For me, Sunday evenings always involve some sort of meal prep. This really saves time during the week and makes me feel a lot more relaxed. These are some tips that really help me.
1. Batch cook your grains.
I like to cook several portions of whole grains at once e.g. a big batch of quinoa or oat groats. I tend to keep them for up to 3 days in the fridge (I only keep brown rice for 1-2 days). So you have breakfasts within minutes as well as bases for salads or grains to accompany veggies.
2. Plan your meals for the week.
For some people, this can be super helpful but for others it can feel like a chore. I find it helps me decide what to buy for the week ahead and reduces food waste. For example, if I’m buying a bag of sweet potatoes, I’ll plan to bake a few one evening and use the remaining ones in a soup.
3. Store in glass tupperware.
Ever look in your fridge and forget you had something? This is a such a good way to take stock of what you’ve got so you don’t waste food. I also love storing glass jars of nuts and seeds in my fridge or I forget to eat them!
4. Batch cook soup.
Most soups keep really well in the fridge or freezer (avoid freezing ones that have pasta such as minestrone soup). It’s so easy to make a big batch too and then have it with some rye bread during the week.
5. Make homemade granola.
My go-to recipe is up on my website at www.rohinibajekal.com and it contains no added oil or sugar (optional). It’s such a great topping for porridge as well as to eat along with coconut or soy yoghurt.
6. Keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer.
With a few key ingredients, you don’t need to spend ages cooking on evenings when you don’t feel like it. Favourite items: spelt or lentil pasta, cans of beans and lentils, dried herbs, tamari, miso, nutritional yeast, frozen berries, frozen edamame beans and frozen spinach.
