A guide on how I "meal prep"...
Meal prepping can save so much time & money!!! but to be honest, if you're not careful, you could also be wasting money. These are some tips & tricks on how I "meal prep." It is not the typical meal prep that you may be thinking. I actually don't prep any meals. I find that if I prep meals, I tend to not eat them and they also take up way too much valuable refrigerator space. What I consider meal prep is actually prepping ingredients to use within the week, such as cutting vegetables and fruits, etc. I also consider meal prepping the way I store my foods. This is my routine for when I get ready for the next week, typically on Sunday's if I have time.
1. STORING PROTEIN
I like buying protein in bulkier packs rather than singles if possible. It saves money in the future and it will help keep my stock lasting longer. I like to use some type of resealable plastic bags such as Zipocs, but I buy the IKEA brand. Yes, it may not be as eco-friendly, but the IKEA brand is made of renewable/recycled material. I do not store any trays in my freezer!! It tends to take up too much space and when I want a piece or two of something, I would have to defrost the whole pack. What I like to do is divide the pack into serving sized portions. They are much easier to pull out to defrost and I don't have to worry about using up everything. When I transfer the meats into these bags, I make sure that it's only in one layer and that it's flat. It makes my freezer a bit more organized and I can store more food. I even do this with ground meats. I buy about 3 pounds and I divide it into smaller bags, depending what it'd be used for. This procedure also helps with portion control, so I am not using too much or too little.
2. DEFROSTING
On Sunday's or whichever day I choose to meal prep, I like to pull out all of my proteins that I'd like to use for the week. I cook for three people, about 2-3 meals a day. When I defrost the meats, I don't have a set meal to cook, but I know that I want to use these proteins. Either it has been sitting in the freezer for a few weeks, or I just have a tiny bit to use up. I try to have a variety of chicken, pork, beef, and seafoods during the week with some type of vegetables. When I pull them out from the freezer, I place them into some type of container to catch any water or meat juices so that it will not make a mess inside of my fridge. It's disgusting when the juices spill all over the place & a b-word to clean. I also like to do this, because it does take a few days for things to defrost meaning it will not go bad through the week. Sometimes when you buy unfrozen meats and store them in the fridge for a few days, they already go bad. This method helps to maintain the quality and safety of the foods.
3. INGREDIENTS
I like to prep most of my ingredients on meap prep day. I make sure that the quality will not be ruined when I do this. I also like to use ingredients that can last up to a week or even longer when cut. Sometimes, when I have very fragile fruits and vegetables, I still prep it, but make sure to use it the next day. In this photo, I had pre cut tomatoes and eggplants to use the next day because these will definitely go bad. The top three ingredients that I prep every week, that lasts long, are garlic; minced, onions;sliced, and head cabbage;chopped/sliced. They are so versatile and could be thrown in to most dishes I cook throughout the week. I do make my boyfriend breakfast/lunch for work so I make lots of fried rice or fried noodle dishes because they are easy to make, and its easy for him to eat on the go.
4. STORAGE CONTAINERS
These matter so much to me!! I don't own random containers. I like to buy the same kinds. I have some meal prep containers from Sam's Club ($8/25?) and these green lid containers from IKEA ($6/17). I DO NOT USE ANY ROUND TUPPERWARE!! In my opinion, round tupperware takes up too much valuable space. I like being able to stack my containers in the fridge with easy access. These containers are also easy to store. They all fit together, and I keep all lids together, and all containers together. A tip for storing lids that don't "click" together? I put them into a bigger ziploc bag for easy access.
5. SNACKS
I also prep snacks for the week. I do purchase some chips and crackers, but I also make some type of pastry for my boyfriend for the week. He likes to have pastries because again, they are quick and easy to eat while he's on the way to work. I try to make a different pastry every week for him to bring. I used to buy danishes from Sam's club, but he only liked one flavor. I thought it was a waste of money so I decided to take action!! Why not make something he likes???? So I ask him or even throw ideas at him and then I make it. I only need to make for the five days he's working so I don't need to over do it. These may not be healthy, but they are way better than the store bought ones. I can control the ingredients that are in them, plus they're fresh.
6. THINGS I DO NOT DO
I DO NOT WASH MY VEGETABLES OR FRUITS RIGHT AFTER THE GROCERY STORE. Yes, it may sound disgusting, but I wash them right before use. If you wash them ahead of time, they tend to rot faster. I cherish food probably as much as I cherish life. I like to savor my ingredients as long as possible.
This is just some tips & tricks that I personally do. I hate meal prepping actual meals because I tend to waste it. I like to prep my ingredients ahead of time so that I could create dishes throughout the week. It gives me the opportunity to be creative and a bit more flexible. I also don't like meal prepped meals because I feel like I'm eating leftovers and I can't eat the same foods all the time. I hope you enjoyed this blog... :)
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