Learning how to be more time-efficient is something that everyone can improve in, especially when you have a family with kids running around. Everyone always welcomes time-saving hacks and tricks, and batch cooking is definitely a game-changer when it comes to saving you time in the kitchen! This type of meal planning means that you don’t have to cook every day, allowing you to do all those things that you never have time for.
While meal planning can sound a bit scary and seem overwhelming at first, fear not with these five essential tips on how to become a batch cooking pro.
Always be armed with a plan
For your batch cooking to be a success, you need to plan, plan and plan some more. If you aren’t a pen and paper sort of person, use your phone to write down meals ideas and ingredient lists. Using your phone is extra handy as it is more or less always by your side and is particularly useful for not forgetting anything when grocery shopping.
If you’re serious about batch cooking effectively, buy yourself a beautiful new planner that is especially dedicated towards your cooking. Write down not only your ingredient list but what you plan to make for the entire week, or even fortnight if you can! A planner is also an excellent reference, allowing you to look back on previous batch meals in case you are ever stuck for ideas. There are also meal prep templates available to download online if you find that you don’t know where to start.
Plan meals your family will actually like
It might seem like an obvious one, but it’s easy to look up meal ideas that you can make in bulk and then simply go for the seemingly easiest ones. For your batch cooking to be a success, it also needs to be a hit with your family as well (especially the kids!)
If your family doesn’t want to eat what you’ve just prepped for the entire week, then you will have wasted time, energy, food and money, so don’t feel forced to make something for the sake of it or because you feel like you should.
If you feel like experimenting in the kitchen and want to try something new, then don’t include any new dishes in your batch plans either. First, see how the meal turns out – if both you and your family like it, then you can add it to your list.
Buy in bulk
If you have planned correctly, then buying in bulk will not only save you time but potentially money as well. Next time you are at the grocery shop, make sure to look for items that are on promotion or sale and try to adapt them into your meals. Buying in bulk is an excellent way of making sure that you have all the quantities you need, while also leaving you with ingredients for later.
While it’s obviously not possible to bulk buy everything, especially fresh produce, do make sure to stock up on your pantry essentials such as rice, pasta, and baking ingredients such as flour etc. which will last a long time. By keeping your kitchen and pantry stocked, you are also saving yourself time from having to make an extra trip to the store – it’s a win-win!
Make sure you have enough storage equipment
As part of your prep, you will need to make sure that you have enough containers, and when freezing anything, that you have freezer-safe containers and bags. Your actual fridge and freezer also count – make sure that you have enough room as there is no point in making a week’s worth of food if you don’t have where to store it.
Leave yourself lots of time
Last but not least, batch cooking while saving you time in the long run overall, can take a while in practice as you will have a lot more to cook in one go. Plan a morning, afternoon, or evening in the week when it suits you the most, to make sure that you have enough time to get everything done without rushing. Batch cooking will also save you money on your groceries as well as your energy bills due to not having to cook so much throughout the week. And while you’re looking into finances and energy-saving, consider Energy switching to get the most for your money, leaving you to cook hassle-free without having to worry about your bills.
This is a collaborative post
