Eish, finding time to cook every day is exhausting, especially if you have things to do, places to go, and people to see. Some swear that prepping meals in advance is the way to go. However, others argue that it can cause a lack of variety in one’s diet, and eating the same meals repeatedly can become tiresome.
Meal prepping involves preparing and portioning meals in advance, typically for a few days or an entire week, thus removing the need to cook from scratch every day. It is convenient and cost-effective, and you can plan for all the nutritional benefits you need.
Meal prepping is something Amahle Gumede from Durban says she started due to staying alone and having evening classes. It became tedious to cook every day because some days were busier than others.
“I feel that meal prepping works for me because it relieves the load of cooking every day and reduces the chance of getting takeaways because I’ve cooked enough for at least three days. Since I started meal-prepping, I don’t order fast food as much.
Downsides and benefits
“There are some downsides, like not wanting to eat what I ate yesterday or today, but that’s where discipline comes in. It’s almost impossible to expect yourself to eat the same thing every day of the week; therefore, allow yourself to divide it accordingly and be realistic in your prepping,” Gumede says.
“A major benefit I’ve noticed is how I can rest in the afternoons without the guilt of having to cook. I’m also more organised in my academics, and I can give work all my time without having to sleep late because I need to prioritise cooking.
“I’ve also used my groceries way more, as opposed to keeping things in the fridge until they rot.”
Amahle Gumede
Khangwelo Maradwa from Thembisa in Gauteng, who recently got a 6-to-6 job, says with all that tiredness that comes after working for 12 hours, she is unable to prepare her meals when she gets home.
“Meal prepping works for me as long as I put the meals in the fridge (wrapped and closed), and they can be edible until my shift ends. It helps me so much, especially when I want to rest and forget everything else,” she says.
“As much as the meals are edible, I don’t think repeating the same meal is a good thing health-wise. But meal prepping means that I can get enough rest, save electricity, and save time, and it also helps me stay on a diet by making sure that I prepare enough greens and try to balance my eating habits.”
Storing food safely
According to dietitian Nelly Matsepane from Rusternburg, meal prepping is a practical strategy of preparing whole meals (usually in bulk) ahead of time. It can have health benefits that include:
- Encouraging healthy eating: You get a variety of nutrients with each meal.
- Saves time: It eliminates the stress of deciding what to eat every day and preparing it daily.
- Cost-effective: It allows bulk buying of cheaper ingredients.
- Weight management: It helps prevent obesity and helps those with obesity lose weight.
- Reduce food waste: Meal prep allows you to buy only what you need.
She underlines that meal preps, however, require refrigeration, and with load shedding, that could lead to food waste.
Matsepane shares some food storage safety tips for meal prepping.
“When meal prepping, ensure to keep your storage area clean, store food in airtight containers, separate raw and cooked food, e.g., store raw salad in a separate container or jar, and use BPA-free containers for storage.”
“To keep your food fresh, aim for at least three days of meal prepping and not more than five days to maintain freshness and flavour.”
Dietitian Nelly Matsepane
To incorporate meal prepping in a healthy and balanced way, Matsepane encourages people to choose whole foods over processed foods.
“Focus on single ingredients, e.g., brown rice, green beans, carrots, and chicken breast. Also, include a variety of foods from all food groups, use different healthy cooking methods, and plan your meals ahead of time.”
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Matsepane identifies a few starches, proteins, and vegetables that are better and safer to store when cooked.
- Starches: brown rice, porridge, and pasta
- Proteins: chicken breast, lentils, tofu, beans, mince, meatballs, beef, lamb
- Veggies: steamed, roasted, or sautéed vegetables; stir-fries.
Additionally, Matsepane advises consulting a dietitian for a personalised diet plan and nutrition guidance.
According to Food Network, some of the best leftover foods to freeze include cooked chopped meats, casseroles, pizza, soup, tomato sauce, breads, and baked goods. Leftovers that don’t like the freezer include hard-boiled eggs, stuffed and uncooked meats like chicken breast and pork chops, cold tuna, and pasta salads.
Furthermore, Food Network underlines a few tips to make freezing food easier and safer:
- Portion your food. Things can get messy, and once defrosted, they must be utilised in a timely fashion. Freeze large batch recipes in smaller, sensibly-portioned containers for easy cooling, freezing, and defrosting.
- Use bags to save space. Freeze soups, sauces, and other leftovers in resealable bags, then lay them flat until frozen. These flat, frozen sheets can be stacked horizontally or vertically to maximise storage capacity.
- Label and date your frozen leftovers so you can defrost them in an ideal time frame. While you don’t have to worry about spoilage for frozen foods, quality can be negatively impacted when food stays in the freezer too long.
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