It’s a great idea to set yourself a weekly meal plan routine. This habit makes life easier and more relaxed, coming to the rescue when you get stuck with erratic work schedules during the week. After all, we don’t know when we’ll be saddled with extra work or random errands that might consume long hours. Meal planning also helps in cutting down costs while grocery shopping, and reduces your dilemma about what to cook for the next meal. You can also factor in your daily calorie intake, which might be hard to track otherwise.
So how does one get started? Keep these pointers in mind, and it won’t be a daunting process!
Start Small:
If you’re completely new to meal planning, start with baby steps. For example, instead of making 2-3 recipes for each meal, start with a one-dish meal such as pasta or a noodle soup bowl or a pulao with vegetables. The preparation is easier and you‘ll also have clarity on how to enhance each dish to better it the next time round. It also gives you a sense of how long it will take to make that one recipe.
Prepare Your Ingredients:
If you plan your weekly meals well in advance, you’ll be able to ensure the cutting and chopping of veggies, boiling grains or even kneading the dough on a single day. Through the week, it then becomes easier to make and serve hot meals.
But how does one set a weekly meal prep routine for an extremely busy week?
Check Your Calendar Carefully:
Understand your schedule, so you’ll know for sure when you won’t have the time to cook. Also figure out when you’ll come home early or have free time. The idea is to figure out what the upcoming week looks like and plan your meals accordingly.
Try To Maximise Each Dish:
Think of recipes that work well for both dinners and lunches, so that leftovers can be used as well. If you can turn leftovers into an entirely new dish – such as using leftover veggies in cutlets or parathas – that’s also a great idea and a quick fix.
Grocery Shopping:
Planning in advance will give you a fair idea what ingredients are missing. You could opt for easy, quick and hassle-free grocery shopping for those recipes, and stick to buying only what is required.
Consider Batch Cooking:
You have two options - either cook one meal in a large portion and keep it in the refrigerator to reheat and consume. Else, you can cut or shred veggies and meat, keeping them ready to quickly put together and cook different recipes.
Use The Right Storage Containers:
You must equip yourself with knowledge about each food item’s longevity and accordingly place them in the right containers for freezing. This is vital to avoid staleness and related stomach infections. As far as possible try using glass containers, bowls and freezer bags to store weekly meals/ingredients.