Eating healthy, balanced and without stresses of time for cooking is the main objective of batch cooking , or meal prep .

This culinary trend has ceased to be one more fashion to become a real solution in many homes , especially at this time of the beginning of the year in which many of us propose to establish new habits that make life easier and better.

batch cooking encourages us to plan our weekly menus and cook most dishes of the week in one day , usually in the afternoon Sunday, a time when we are already relaxed at home.

By planning the menus for the week in advance we make sure that our nutritional needs are covered, that our diet is going to be healthy, balanced and complete .

It is important that our menus do not lack seasonal fruits and vegetables, proteins and healthy fats.

Even so, I always like to improvise and sometimes what I do is just batch cooking of my breakfasts and dinners , leaving the meals to what I go emerging and appealing. It can be a good step if you are just starting out in this technique.

Dishes that cannot be missed

In batch cooking there are preparations that work very well, for their good conservation in the refrigerator and also for their possibilities when making combinations of dishes so that the weekly menus are varied.

It is not about cooking all the dishes, but only a few and moving forward with the preparations of others, so that in the day to day, the time to make the food is the minimum. Do you want to know what are the preparations that are never missing in my batch cooking ?

• Creams and soups : pumpkin, zucchini, gazpacho, miso soup … These are some of my favorite options for dinner.
• Crudités: leaving the vegetables washed, peeled and cut helps save a lot of time. I even have the fruits in many of my smoothies ready.
• Proteins : it is a very good idea to leave several pots prepared with some meat and fish stews, since the sauce will prevent them from drying out. I also like to take advantage of and cook some eggs to add to salads, soups, pasta or sandwiches.
• Masas: they usually take time, but they last perfectly in the fridge for a few days, so I always have at least one dish of this type: dough to make hamburgers with meat or fish, vegetables, quinoa … And also, why not, sweet pastries to make pancakes or crepes. When you go to eat you just have to put the dough back and forth in the pan and voila!
• Baked : a tray of baked vegetables, a quiche, a savory cake, a sponge cake for breakfast, some healthy oatmeal cookies, granola … Take this opportunity to list some of the most delicious preparations of the week.
• Sauces and vinaigrettes : pesto, guacamole, jam, hummus, tomato sauce … Ideal for making sandwiches, toasts, pizzas, salads … week.

Store and save

Once you have cooked the dishes, you should store them in glass tuppers of different sizes, depending on the number of people you are at home. It is the most efficient way to store preparations and take out only what is necessary .

There are dishes that can be frozen , for example, stews, stews, soups and even hamburger doughs, freeze perfectly and retain all their properties. Avoid freezing potatoes, eggs, cereals, pasta …

Advantages of batch cooking

• We make sure that our diet is complete and varied . We also avoid resorting to prepared food.
• By making shopping lists it is easier to buy only what is necessary , so it can save you significant money.
• Not so much food is thrown away .
• You save a lot of time in the day-to-day, not to mention that, by planning and cooking in advance, the stress level for eating disappears . This is especially useful for busy people or dependents.
• Learn new recipes : by programming the menus, there is time to investigate and discover new preparations, cooking tricks …

If you want to start batch cooking , I will take the opportunity to give you a proposal of four simple dishes for your menu next week .

Breakfast: Banana Bread with hazelnut cream and superfoods

Food: Chicken and Bacon Burgers accompanied with roasted vegetables

Snack: Parmesan chips

Dinner: Cream of asparagus with tahini