On most days, we have a love-hate relationship with cooking. We try our hardest to make the right choices, cut those vegetables, stand in front of that hot-pot, and before we know it, we’re tired for the next two days, and voila, it’s I-will-order-in-for-today o’clock. We’re suddenly licking our greasy fingers, buried in fast-food wrappers. All the resolutions about eating better are thrown out the window. 

But it turns out; there is a way to avoid lethargy around cooking through a trend brought to us by life-savers who put their I-wanna-cook mood to better use. Meal Prepping is the outcome of their effort, yes.

Meal prepping refers to planning some or all our meals for the week in advance. 

Because food preferences are very subjective, it’s essential to be sure about the food you like and want to eat throughout the week. There are various ways of incorporating this into your lifestyle. You can choose to cook in bulk, make designated boxes for each meal, or simply prepare the smaller components required for main dishes. 

Meal prepping is not just for the salad-making, leaf-eating fitness geeks but curry-lovers seem to love it, too. The concept isn’t widely discussed in India, though. Curries seem more challenging to handle than salads and meat. But there are many ways you can effectively manage the seemingly tough dishes to avoid the early morning grind in the kitchen or the take-out life. 

What are the advantages you ask? Whether it’s for one person or an entire household, meal prepping can be a blessing. It helps you organize our eating habits efficiently and also a cost-effective way of eating right. 

Popular ingredients

Ingredients that are re-casted repeatedly can be made ready. Things like chopped onions, tomato puree, and ginger-garlic paste can be made and stored for 2-3 days. Having these components handy can cut your cooking time in half.

Pre-cooked carbs

You can cook pasta, rice, chickpeas, beans, etc. and store them for a few days. They can be half-cooked and be stored in the freezer or fully-cooked and be stored in the fridge. This can help curb the carb intake by helping you stick to the suggested serving.

Cut fruit and Vegetables

Cut the veggies and store them separately or in one container. For example, you can put everything that goes into the main course– especially the vegetables for multiple dishes in a single box. Similarly, cut your fruit into small cubes and store for a quick on-the-go snack. Choose apples and watermelons over bananas and oranges as they will remain fresh for longer. 

Basic Gravies

An essential Indian gravy is a mixture of sauteed tomato, onion, and ginger-garlic. Preparing the base in advance and storing it will give you the freedom to customize with any vegetable/meat. You can make Paneer Butter Masala, Chicken Masala, and other favourites several times a week with this trick.

75% cooked meals

Most dishes like Roti, Kebabs, Cutlets, etc. can be cooked to the 75% mark and frozen. When you take out the items, they require minimal effort to be made ready. Take out your frozen Kebabs and Cutlets you have prepared and pan-fry before serving. 

#solfood Tips and Tricks

You also need to train yourself with the basics of meal prepping. Here are some quick pointers:

 – Always heat the food in quantities that you will consume immediately. Re-heating food over and over again can affect its nutritional value. 

– Make sure you use only clean spoons to take the food out of the containers. 

– Only use containers that are microwave safe, freezer safe, and BPA free. 

– Invest in a range of good quality plastic/glass containers as well as zip lock bags. 

Meal Planning can change your life for good. Besides saving time during the week, it also helps control the portion sizes, avoid processed food, and eat clean. Eventually, you start to avoid fast food and become conscious of what you are eating, given all the effort you put into getting your meals ready. It’s budget-friendly since you need to buy groceries in bulk, in turn not giving way for too much waste. 

And most importantly, you always have an answer to the question, “What’s for dinner?” without drowning in an indecisive spiral of options.