Is meal preparation the last thing on your mind while you tackle the now less than normal day to day? Our usual “whatever Wednesdays” have rolled into several days of fend for yourself dining. With “Free for all Friday just around the corner, I am focusing on how to save time, trips to the grocer, and restore balance to at least our meals.
Batch cooking is something I mastered last year while I prepared for a competition. I was so proud of the extra time, dollars saved, and staying on track with health goals, but as our daily routine has changed, I find myself going back to this family approved technique. Batch cooking has also been a great way to teach my school-aged children how to cook!
So, here’s how I do it. Feel free to share your tips and tricks too!
Our grocer posts the new circular on Wednesdays and I review the ad for sales that I can make into a few meals or pick up items I know are a staple in our meals.
After food shopping, I gather my supplies: parchment paper, aluminum foil, muffin tins, ice cube trays, crockpot, food processor, glass baking pans, sandwich baggies, mixing bowls, utensils, mason jars.
Let’s go!
*Most of these meals can be modified for dietary restrictions and preferences.
Breakfast options are usually egg-based for family preference with the addition of chopped veggies for omelets (stored in sandwich baggies), egg casseroles baked in muffin tins using the veggies I chopped for omelets – Sometimes I warm the baked egg and wrap in a tortilla with a dollop of sour cream and salsa – Yum! BUT we also love our pancakes/waffles (separate with parchment and store in a freezer-safe zip-top bag), fruit/veggie muffins, and sweet potato hash stacks in muffin tins. I wrap the muffin tin items in parchment paper or plastic wrap before storing in a freezer-safe zip-top bag.
For lunch I’m often trying to make last night’s dinner less like leftovers so I might add a side of Mason jar salad, ice cube tray stock to jazz up leftover rice, baggie meatballs for a sub sandwich, meat and cheese corn muffin, tortilla pizza using frozen or prepped vegetable and ice cube tray pizza sauce.
Dinner is usually our time to gather and the less time we are cooking, the more time for books, baths, or whatever your family enjoys together. Crockpot soups and chilis can be frozen in mason jars for quick lunches. Shredded meats, stocks, legumes, vegetables, sauces such as pesto are perfectly frozen in ice cube trays or muffins tins and then pop into a zip-top freezer bag to mix and match assemble later. Assembled lasagna, leftover meatballs and sauce, and enchiladas are crowd pleasers too!
Raquel Durban is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. In addition to managing the diet and quality of life for patients and caregivers, Raquel serves the community through her work with the nonprofits and academic organizations. She is currently a member of the steering committee of the International Network of Diet and Nutrition in Allergy (INDANA) and a medical advisor to the International FPIES Association and Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team. Raquel is also an active member in the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, serving on the Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee and the Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases Committee and the Allied Health Committee for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Beyond the clinic, Raquel is a preceptor for dietetic interns for several universities, runs a disease-based support group for patients and caregivers, and leads a mentorship program for budding RDs in the food allergy space. From pediatric weight gains and losses to restricted diets for disease management, Raquel does not believe there is a one size fits all answer for success. She will work to find the best balance of meeting nutritional needs with lifestyle demands to ensure the success of individualized goals.
