If you want to make sure that you plan meals that are healthy for your family, then you are not alone. So many people find themselves in the same situation as you every day, but that being said, it is easier said than done. Sometimes you may find that it is just easier to throw something into the fryer or to rely on things like chips over healthy rice. If you want to put an end to these bad habits, then this is the guide for you.
Plan your Meals
The first thing that you need to do is make sure that you plan out your meals properly. You need to do this before you even do your shopping so that you can create your menu for the week. You can then also do your shopping accordingly, so keep this in mind if possible.
Have your Storage Ready
An organized freezer, fridge, or even pantry can save you a great deal of time. Well-labeled storage jars can also work wonders. There is nothing worse than defrosting a salsa, only to find that you ended up defrosting the pasta sauce by accident. If you can label things, then it will become much easier for you to manage everything.
Invest in Bulk Cooking
Set up your kitchen to bulk cook. If you are doing a big cook, then make sure that you make things easier on yourself. It may help you to have some kind of collapsible table so that you can pull it out whenever you need it. You can also make batches of spice mix so that if you are doing fajitas or anything else similar, you have a jar of mixed seasoning ready to go. This is ideal if you love to do meals such as paprika drumsticks. If you have never made them before then you can find a recipe for paprika drumsticks here.
Freeze Meals
Frozen meals make for light work during the week. The best thing about bulk cooking is that it helps you to set up meals for weeks to come and this can work in your favor more than you realize. Try and take the time to figure out meals, or at least parts of meals, so you can find out what is going to freeze well and what isn’t. Stews, casseroles and even mince dishes are all very good as you can cook them in advance, and you can pull them out whenever you need them. When you do, you have a hearty family meal ready to go. Sauces, especially tomato-based ones freeze well too, so keep that in mind.
Precook
Many foods can be cooked over the weekend and then stored if you want. If you have versatile base ingredients, then you can easily serve them in many different ways. Grains, such as rice, buckwheat, or even quinoa, are all very good for side dishes and you can precook them when you have time, so make sure that you keep this in mind if possible. When you do this, you will soon find it much easier to get your meals done.
