Surfant en tête des tendances culinaires, le Meal prep, également appelé batch cooking, s’installe peu à peu dans les cuisines bio. Son secret ? Un minimum d’organisation pour un gain de temps maximal, une alimentation plus saine et mieux gérée. On vous explique.
What is meal prep ?
Meal prep obviously refers to the preparation of meals. And it’s all in the name, since the method consists in preparing meals in advance for the coming days or week. As for batch cooking, it is based on the same principle: it involves cooking large quantities, in one go, for the following days.
With both meal prep and batch cooking, several techniques coexist. With classic preparation, dishes are fully cooked in advance before being stored and then combined with each other during various meals. With batch preparation, ingredients are peeled and sliced, so they are ready to cook when the time comes. In both cases, the result can be stored in the fridge or frozen!
Why is batch cooking popular ?
The greatest advantage of batch cooking, in our opinion? Saving time and therefore reducing stress. No more questioning or arguing at mealtimes – everything is planned, already prepared or already cooked. As for shopping lists, they are also prepared in advance, in a quiet setting, according to what you need and the number of meals and guests. The result: better suited quantities, money saved at the grocery store, and less food waste !
Another advantage of meal prep relates to nutritional balance. By organising your menus, you will benefit from an overview of the week’s meals in order to better diversify your intake. All this is achieved with home cooking for a more natural diet, rich in fresh seasonal produce without the complications. Want a useful tip? Choose organic, healthy and natural products – of course !
How to get started with meal prep ?
We won’t lie to you – meal planning is all about organisation. To start slowly, adopt a simple but regular and, above all, gradual routine, cooking for three days rather than a whole week.
1 / Plan menus and choose recipes
Once a week, review the programme for the coming days: how many meals, how many mouths to feed and what organic recipes ? The secret to successful batch cooking lies in the ingredients, each of which should ideally be used in several recipes.
2 / Make lists and organise a schedule
Are your menus ready? Prepare the resulting shopping lists to avoid quantity errors or last-minute purchases. All that’s left is to choose a time slot for shopping and a time frame for quiet cooking.
3 / Cook and store
Now you just need to prepare, getting the whole family involved if possible. Peel, grate, slice, mix and cook, then divide up into airtight containers or bags and store in the refrigerator or even the freezer for recipes to be eaten later. It’s time to eat!