Do you batch cook?
Have you heard of this?
Batch Cooking is when you prepare multiple meals at the same time. It can be a huge time-saver for busy families and those who work outside of the house. It sets you up to put a healthy meal on the table every night.
Batch cooking is spending a couple of hours cooking and preparing multiple meals. It’s good to plan this on the weekend when you may have a little more time on your hands.
Or, possibly you have a morning or afternoon free each week, which would work too.
One to three hours works well, depending on what you are cooking and preparing.
Make the time
Plan to cook a few dinners for the week. You can prep veggies, salads and smoothies to have them set when needed.
Precook your meats and side dishes.
Preparing breakfast smoothies the night before is a huge time saver. Grab, blend and go in the morning and you are getting a great healthy start to your day.
Planning to clean your greens, chop, dice, and put together your smoothie in the am is just fuel to say – “ugh, too much time, too much work” – and grab something else.
Don’t let this happen!
Preparing helps you
stay on a healthy path
Cook rice, quinoa or pasta ahead of time for what you’ll need during the week.
A great tip is to cook once and create many meals.
For instance, cook a whole chicken. Use the broth and some of the meat for a homemade chicken soup. Shred a portion of the meat to make chicken sandwiches for lunches.
Chop up the remaining meat, add it to your favorite salsa or enchilada sauce and sauté for a quick chicken taco filling.
(Need help with this? Ask me about my cooking classes!)
One cook time creates multiple meals
Making soup, chili or lentil stew?
These are all easy to double up and make two batches. Eat one this week, and freeze one for later. Super easy and another time saver!
Pre-plan to create healthy dinners
To make a stir fry, pre-cut all the ingredients. Again, you can also precook the rice or noodles.
Once you arrive home for dinner, cook all of the pre-cut veggies with meat/beans, warm your rice or noodles and dinner is served.
On another note, you can precook the whole meal.
Heat it up and serve once you arrive home. Five to ten minutes and everyone is happy to sit down for dinner.
Pasta and meatballs or a pasta veggie stir-fry works well to be heated up quickly.
Yes, you can even batch cook all of your baked goods. Eat some immediately, and freeze some for later.
This is where meal planning and batch cooking go hand in hand. (You can read all about meal planning here.)
Gone are the days of whining for dinner or having to start from scratch to cook dinner once you walk in the door.
No more delivering your dish an hour later to all whining family members – and exhausted moms!
Once you start batch cooking, you’ll wonder why you haven’t done this all along. This is how I keep my family on a healthy path even when we are out and running all day long.
No more need to stop at the local drive-in and feel terrible afterward!
The KEY is thinking ahead!
Pre-plan ** Shop ** Cook ** Freeze
Boom! Dinner is Done!
Your body will thank you
and so will your family!
