Only Cook Once a Week

Only cooking once a week? That sounds like the dream, but is it really possible....? Yes!

Sometimes cooking is the last thing on your radar. When you have multiple mouths to feed, a busy day at work, and no time to think - homemade meals can really seem out of reach. What if you only had to cook once? What if you had just one day of planning, shopping, and cooking?

Meal-prepping might be the perfect solution...

Meal-prepping can not only save you from daily cooking or last minute gotta eat now drive-through runs, it can also save you the extra calories and money that we all try to cut out. Meal-prepping allows you to have meals ready whenever your schedule is. You can choose only the ingredients and meals that work for you and your crew. This means meal prepping can adjust to budgets, tastes, and diet restrictions! You can include those healthy-nutrient filled items all while protecting your budget from those last-minute, high calorie splurges we can all fall pray too when silencing our growling stomachs... or the little voices in the backseat.

So what does meal prepping actually look like? It looks different for everybody. Each person has their own take, preference and routine. Regardless of how you choose, meal-prepping is really simple. Follow these guidelines to get started. Eventually, you'll find what works best with your lifestyle and make it your own.

1. Plan out your meals.

You can find some great charts here to help you stay organized and on track. Have a few extra minutes? Check out local grocery store ads to plan out the cheapest meals. Ads, coupons and weekly BOGO’s can shape your grocery list and pair-down the recipes. If you’re looking for more ways to shave off some of your grocery bill, check out this article for more grocery shopping hacks.

2. Start simple.

Pick a few meals you know your house will love. Here are a few healthy, budget friendly ideas to get you started. Worried you'll get sick of the same meal? No problem look for recipes that use the same ingredients. Using the same ingredients can across various recipes add variety to each week while still cutting grocery costs by relieving waste.

3. Pick one day out of the week to shop, prep and cook.

Finding time in any day can be challenging. Using crockpots, scheduling chores during cook times, and including children in the process are all great ways to carve out space for meal prepping. One great way to do this is by bringing kids along in the process! Meal-prepping requires a lot of measuring, pouring, stirring and mixing. These can be great activities to bring the kids into. It is a simple way to introduce them to the kitchen, keep them occupied, and teach them new skills! Here's a list of age-appropriate kitchen activities to help guide you.

4. Portion each out or keep together for group meal times.

Meals times are not always consistent. Think which meals may require a grab-and-go portion and which can be saved to a leisurely at home meal. Having items pre-packaged can help stick to the meal plan and also help kids find their own snacks and treats when you've got your hands full.

5. Finally, check your dates.

When saving food, it's important to know how long each item can stay in the fridge or freezer. This article can help you keep track as you adjust. Label items with the date or keep on a rotation to guarantee a healthy, fresh meal!

Meal-prepping can really help the flow of the week stay consistent, organized and hassle-free... well at least with when it comes to food.

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Plan Your Weekly Meals. (2018, June 11). Retrieved April 1, 2019, from https://www.choosemyplate.gov/budget-weekly-meals

S. (2017, November 20). Meal Prep: A Helpful Healthy Eating Strategy. Retrieved April 1, 2019, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2017/03/20/meal-prep-planning/

Webster, K. (2019, February 05). How to Meal-Prep a Week of Healthy Family Dinners on Sunday. Retrieved April 1, 2019, from http://www.eatingwell.com/article/290751/how-to-meal-prep-a-week-of-healthy-family-dinners-on-sunday/

Moncel, B. (n.d.). 20 Budget Friendly Meal Prep Ideas. Retrieved April 1, 2019, from https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/extra-bytes/budget-friendly-meal-prep/