Minimize your time in the kitchen
These days finding time to eat well can be very difficult. The time and effort needed may be a hurdle for many to consistently consume nutritious meals. The solution is not a new one, a very simple one actually… planning and preparing!
Meal prepping is the process of planning and preparing meals ahead. This may be in the form of cooking complete meals, conserving them in Tupperware and storing in the fridge or freezer.
The thought of having your meals ready and done for the whole week seems liberating. However, we tend to overcomplicate things which leads to a loss of motivation. This article includes some simple tips to minimize your time in the kitchen.
“He who fails to plan is planning to fail”
First of all, try to visualize your coming week. How does your schedule look? Are there going to be days in which you will be busier or expect to be more tired than usual? Days in which you expect to have no time to cook or even think about what to eat?! Plan your meals according to these days. This can be done by
1. Cooking for 2 or 3 days a day before your ‘busy’ day.
This process should not take much more time when preparing your initial meal. It’s a matter of doubling the amount of ingredients. The extra portions can be put in tupperware and stored in the fridge for the next day. On your busy day, all you have to do is reheat the second or third meal and enjoy within minutes!
Tip: soups and curries tend to taste better on day 2!
2. The beauty of leftovers.
Have any cooked rice or pasta left over from yesterday's meal? Use this as a base for a delicious pasta salad or quick ‘arroz con pollo’ filled with lots of vegetables! Leftover chicken, fish or even vegetables are great to use as a filling for a wrap or pita bread. This way you can create a whole new meal with a different taste without having to start from scratch. This method can also be executed on purpose, but be sure to actually make use of the leftovers and not let it be wasteful.
3. “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today”
Who really enjoys peeling and cutting onions and garlic?! If you are going to cut them, you might as well do some extra work and be done with it for the rest of the week. Once peeled and cut, put it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge for the next use. This same method can be incorporated with vegetables and even fruits, which then can also be frozen. Put dried beans (legumes) in some water and let soak overnight, this will quicken the cooking time!
Tip: lentils cook way faster than beans, and quinoa faster than brown rice.
4. Sometimes an ‘okay’ meal is good enough.
Life happens and there will be times that we are not able to plan and prepare as well as we would like to. Should we just give up and go for junk food?!.. Of course not! A meal that’s maybe a little less nutritious can still be better for our health than greasy junk food. Think e.g. of canned beans, vegetables or even soups. You can always add extra vegetables, fruits or whole grains to complete the meal.
5. Prepare grab & go options.
These days we’re always on the run. Preparing your snacks or smaller meals to take with you will help with avoiding unhealthy snacks on the road. Prepare multiple tupperwares filled with pre-cut fruits, vegetables (such as cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, baby carrots) or nuts and trail mix. And just grab & go before leaving the house!