Audio:
A little bit of advanced planning and having food prepared ahead of time can make meals so much easier.
I like to prepare things ahead to:
- save time
- improve flavors
- eat healthy when I’m too tired to cook
- improve nutrition
There are some really simple things you can do to prepare food ahead and be totally on top of things.
I grind enough flax to last a few days, and then keep it in the fridge, so that I don’t have to grind it every day.
I make a big pot of brown rice in the morning that I can use for dinner, and maybe other meals the next day, so that all I have to do is chop and steam some vegetables.
When I make porridge for breakfast, I make a pot with enough for 5 days, Then I either have it cold with almond milk, like cereal, or reheat it with some boiling water the next day.
I make a big jar of salad dressing whenever I make it for a meal, so that the next meal it’s ready to go. I use it for salads, steamed vegetables, or even stirred into a stew or soup.
If I make a soup or a stew or a tomato sauce, I try to make a pot big enough to save for the next day’s meal or freeze for later. I do the same with veggie burgers.
If I have a meal in the freezer that’s ready to eat, it leaves me very little excuse to eat something packaged if I’m just too tired to make something on a given night.
I like having a bean dip in the fridge, so that when I want a snack there’s something healthy and filling waiting for us.
The great thing about making soups, dressings and dips and then having them over the next day or more is that their flavors develop and merge over time.
Think about a slow cooker stew, and how delicious it is after simmering for a few hours. If you can get all the ingredients in there in the morning, by dinner time you’ll have an amazing meal.
Grains and beans are also so much more flavorful if they’re paired with seasoning or dressing ahead of time and left to marinate for a few hours (or more!) before you eat them.
There are some things that are actually more nutritious if you can prepare them a little bit in advance.
Nuts, seeds, grains and beans are best if you can plan ahead and get them soaked for a few hours before you eat them. They have a compound called phytic acid, which is a natural enzyme inhibitor, and keeps you from absorbing all of their nutrients.
Preparing things ahead can seem really challenging at first. Once you get in the habit, though, it makes healthy eating so much easier.