5 tips for stress-free weeknight meals
When you get home from work, there will be nights when the last thing that you want to do is cook a meal from scratch. You’re tired after a long day, and it’s tempting to just order in.
Preparing fresh meals helps you maximize your nutritional intake and will save you money in the long run! Here are five tips for stress-free weeknight meals so that you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen after work every night.
Batch cook and freeze meals
To save time, it’s a great idea to batch cook your meals. This means making several portions at once so that you have dinner prepared for the upcoming week. Sunday is a popular day for meal prep as many have a little extra time to spend in the kitchen.
To keep your meals as fresh as possible and lock in the nutrients, you can freeze your extra portions. Simply defrost the meals when you get home from work for an easy and delicious dinner.
Use pre chopped vegetables
Chopping vegetables can take a lot of time, and it’s often one of the most time-consuming tasks of meal preparation. Buying pre-chopped vegetables will save you time when you are making dinner on the weekday evenings.
Similarly, you can also get pre-soaked legumes that are ready to eat. All you need to do is heat them up in a pan or in the microwave, and you are good to go.
Plan your meals
When you aren’t sure what to cook, you may find yourself ordering in due to lack of inspiration.
If you plan your meals ahead of time, you can get started with the cooking as soon as you get home after work. Planning ahead will also help ensure you have all the necessary ingredients on hand. This will encourage you to stay on track and eat healthier, more nutritious meals.
Use a slow cooker
There is nothing easier than using a slow cooker to make dinner. All you need to do is throw your ingredients into the machine, close the lid, and choose your cooking setting.
You can add all of your ingredients to the slow cooker before work in the mornings and arrive home to a freshly cooked meal for dinner. Slow cookers are also great for batch cooking, so if you’re following tip number one in this article, you might want to invest in a slow cooker!
Look for one-pot or one-sheet recipes
The simplest recipes are often those that can be made in one pan, pot, or sheet. Find some easy one-pot recipes that you can follow on the weekday evenings to make your life a little easier.
When you only have one pot or pan to work with, it can make the cooking process quicker and more enjoyable. An added bonus - there is less mess to clean up afterwards!