Many of us dream of leading a financially mindful and healthy life. Yet, amidst all the hustle and bustle, finding time to prepare all your meals at home can seem like a daunting task. It’s not surprising that food is one area where many of us overspend. Preparing dinners and lunches can often appear too time-consuming when juggling a busy schedule. Here, we explore a few strategies for budget-friendly meal preparation.
MEAL PREPARATION
Meal preparation involves organizing and creating meals ahead of time, speeding up the cooking process throughout the week. Not only can you relish your favorite dishes with set portion sizes to avoid overeating, but having an array of balanced meals readily available also aids in maintaining a consistent diet plan.
Moreover, meal prepping serves as a money-saving strategy, eliminating the habit of dining out. It offers you control over your ingredients and enables you to shop for groceries selectively. Through proper planning, unnecessary food purchases can be avoided, leading to saved money and reduced food waste.
Related Article: How to Feed a Family of 5 For $350 Per Month
DINING OUT COSTS
On average, an American household annually spends around $3,000 on dining out, states the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
TEN TIPS FOR BUDGET-FRIENDLY MEAL PREPARATION
STARTING SIMPLE
While meal prep can be simple, it requires some getting used to. Adopting familiar, straightforward recipes for a few weeks helps master the process. Initiate by planning just a few meals for the upcoming week, gradually adding more as your proficiency increases.
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CREATING A SHOPPING LIST
The foremost step in meal prep is curating your week’s recipes and compiling a grocery list accordingly. Pick your recipes, inspect your refrigerator and pantry for existing ingredients, or start with the ingredients you have and choose recipes that employ them.
OPTING FOR SIMPLE RECIPES
Research to find recipes requiring affordable and few ingredients. Short prep-time recipes are preferable, making it easy to prepare multiple dishes simultaneously. Record the recipes you particularly enjoy for a gradually increasing collection of favorite meals over time.
SMART EXPERIMENTATION
Sprucing up your meals helps avoid eating routine monotony. However, take it slow and try not to venture out with ambitious recipes too early, or you may find yourself wasting more food than consuming. As you develop your culinary skills and learn your preferences, you can make judicious recipe choices.
SET MEAL PREP DAYS
Designate specific days for meal prep. Spacing your prep days, such as shopping on Saturdays and cooking on Sundays, suits most schedules. This arrangement optimizes your energy and determination, minimizing the chances of unwarranted purchases and culinary errors.
BULK SHOPPING
Buying large amounts of ingredients usually proves cheaper a long as they are used thoroughly. Procuring large quantities of non-perishable ingredients such as lentils, dry beans, and grains, can be a money-saver. Also, buying in bulk permits the purchase of precise ingredient amounts, avoiding undesirable leftovers.
INVEST IN STORAGE CONTAINERS
Investing in high-quality meal prep containers greatly benefits your process. Airtight, microwavable, BPA-free containers, great for soups and tomato-based dishes, preserve your food’s freshness and enhance manageability.
COOK IN LARGE QUANTITIES
Preparing larger recipes allows you to stretch the meal across multiple servings, reducing the need for various ingredients and recipes. In case you can’t finish it before it spoils, freezing the extra portion for later is an ideal solution.
UTILIZE KITCHEN DEVICES
Kitchen gadgets can expedite meal prep. For instance, a slow cooker is handy for those actively busy throughout the day. Simply add ingredients, set it on low for 6-8 hours, and return to a ready-made meal.
FREEZER-FRIENDLY MEALS
Freezer-friendly meal prep items seriously save money and time, especially for those who can’t grocery shop frequently. Cooking in large batches, freezing some for later, and consuming the same meal over several days not only saves time and money but also cuts back on waste.
SUMMARY
Meal prep on a budget might seem overwhelming initially but with the tips provided and a bit of practice, it will soon become second nature. Not only will you save money and reduce wastage, but you will also reutilize containers making you more eco-friendly in ways you didn’t even anticipate!
Don’t forget to plan beforehand. Always stick to a budget, make it enjoyable and incorporate the whole family in the process.
Share with us your go-to meal prep strategies!
