Meal preparation is no longer a good habit but an art nowadays. In the hectic daily struggle for time, success, and some leisure, days pass, and working professionals end up developing unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle diseases, from lack of proper homecooked meals. Therefore, it is important to prepare and pack meals in advance, to avoid last moment confusions and mishaps.
Individuals who do meal prep end up making healthier food choices and reducing their intake of unhealthy snacks and fast foods. Meal prep is also advantageous for those counting calories, losing weight, or trying to monitor their diabetes levels. It might seem overwhelming initially, having to plan for a week, for instance, with all the meals, work engagements, and social commitments. But these easy tips on planning healthy diet foods help you master the art of meal prep in no time.
It is always a good idea to start by planning your meals ahead for the week. For that, you must keep your professional and social engagement, food options and dietary goals in mind. Start by planning the breakfasts, dinners, and lunches, with the main meals using complementary ingredients. This will help you plan easy meal ideas and work in a few spots for eating with friends or catching brunch.
Once you have planned your meals for the week, make a list of all the ingredients you are low on, or might need for a dish. Then go grocery shopping, prepare with a list to not go over budget. It is always a smart idea to note the prices of items on your list to get a price estimate before going to the cash counter in case you need to drop a few items.
Fix a day of the week for shopping and cooking and finishing meal preparation. This will make you work hard one day but make life easy for the rest of the week. Do all your chopping, slicing, rinsing, and kneading, beforehand, to avoid trouble during cooking. This also ensures you get to use fresh produce, whole grains, and pure herbs and spices for your meals, guaranteeing maximum nourishment and health benefits from your diet foods.
After all the preparation is done, without taking more than a 10-minute break, complete all the cooking required for your meals. Unless they are sandwiches, pastas, salads, or naan rotis, most other meals can be cooked and prepared in advance. This will lessen your workload for the rest of the week. Portion your meals in separate boxes instead of family containers to ensure portion control and avoid overeating.
It is always wise to mix and match ingredients for different meals. For example, if you have bought bell peppers, use some for lunch as stuffed bell peppers, some for snacks as bell pepper nachos, and the rest for pasta primavera for dinner. This ensures no food has been wasted and that there is variety in your dishes, despite possessing the same or complementary ingredients.
It is important to be realistic about your week ahead. If it is too busy, try to prepare simple meals that only need to be reheated and consumed. If it is filled with social engagements, then shop and prepare meals accordingly, to ensure no food is wasted. The goal is to eat healthy, not projecting it, or doing it with unrealistic expectations to feel better. Make sure the containers are airtight, and your food is properly frozen or stored.
Not everybody has access to the same kind of kitchen resources. Some may possess everything, from an air-fryer to a cold press, while another may only own a microwave and a gas burner. Therefore, it is better to plan meals according to one’s available resources. You cannot have baked casseroles with a gas stove, nor a pulao in a microwave, so opt for dishes that can be cooked and heated accordingly. Make healthy tandoori chicken in your oven, while setting a rich, vegan lentil stew on the stove, and enjoy your family’s delight at getting creative and tasty meals daily with no trouble.
Meal preparation makes life easy for both homemakers and working professionals as it gives them the breathing space throughout the week to have some time to themselves. It also lessens the daily hassles of shopping and picking dishes according to everybody is liking. Plan your meals in advance and shop accordingly. Cook on a stipulated day weekly and store portions of healthy diet foods to reheat and consume throughout the week without compromising on nutrition and health.