Fifteen Items to Get You Started with Your Meal Prep Projects
In the hustle and bustle of resuming normal activities, finding time for cooking can be a challenge. This article offers a solution to simplify your cooking routine and reduce daily decision-making - meal prepping.
Set Aside a Specific Block of Time Weekly
To efficiently meal prep for busy schedules, set aside a specific block of time weekly (not necessarily Sunday) solely for prepping meals. This dedicated session should focus on preparing a manageable number of meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and snacks to cover the upcoming days, thereby simplifying your cooking routine and reducing daily decision-making.
Recommended Steps for Effective Meal Prep
- Calculate and plan meals: Determine how many meals you want to prepare for each part of the day, focusing initially on one meal type before expanding.
- Create a grocery list based on recipes: Inventory your pantry first, then shop only for what you need to minimize waste and save money.
- Use simple recipes and convenience ingredients: Incorporate canned beans, frozen vegetables, jarred sauces, or rotisserie chicken to save time while keeping meals balanced.
- Prepare snacks: Big batches of hummus with veggies, trail mix, or energy balls can keep you fueled and prevent impulsive vending machine trips.
Recommended Kitchen Tools for Efficient Meal Prep
- Instant Pot, slow cooker, or crock pot: These appliances enable one-pot meals that cook hands-free and often faster than conventional methods.
- Sheet pans: For easy sheet pan meals where you can roast proteins and veggies together.
- Glass meal prep containers: Safer for reheating food in microwaves and better for storage longevity compared to plastic.
- Freezer bags: For assembling freezer-friendly meals by portioning ingredients in advance, which simplifies cooking on busy days and reduces last-minute preparation.
Additional Tips for Staying Organized
- Use meal planning apps and shared digital grocery lists that sync across devices to coordinate schedules and grocery needs, reducing mental load and making planning quicker.
- Rotate kitchen tools seasonally and deep clean kitchen zones monthly to keep your space efficient without becoming overwhelming.
Example Simple Meal Plan for a Busy Week
- Breakfast: Overnight oats or pre-portioned smoothie bags.
- Lunch: Grain bowls with quinoa, canned beans, roasted veggies, and a protein (chicken or canned fish).
- Dinner: One-pot soups or sheet pan meals with chicken and vegetables.
- Snacks: Pre-cut veggies with hummus, nuts, or energy balls prepared in bulk.
This approach emphasizes minimal complexity, time-saving tools, and manageable steps to help busy individuals maintain a nutritious, convenient diet.
Additional Recommended Kitchen Tools
- A dual-speed Wonderchef Manual Food Processor that can chop, slice fruits and vegetables, and knead dough is recommended for ₹1,299.
- A Tupperware multipurpose cooking tool that can cook rice, khichdi, dal, idli, boil vegetables, and more in a microwave in under 15 minutes is recommended for ₹1,050.
- A set of two Bento lunch boxes is priced at ₹209.
- A set of two airtight reusable silicone bags that can be frozen, boiled, heated, and used to carry lunch are recommended for ₹619. These bags are also spill-proof and can store milk and other liquids.
- A set of 8 measuring cups and spoons is available for ₹199.
- A muffin tin for making quick breakfast items like egg cups is priced at ₹349.
- An electric egg boiler is available for ₹360.
- A chopper-grater-cutter-slicer that makes chopping a week's worth of fruits and vegetables easy is recommended for ₹479.
- A magnetic weekly planner dry-erase board with three free markers is available for ₹399.
- A collapsible steaming basket that fits most pots and is useful for steaming vegetables for salads and quick dishes is recommended for ₹499.
- A set of three stackable airtight containers is available for ₹499.
- The reusable chalkboard stickers are priced at ₹179.
- A portable silicone squeeze bottles (3 pieces) are priced at ₹498.
- Tasty's Make-Ahead Meal Plan is available to help with meal prepping, saving money, and eating better.
- The instant pot is available for ₹8,999.
- For a streamlined cooking routine, consider meal prepping with dedicated time set aside weekly, catering to busy schedules.
- To optimize meal prep efforts, calculate and plan meals, prioritizing one meal type before expanding the menu.
- Create a grocery list based on chosen recipes, taking note of available pantry items to minimize waste and save money.
- Utilize simple recipes and convenience ingredients, like canned beans and frozen vegetables, to speed up meal preparation.
- Preparing snacks in large batches, such as hummus, trail mix, or energy balls, can help maintain energy levels during the day.
- Invest in recommended kitchen tools for efficient meal prep, such as Instant Pots, sheet pans, glass meal prep containers, and freezer bags.
- Streamline kitchen organization with meal planning apps, shared digital grocery lists, and seasonal tool rotation, ensuring your space remains effective without becoming overwhelming.
- Follow an example simple meal plan for busy weeks, incorporating nutritious meals like overnight oats, grain bowls, one-pot soups, and pre-cut veggies with hummus.
