I love cooking and hosting, so sometimes I’m cooking for a table full of people. Other times, it’s just me. Even then, I actually plan to cook a bit more than I need now, because I’ll always have enough for someone else to drop in, or for my leftovers.
I previously published a giant how-to on meal prepping for an entire week. It makes a crazy amount of food, most of which you can freeze if you don’t use. It’s a great option that shows how to realistically cook a lot of food with just a couple hours.
Read it here: How To Meal Prep for a Week
But what about the times you overcook, or make too much? You’ll figure out systems that work for you, but maybe some of these tips can save you time when cooking food in advance and saving it for later.
More Tips for Easier Meal Prepping
Meal prepping absolutely makes the week go easier if eating healthy according to a plan is important to you. Here are some quick ideas for cooking enough and not wasting food:
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Batch your time and cook a few meals. Plan on having chicken breasts and veggies in the oven, and rice and ground beef on the stove. This way your prep and cleanup time is batched, too.
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Invest in good food storage for leftovers. I love Pyrex. It’s glass, so you don’t have to worry about any weird staining or warping. It freezes and cleans easy, too.
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You can freeze meals you won’t eat for a few days, and refrigerate the rest.
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Keep a can of tuna or chicken, and frozen vegetables as a backup. If you run out of food or forget to plan, you can always pop open a can, saute the vegetables, and there you have a meal. If you don’t have guests, you don’t have to impress anybody but yourself.
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