours just to prepare one meal, and if you are living on your own, or if you have a small family, doing the whole slaving away in the kitchen all afternoon thing can seem like a massive waste of time. However, more people are realizing that the “quick fix” solutions to mealtimes, such as canned goods and “instant” food items, are just not as satisfying and certainly not as healthy as meals that have a little more thought put into them.

So, how can you serve your family delicious, healthy meals without sacrificing hours in the kitchen everyday? The answer is simpler than most people think. Believe it or not, taking a little time to plan your meals out beforehand can really cut back preperation time when it comes time to cook the meal. Here are a few tips that can help you to plan your meals in advance and cut back on meal prep and cooking times without sacrificing flavor and nutrition.

1. Make A Menu For The Week

Menu making isn’t as difficult as you might think. Many of us don’t eat all our meals at home. So for instance, if you have cereal or toast and eggs for breakfast, you eat your lunch at work or school, then the only real meal you have to think about preparing is dinner.

When preparing your menu, try to think of things that are easy to prepare. Pasta is a always a favorite and usually takes less than half an hour to prepare. Pair this with a simple salad and you have a healthy dinner. Or you could try some simple rice meals. The idea is to keep it simple but also think about what you would like to eat. Don’t cook something that you will end up not eating because you don’t like it, just because it’s easy to prepare.

Another thing to keep in mind is how well the food will keep in the fridge. You can cook a big meal one day and save the leftovers for lunch the next day or for a second dinner on another day. For example, you could cook grilled pork chops on Monday, make grilled pork sandwiches on Tuesday, and chop the leftover meat to add to your chili beans on Wednesday.

2. Shop Carefully

Many people shop for groceries very haphazardly. However, this habit can be costing you a lot of time and money. By simply going through your fridge and pantry before you leave to the store and making a list of items you will need based on the menu you have planned for the week, you can shave off extra trips to the store and extra money wasted on things that you won’t actually use.

Shopping carefully also makes it easier to keep tabs on expiry dates. If you go through your pantry and find a box of cake mix you hadn’t realized was there, you can check the date on the box and make sure you use that mix before you go to buy another one. This way you will waste less and have less spoilage to deal with.

3. Prepare Certain Items Ahead Of Time

If you have a little extra time on a certain day, you can get ahead of meal preparation in the following days by doing things like chopping veggies and storing them in sealed containers in the fridge. Some people don’t like to do this, as they say that the veggies will lose flavor and nutrients. However, if you store them properly, any “damage” should be insignificant, and chopping ahead of time will allow you to quickly add some wholesomeness to your meal whenever you cook.

These little things can really speed up meal prep and cooking times. A little forethought and action ahead of time can come in handy when you are craving some yummy food but don’t have much time to spare.

About Author
Stacey Cavalari is a research and technology writer for Phoenix kiosk, a touch screen kiosk manufacturer firm in Tempe, AZ. Phoenix Kiosk specializes in kiosks, software and technology for small to large size organizations.

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