Life Hack: How to use meal-prepping hacks to save time and money on lunches and dinners
Save yourself a last-minute decision on what to cook as well as the temptation to order takeaway, saving you some extra cash.
As the evenings get longer and the days get colder, you can make your life easier with some easy meal-prepping tips and tricks. Whether you want to get organised as children return to school after the midterm or you want to take more control over your lunches and dinners across the week, by spending some time on meal prep you can save money and feel more organised when it comes to planning meals ahead of the festive season.
While online searches for meal prep advice typically spike in September as families prepare for a new school term, these methods can be adopted at any time of year and by planning your meals and having them ready to cook or reheat, you save yourself a last-minute decision on what to cook as well as the temptation to order takeaway, saving you some extra cash.
Hannah Duxbury from family recipe provider HelloFresh Ireland has shared her advice on meal prep, including her expert take on viral meal-prepping trends.
“Meal prepping for families can be a great way to save time and money and ensure that everyone eats nutritious meals,” she says.
“Social media is great at providing new inspiration to do so, whether that’s recipes or time-saving hacks. Some are brilliant, like freezing sauces in ice cube trays, which I use myself. Others, I take with a pinch of salt, like mason jar storing, as compressing the salad can cause sogginess, plus they don’t allow for much meal variety.”
When it comes to planning your food, Duxbury advocates for marinating meats before freezing them for extra flavour. You can thaw and cook chicken or beef for a quick and easy dinner.
“Marinating and freezing chicken is one of my favourite meal prep hacks not only because it’s so quick and easy,” she says.
Another method Duxbury recommends is component cooking, which involves cooking batches of ingredients that you can use in various dishes.
“I love component cooking rather than cooking big batches of one meal because it allows you to still have lots of variety each meal time,” she says.
“Making a batch of homemade meatballs and freezing them is something I find especially useful since they’re so versatile. I use them in spaghetti, sandwiches, rice dishes and salads throughout the week.” You can also prepare soup in large quantities and freeze it in individual portions for quick meals.
Similarly, pre-cutting and storing vegetables can make many meals easier. Wash, peel, and chop vegetables before storing them in individual bags for quick snacking or adding to meals.
