Finding ways to save time when preparing food is an extremely important aspect for me and my meal-planning strategy. Two ways I do this are by preparing ingredients in advance and embracing leftovers.
- Prepping ingredients in advance: save time during busy weekdays by prepping ingredients ahead of time. Easy ways to do this would be:
- Chop vegetables for snacks or quickly dump them on a pan or in water to cook making meal time prep go quickly.
- Marinating meats, or cooking them and storing them in the freezer is another way to save time. This is one of my favorite ways to meal prep. Ground beef and sliced chicken breast are two of my favorites to prepare this way.
- Cooking grains in advance, so you can easily assemble meals during the week. Whole grains can also be stored in the fridge or the freezer after they have been prepared. Rice and quinoa are two that I prepare most often and stash in the freezer for a quick meal.
- Embrace leftovers and batch cooking: cook larger portions and intentionally plan for leftovers. This way, you can enjoy a meal multiple times or repurpose ingredients for different dishes. Batch cooking on weekends can also help you prepare meals for the week ahead.
- Batch cook items like soups and use these Souper Cubes to help portion them out before freezing.
- Make an extra pan of lasagna to put in the freezer.
- Grab a baggie and while making a crock pot dish double it and put half the ingredients in the bag to store in the freezer for the next crock pot day.
Make sure to check what is going on in the schedule for the next few days to plan and prepare for the week(s) ahead. If there is time to make a second batch I guarantee future you will be thankful!