Meal prepping isn’t only for busy families, dietitians, or office employees; it’s for anybody trying to save time, money, and maintain a plant-based lifestyle.
For many of us, working from home has become the new normal.
It may appear that the need to prepare meals ahead of time does not exist now that most of us work from home. After all, frantic mornings with long commutes and tired, lazy afternoons when sleep is more enticing than meals are no longer the norms these days. Even then, the numerous benefits of meal planning continue to make the effort worthwhile. Here are some useful meal preparation recommendations for folks who work from home.
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Plan, plan, plan
Whether you’re writing a business proposal, a school paper, or a weekly food plan, preparing is the only way to ensure success. This easy approach will let you collect all of the items you’ll need without missing anything and will let you work more efficiently within your budget.
It’s a good idea to start your meal prep plans with a list of the recipes you want to eat during the week. Once you’ve completed your list, consider producing a more specific list of all the components that each dish will require. The second step may appear boring at first, but it will ensure that each component is used as efficiently as possible.
Tasty and Healthy
Make sure your homemade lunch options are quick, wholesome, and nutrient-dense, but they should also be tasty. Healthy and delicious don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Whether you prefer more exotic foods or are a gourmet food lover (pasta salad drizzled in olive oil anyone?), you’re sure to find something that’s healthy and appeals to your taste buds at the same time. You’ll have ample reasons to look forward to that midday lunch once you start playing with some of the ideas.
Easy on the wallet
Pick only those meals that are within a fair price range. So there shouldn’t be any fancy ingredients in the dishes. It all boils down to improving your health and saving money by meal prepping your food at home. People are increasingly eating at home as living costs continue to rise. According to a recent study, 93 percent of millennials eat at home four evenings each week. Let’s get started on lunch ideas. Have a great day exploring!
Feel free to start with whichever meal category appeals to you the most.
Prepare The Basics
To use as salad bases, keep a few containers of washed and clipped greens available. Chopping up some of your favorite vegetables (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, butternut squash, broccoli, and asparagus), sprinkling them with olive oil, and roasting them on a sheet pan provides you a variety of salad, grain, and omelet alternatives. While the oven is preheating, bake some tofu, chicken, or a batch of meatballs to serve with spaghetti, zoodles, or a salad. When you spiralize a large batch of zucchini, you can grab exactly what you need when you want to make those zoodles.
When it comes to making a large batch of protein like pulled chicken to use in sandwiches, pasta, salads, soups, and other dishes, the slow cooker is your greatest friend. Hard-boiled eggs are another good source of protein that may also be eaten as a snack. Quinoa, brown rice, chickpeas, lentils, or another whole grain or bean cooked in a large saucepan is a versatile carb source that may be used in various meals.
You may cook caramelized onions in quantity and preserve them in the fridge for a few days for a special touch. Parmesan is another excellent alternative; you can grate a large quantity at once and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, using only a small amount at a time. Instead of using bottled salad dressing, make your own and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Dijon mustard, balsamic, and EVOO, as well as miso-tahini, are two winning combinations to attempt.
Invest in basic cooking supplies
Meal planning entails more than simply preparing meals ahead of time. In reality, it’s about figuring out how to produce the best meals in the most convenient, nutritional, and time-saving manner possible. This is why you should not solely concentrate on obtaining the freshest ingredients. You should also pay special attention to the appliances you use in the kitchen. Modern kitchen equipment can help you save time and money (and let’s face it, time is money when it comes to meal prep).
Take, for instance, the rice cooker. Not only can you leave it to create flawless, fluffy rice every time, but the best rice cookers also serve as food steamers, allowing you to prepare your carbs and vegetables in one cooking cycle. A food processor is another kitchen appliance that will be well worth your money. The best food processors will assist you to dice onions, chop parsley, shred carrots, knead the dough, and grind parmesan much faster, giving you more time in the kitchen to do other things.
Create a Mood
The desk meal is often glamorized in popular culture or in some professions, working through lunch is the norm. Taking a legitimate lunch break, on the other hand, can help you rejuvenate. You’ll have advantages at home, such as eating off of real dishes with actual flatware (bye-bye, takeout sporks).
Try scheduling your lunch break each day and eating away from your computer. This tranquil environment will assist you in reducing fatigue, improving digestion, and increasing your awareness of appetite and fullness indications. Another advantage of mindful eating is that you consume less food and feel satisfied, which really is a win-win scenario.
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