Meal Prep

Your meal prep strategy to reduce food waste

Meal planning is basically planning your meal in advance. Planning meals in advance helps you in reducing food waste, keeps you on a healthy homemade diet, and saves time.

Many times in our everyday life we make sudden plans to visit a grocery store to purchase ingredients for dinner and on our return, we find half of those food items in our fridge already. This happens with all of us. The reason is our unorganized and unplanned behavior. Planning meals in advance are the most effective method to reduce food waste and saves your money and time. 

There are two main ways to plan your meals

  • Check your stock and plan your meals accordingly
  • Before deciding anything to cook, check your food stock, and make a list of products available at your home. There are plenty of websites available to help you cook meals based on ingredients you’ve at home. This is the best method to utilize available stock and also saves money.

  • Plan your meals and check your stock
  • Ask your family members what they would like to eat the whole week? Make a list of meals and ingredients required. Check your stock to see what’s available. Make a list of items you need to purchase before visiting the grocery store.

    Meal planning tips to improve your health and reduce food waste

    • Check out your trash bin

    Is that bunch of celery reoccurring in the trash? Write it down and don’t buy celery anymore. Basically, sometimes we buy items because of their freshness or quality but we never eat them. Keep track of such items and don’t buy them no matter how fresh they look. We all have our likes and dislikes but analyzing and measuring food waste is also important.

    • Cook in controlled portion

    Try cooking in controlled portions. We often cook in large quantities. This extra food is considered leftover the very next day and we lose our interest in that food. While cooking in large portions keep in mind whether this food will remain fresh after a day or not. For foods with a low life span cook them in limited quantities to save your money and reduce food waste. 

    • Plan your lazy nights

    Before the week starts we all decide to eat healthy and home-cooked food but the reality is we don’t always. Use leftover dishes on those nights or plan to dine-out with your friends or family.

    • Keep your pantry well-stocked

    Here are some examples of healthy pantry stock

    Whole grains, legumes, canned goods, oils, baking essentials, nuts, fruits, potatoes.

    • Freeze extra vegetables and fruits

    Freeze your fruits and vegetables if you’re worried about their shelf life. By freezing them their shelf life increases and quality retains.

    • Create a folder for saving and storing recipes.

    Save your time by searching recipes while cooking. Create a folder to save new recipes, tips. While searching for new recipes don’t forget to find ways to utilize leftovers. 

    • Always visit the grocery store with a list

    Always create a list of products before hitting the grocery store. To avoid random purchases it’s important to have a list not only keeps us from buying excess food but also saves money.

    • Purchase in bulk

             Take advantage of the bulk section in local supermarkets. Save money by avoiding unnecessary packaging, take your containers with you, and purchase in bulk.

    • Vary your menu

    It’s easy to get bored when you’re following the same menu daily. If you always choose brown rice, try swapping it for quinoa or barley. If you always eat broccoli, substitute cauliflower, asparagus, or Romanesco for a change.

    Meal planning and preparation is an effective method to save time, money, and reduce food waste. Try incorporating these user-friendly tips in your life and share your meal preparation photos with us.


     

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