My Instagram and Pinterest feeds have both been filled to the brim with colorful and delicately-organized lunch box ideas for some time now. Not only does it give me visceral pleasure to see such dedication to something so simple, but it also makes me feel somewhat inadequate whenever I think about how scrapped-together my meals often are. After dedicating more time to meal planning and strategically cooking the contents of my fridge, I've found that the process can actually yield very satisfying results!
As a ~single (busy) lady~, I often find myself struggling to find how much food to prepare so that I will have to cook as little as possible during the week. I know myself; if I come home exhausted at the end of the day, the last thing I'm going to want to do is cook. That calls for a very purposeful schedule of what I'm going to eat and when I'm going to eat it.
If cooking for a single person isn't hard enough, I also strive to maintain a no-waste kitchen and cook minimally-processed, vegan foods. By no means is this an easy lifestyle! But after working on crafting my meal planning skills, I've become in more confident in my ability to "master the meal prep." Here are some ways you too can become a pro at meal prepping!
Start by compiling a list of successful (and delicious) foods you know you can make.
Everyone starts cooking and meal prepping with a different skill level. Some of us know how to craft elegant, French pastries with ~excellent~ lamination while others can barely operate a can opener. It's important to recognize where your familiarity with cooking ends and your curiosity begins. This will prevent you from getting WAY over your head later on in the process.
For example: Do you know how long to roast veggies? What about how to check and see if meat is done cooking? Did your parents make mashed potatoes for you as a kid, and can you ask them for a recipe (or even better- to show you)? If you're feeling a little lost, check out Pinterest. There are tons of simple recipe ideas, as well as techniques and tutorials on how to get started. You can also bring your friends together for a meal planning and recipe sharing 'sesh!
If you have a list of foods you enjoy, you can confidently keep them on rotate throughout the month. If you want to get fancy with your techniques and learn new skills, designate a portion of your schedule around advancing your culinary competencies (maybe not the same week you have three papers due, though).
Plan around the same ingredient for multiple dishes.
Sweet potatoes, tofu, frozen broccoli, tempeh, and beans are some of my favorite (and most versatile) meal plan staples. Not only do they refrigerate well, but they can also be made in advanced and "dolled-up" based on the meal I'm making. For example, if I plan on making pasta, I'll make one big batch of pasta for pasta salad, baked ziti, and "mac & trees." If I keep a couple avocados around, I know I can have them on toast for breakfast, as a snack with carrots, as a topping on top of a burrito bowl, or as a mayo substitute in chickpea salad. This allows me to only buy foods I know I'm going to eat and that I know I can use.
When I'm actually cooking, I use a batch-making model. That means I try to have something in the oven, something on the stove, and something to prepare on the counter. Although it takes some degree of multitasking to prevent any one component from burning, it saves massive amounts of time.
Schedule, schedule, schedule.
This might be a #JustSaraKlimek thing, but my planner is one of my absolute favorite possessions. I typically take time on the weekends to sit down and write out my meal plan for the week. I usually eat the same thing for breakfast every day, so that requires less work, but my lunches and dinners change every day. When I cook chili or curry (both of which keep well in the fridge), I intend on it lasting 3-4 servings. Roasted asparagus and stir fry, on the other hand, get soggy in the fridge; this means I have to eat them within a day of cooking them. When you plan on what to make, try to consider the shelf life of foods to ensure that you're cooking them at their freshest points.
When I help my friends meal plan, I find they often struggle with balancing when to treat themselves with takeout. I always suggest scheduling "takeout days" as part of your scheduling process because it a) gets you excited for a Thursday night in and b) prevents you from avoiding the leftovers in your fridge.
Cope with your fear of leftovers early on.
There are very few things that you can't change my mind on. One of them is that mint chocolate chip ice cream is the worst flavor on the face of the planet. The other is that people who recoil at the thought of eating leftovers are childish.
Surely, refrigerating anything changes its taste and texture. If you're that opposed to eating day-old-pasta, then try to make foods that reheat as well as possible (i.e. soups). It might also mean spending more time in the morning chopping veggies. You can prep as much as possible the night before, though, like by portioning salad dressings into containers and packing snacks into reusable containers.
Function over form- always.
Let's be honest: we all wish we could be Instagram moms and spend hours photographing the perfect bento box to share with our 100,000+ followers. But that's not reality.
You should be asking yourself if your food is nutritious and safe rather than if it looks pretty. Although small portions might look better in photos, you also have to consider how much food will satisfy your appetite. The worst case scenario is that you don't finish all the food you brought with you- that means more for tomorrow (or a midnight snack)!