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Meal prep: organize your meals for the week this way

Caymia
The days off
Saturday and Sunday these are the days that you have to keep out of meal prep both because at the weekend you can also indulge in some indulgence, and because what you cook on Sunday evening is unlikely to arrive in good condition on the following Sunday. And then, if you have a lunch or dinner out during the week organize yourself accordingly because those meals will not have to be covered by the program.
Step 2: shopping
Once the menus have been established, make a shopping list and buy what you need. Only go to the supermarket on Saturdays (or Sunday), or in any case only one day a week. Avoid buying anything else, both to avoid having useless things at home that you will probably never consume, and to avoid eating and spending (and wasting) more than necessary.
Step 3: organize the portions
You could buy some containers to divide your mealsbut we don’t want to force you to organize yourself to this extent. Simply having a mental organization for dividing the things you have prepared into portions will also be fine. Do you have a tray of baked vegetables available? Divide it into four portions. Have you cooked 500 g of cereals? You will have 5 to 8 portions. You can put everyone away the meals you will eat in the office and prepare them already portioned so as not to have worries during the week, but remember to do not add seasonings of any kind except at the time of consuming the meal. Leave everything you need for dinner in the fridge or freezernot necessarily divided by portions. But how are these menus cooked? We’ll explain it to you, ingredient by ingredient.
How to cook the ingredients for meal prep
The vegetables
Cook them all and in large quantities and then store them in the refrigerator. You can prepare grilled vegetables such as courgettes and aubergines, baked vegetables with pumpkin, Brussels sprouts and potatoes and then you can divide the broccoli, cabbage and carrots into different levels of a steamer. You will have so many side dishes for 5 days. If you prepare flans with eggs and cheese, cook them immediately and then place them in the refrigerator if you intend to consume them soon or in the freezer if they are intended for the last days of the week.
Cereals
Precisely because it will be difficult to store already cooked pasta without it becoming glue, we recommend consuming it from Monday to Friday whole grainsmore practical and with a longer shelf life. You can cook them individually or make a mix of barley, spelled, rice and whatever you prefer. Once cooked in large quantities, cool them immediately with running water to stop cooking and lower the temperature, drain them well and then place them in the refrigerator. They remain good for up to 5 days. Whole grains should always be accompanied by legumes for a perfect balance of nutrients, but you can also combine them with meat, fish, cheeses and vegetables.
Meat and fish
The meat can be cooked and stored for up to three days so if you don’t eat it straight away, freeze it. If you want to prepare a stew or other very seasoned second courses, go ahead, but then freeze them. What we recommend is certainly turkey (or chicken) because once cooked it keeps well and you can add it to many dishes. Even the salted meat it’s a great idea and with cold cuts like bresaola and turkey always be on the safe side. Fish should not be frozen, so once cooked, consume it as soon as you can. A slice of salmon or swordfish baked or pan-fried is ideal. Obviously avoid crustaceans and molluscs. Smoked salmon is an excellent solution if you don’t want to cook the fish because it keeps for a long time.
Legumes
Excellent protein alternative to meat, fish, eggs and cheeses. Buy them if you don’t feel like cooking them, but choose those stored in the glass jardrain and wash them very well before use. They are excellent both for preparing hummus-type creams that you can use to fill a sandwich, and added to cereals for a cold salad. Avoid soups, or keep them in the freezer.
Eggs and cheeses
Hard-boiled eggs are an excellent solution, but be careful about conservation. They can stay for a maximum of two days in the refrigerator as well as the omelette. Cheeses, on the other hand, are perfect for the last days of the week because they keep longer. So buy some feta, Parmesan and also some ricotta which can also be eaten for breakfast.
Bread
We advise you to buy bread once a week and portion it. You can consume some immediately and some should be frozen. All you need to do is put it in the oven for a moment to make it as fragrant as when you just bought it.
Sauces
If you can’t do without pasta prepare the toppings in advance. For example, a ragù can be divided into portions and then stored in the fridge or freezer and the same thing goes for a tuna sauce or a pesto for example. Obviously you will have to cook the pasta at the moment because preserving it without seasoning is impossible. However, you could think of a baked pasta type like lasagna and cannelloni. In that case, prepare it, cook it only until half cooked and then freeze it. When you want to consume it, just pop it back in the oven to finish cooking.