The best thing to do is to prepare meals or entire dishes in advance. Because in addition to being simple and practical, it can save a lot of time.

Having pre-prepared meals on hand can also reduce portion sizes and help you lose weight. That way, you’ll avoid unhealthy options like eating in front of the TV or fast food, especially when you’re overwhelmed or exhausted.

And since it requires you to determine what to eat in advance, preparing a healthy meal can lead to more nutritious choices in the long run.

Despite what people may think, there are several ways to prepare a healthy meal — not all involve spending an entire Sunday afternoon cooking up the week ahead.

You can choose the methods that work best for you!

Different ways to prepare a healthy meal

you may think that prepare a healthy meal for the week will consume a large part of your weekend.

However, as there are several ways to prepare a healthy meal, you don’t have to stay in the kitchen for an entire Sunday afternoon. You can adopt a cooking style that suits you.

The most popular ways to prepare a healthy meal include:

• Prepared meals: Full meals prepared in advance, which can be refrigerated and reheated before eating. This is particularly useful for dinnertime meals.

• Batch cooking: make large batches of a specific recipe and then divide it into individual portions to be frozen and consumed in the coming months. This is a popular option for hot lunch or dinner.

• Individually divided meals: prepare fresh meals and distribute them in individual portions to take away to be refrigerated and consumed in the next few days. This is particularly useful for quick lunches.

• Ready-to-cook ingredients: prepare the ingredients needed for specific meals in advance as a way to reduce cooking time.

The method that will work best for you depends on your goals and daily routine.

For example, breakfasts prepared in advance may work best if you are looking to streamline your morning routine. On the other hand, keeping meals prepared in batches in the freezer is particularly useful for those who are short on time at night.

The different meal preparation methods can also be mixed and matched depending on your own circumstances. Start by choosing the most appealing method, then slowly experiment with others to determine what works best for you.

Choosing the right amount and variety of meals

Figuring out how many meals to make and what to include in each meal can sometimes be tricky…

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The best way to plan ahead is first decide which meals you would like to focus on and which meal preparation method fits your lifestyle.

Then check your schedule to decide the number of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners you need for the next week.

Also, remember to factor in the times when you’re likely to eat out — for example, on dates, a meeting with friends, or client dinners.

When selecting which meals to eat, it is best start with a limited number of recipes you already know. This will ease your transition to meal planning.

That said, it’s also important avoid choosing just one recipe for the entire week. This lack of variety can lead to boredom and will not provide your body with the nutrients it needs.

Instead, try to choose meals that contain different vegetables and protein-rich foodsas well as assorted complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, quinoa, or sweet potatoes.

Tips to reduce cooking time

Nobody likes to spend hours in the kitchen while preparing meals. This is natural, as the main incentive to prepare a quick healthy meal is the reduction of cooking time.

The following methods will help you optimize your preparation and cooking time:

Follow a consistent schedule

Meal preparation works best when you follow a regular schedule. Knowing exactly when you will be shopping for groceries and preparing your meals will help you form a good routine.

For example, you can set aside Sunday mornings for shopping and preparing meals. Or you can select Monday nights to prepare lunches for the rest of the week.

The schedule is up to you and should fit into your weekly routine. Remember that choosing specific times and sticking to them will simplify the decision-making process, freeing up mental space for other things.

Choose the right combination of recipes

Choosing the right combination of recipes will help you become more efficient in the kitchen.

To save time, select recipes that require different cooking methods. Having many recipes that call for the same appliance — the oven, for example — will limit the number of dishes you can prepare at once.

This is especially important when selecting meals prepared in advance or for batch cooking.

A good rule of thumb is to limit yourself to one meal in the oven and no more than two meals on the stove at the same time – for example, baked potatoes, a stir-fry, and a soup.

Then simply add non-cooking meals such as salads to the mix.

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Organize your prep time

A well-designed workflow will save you a lot of time in the kitchen.

To better organize your preparation and cooking time, start with the recipe that requires the longest cooking time. It is usually the soup or meal from the oven. Once the meal is ready, focus on the rest.

Book cold meals for the endas they can be made easily while other meals are being prepared.

To save extra time, check the ingredients for all recipes before starting. That way, if two recipes call for diced onions or peppers, you can chop the entire amount at once.

Using automated devices such as an electric rice cooker can further streamline your workflow.

Make a shopping list

Shopping can be a big waste of time.

To optimize the time you spend at the supermarket, keep a detailed list organized by supermarket departments.

This will prevent you from going back to a previously visited section and speeding up your purchases.

Limiting grocery shopping to once a week and making use of a delivery service are two additional ways to spend less time shopping.

Choose the right storage containers

Your food storage containers can make the difference between one meal and another.

Here are some recommendations:

• Airtight containers for ready-to-cook ingredients: Washable, reusable silicone bags and stainless steel containers are great for keeping ingredients crunchy and food fresh.

• BPA-free microwave containers: are convenient and better for your health. Collapsible silicone containers are some good options.

• Safe freezer containers: This will prevent freezer burn and nutrient losses. Wide-mouthed glass jars are ideal, as long as you leave at least an inch of free space so the food can expand as it freezes.

• Leak-proof compartmentalized containers: They are great for lunches or meals that require ingredients to be mixed at the last minute. A good example is lunch boxes.

Stackable or similarly shaped containers help optimize space in your fridge or freezer.

Cook, store and reheat food safely

Food safety is an important, albeit overlooked, component of meal preparation.

Cooking, storing and reheating food at the right temperature can prevent food poisoning, which affects an estimated 9.4 million people each year.

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Here are some approved food safety guidelines:

• Be aware of the proper temperatures: Make sure the refrigerator is kept at 5°C or lower and the freezer at -18°C or lower.

• Cool food quickly: Always refrigerate fresh food and meals within two hours of purchase or cooking. For quick cooling, spread out cooked foods in shallow containers and place immediately in the refrigerator.

• Remember storage times: cook fresh meat, poultry and fish within two days of purchase and red meat within 3–5 days. In the meantime, store them on the bottom shelf of the fridge.

• Cook at the right temperatures: meats should be cooked until they reach an internal temperature of at least 75°C, as this kills most bacteria.

• Safely defrost food: thaw frozen foods or meals in the refrigerator instead of on the counter. For faster thawing, soak food in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes.

• Reheat food only once: the more often you cool and reheat a food, the greater your risk of food poisoning. That’s why thawed food should only be reheated once.

• Reheat food to the right temperature: All meals must be reheated to 75°C before being consumed. Frozen meals must be reheated and consumed within 24 hours of thawing.

• Use labels: remember to label and date your containers so you can consume food within the food safety period.

• Eat food within the right period of time: refrigerated meals should be consumed within 3-4 days and frozen meals within 3-6 months.

Meal preparation doesn’t have to be complex. The basic steps can help you cut down on cooking time, freeing up time for more important activities!

Final conclusion

Meal prep is great for people who want to spend less time in the kitchen.

It can also promote healthy, nutrient-dense meals and cut down on less nutritious fast food options.

Depending on your goals, schedule, and meal preferences, meal prep can involve preparing large batches to be frozen, full meals to be refrigerated, or prepared ingredients to be blended as needed.

Find a method that works for you and choose one day a week to plan meals, shop and cook.