I've always loved meal prepping, but the act itself has left me disappointed many times. Most commonly known as “meal prepping,” he typically prepares two to three complete meals to be eaten throughout the week. While this is a great time saver and usually just requires reheating and simmering, it's not as much for my enjoyment. After eating the same food for just one or two days, you may find that you can't stomach it anymore.
Not to mention, these ready-made recipes feel like their quality has significantly decreased after a few days in the fridge. Crispy vegetables become soggy, grilled meat tastes weird (even if it's just in my head), and burrito bowls and stir-fries don't taste as good right off the stove. Masu.
After several attempts to incorporate this cooking style into my life, I was about to sign off on it for good. Then I found an interesting alternative called component her cooking on the Naturally Ella blog. It turns out that culinary experts, including chefs, food bloggers, and registered dietitians, have been championing this process for quite some time. This is why food, for example, arrives at the table quickly in restaurants.
So why is it so popular?Because it's convenient and creative. Component cooking is about preparing individual recipes rather than having to make a complete meal all at once. element You can combine them in many different ways. Anything that enhances the flavor of the dish and reduces cooking time is fine. For example, make a big batch of hard-boiled eggs to add to salads or sandwiches, or keep a cup or two of vinaigrette on hand. Fulfill all your weekly sauce needs.
Rhyan Geiger, RDN, owner of Phoenix Vegan Dietitian, tells SELF: Primarily, you want to have a variety of options from each food group on hand so that your meals are balanced and satisfying. In reality, she says this equates to 2 to 3 servings of protein, 1 to 2 servings of whole grains, and 3 to 4 servings of vegetables.
“For each meal, choose at least one from each group and top it with fatty sauce or avocado,” she says. That way, you'll always have a variety of protein sources, healthy fats, and carbohydrates ready to go for a meal that's quick, filling, and most importantly, diverse.
The following guide introduces some of the most popular recipe components to prepare ahead of time, as well as some meal ideas to take advantage of each. With this method at your side, you'll soon find that “meal prep” is never boring.
1. Plague
Roya Shariat, Brooklyn-based writer, home cook, and co-author of an upcoming cookbook Maman and Me: Iranian American Family Recipes, SELF says pesto is so versatile that she always prepares it for her weekly dietary needs. “Pesto is great on hot or cold pasta salads, spread on sandwiches, as a dressing for salads, or spread on roasted vegetables,” she says. She says adding a spoonful of the green stuff to yogurt or labneh also makes a great dip or sauce for grain bowls.
