5 Tips on Cooking for the Week Ahead to Save Time and Money

One of the principal ways you can successfully build healthy eating habits is by learning how to prep meals. On top of assisting you to build healthy eating habits, it can also save you time and money. Here are some of the tips you can use to make your meal prepping procedure easier.

• Make a Menu

Start by planning what meals you are going to eat throughout the week and then make a grocery list. If you have any specific dietary restrictions, be sure to take those into account when planning your meals. Having a plan limits the likelihood of you spending money on convenience meals or fast foods.

• Stock Up on Basics

When making your meal plan, go through your freezer, fridge, and pantry to check on the regular items in your menu, and then try to always stock up your kitchen with that stuff. You should also check on the perishables in your pantry and use them up first.

• Make Use of Leftovers

Having to go out for lunch every day is a bad habit for your wallet as well as your health. Therefore, if you are planning on cooking dinner, you might as well cook extra food and have some leftovers you can eat for lunch the following day. Additionally, you can always store it in the freezer and have a backup meal in hand.

• Meal Prepping

You can take some time to prep your food which might involve cooking or preparing full meals ahead of time. For instance, you can chop up all your vegetables for the week and pack vegetables for each meal into a bag. In the case of meals that you are going to pack such as sandwiches, laying out all the ingredients on the counter and preparing them before you store them will save a lot of time compared to making one meal every morning.

• Store Your Meals