Become a batch cooking whiz with these 5 simple tips to make batch cooking easy.
I’m willing to bet you have a super busy week a head of you. You are probably on the go non-stop. Between work, kids, having a social life, and keeping it tight in the gym, I bet your calendar is jam packed, leaving little time to think about what to eat. Am I right?!
So, I’m here to help you out so you won’t have to stress, at least about what to eat. I’m going to show you 5 simple ways to streamline your batch cooking so you always have healthy eats on hand. It will save you time and also take the stress out of figuring out how to eat healthy throughout the week.
Plan ahead
To make batch cooking easy, plan your meals ahead and carve out 1-2 hours a week to cook all your food at once. Make it a weekly routine. Just like you go to the gym, pick the kids up from school or get ready for work in the morning, if you make batch cooking a priority, in the end, it will save you time, make you less stressed throughout the week and take the guess-work out of ‘what’s for dinner’.
Buy foods with minimal prep work & big flavor
Batch cooking sounds like a great idea until you find yourself spending an hour dicing tomatoes and onions or chopping broccoli and cauliflower. So, do yourself a favor and check out what options your local grocer has in the way of pre-chopped vegetables and fresh frozen vegetables.
Choose meats that are easy to throw in a pot and go. Boneless, skinless chicken, lean ground turkey and lean ground beef are some of my favorite go to proteins for batch cooking.
Also, make sure to buy foods that pack a big punch when it comes to flavor. Things like salsa, onion, garlic, mustard and low-sodium seasonings like Mrs. Dash and McCormick are great for adding flavor and keeping that palate satisfied.
Make large one-pot meals
No one likes to do dishes, so why make extra work for yourself?! Choose clean eating recipes that you can easily throw all your ingredients in one-pot. It’ll make your life a whole lot easier and save you time since you’ll have less to clean up.
Use your stove, oven and a crock-pot
Having multiple things cooking at once will also save you loads of time when you are batch cooking. Plus you will have even more healthy eats on hand throughout the week which will keep your nutrition on point, keeping you energized, healthy and less likely to eat things that aren’t so good for you.
You can easily have 3-4 meals going at once if you make use of your stove, a Crock-Pot or slow-cooker and your oven.
Have the right storage containers
Storage is a key component when it comes to batch cooking. Whether you plan on freezing your food or keeping it in the fridge, making sure you have containers that are easily stackable and airtight is important. The goal is to keep that food fresh and easily accessible. You can buy the large containers to hold the whole batch. Or, if you prefer to take a couple extra minutes, your can portion it out individually, making it easy to grab and go throughout the week. Either way, you’ll still save time and be worry-free about what to eat.
The goal with batch cooking is to make your life easier. Keep it simple, make batch cooking a routine and never stress again about eating healthy when you’re always on the run!
If you’re looking for some easy and healthy batch cooking ideas, be sure to check out Kyra’s clean eating recipes or my own here!
Xo,
Jen
Jen Messer is the creator of WafflesandWeights.com. She helps people who are totally over not getting results they want from trying every fad diet and trendy workout program out there. She shows people how to integrate realistic health and fitness habits into their every day lives while sprinkling in some fun and entertainment along the way. Jen is a Certified Spinning® Instructor, a Certified Krankcycling® Instructor and a National Physique Committee (NPC) Bikini Competitor. She is also studying to become an ACE Certified Personal Trainer. For more juicy details, follow her at:
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