BATCH COOKING—a New Concept?
Food planning, preparation, and actually sitting down to eat a nutritious meal are some of the biggest challenges (impediments) for many people as they address issues affecting their health. Unfortunately it seems as though just about everyone is so busy with daily life and the world that food becomes a low priority. That said, I’m here to convince you that grocery shopping, mindful meal planning, and preparing healthy food choices are required for anyone who claims to be serious about weight loss/gain or overall wellness.
I have a strong suggestion. If you implement it, you may very well save both time and money. Perhaps even more important—at least in my opinion—is how this new way of thinking could affect your fitness and wellness goals.
So here is my suggestion—the answer could be something called Batch cooking. But what is that exactly?
Definition: Batch cooking, sometimes called cooking to the line or just-in-time preparation, means preparing food in small batches as needed throughout the serving period in order to preserve food quality and prevent waste due to leftovers. This method of meal preparation has long had applications in the food service field. However, it can easily be applied to individuals and families who perhaps need more structure when it comes to getting meals on the table. Making batches of real food all at once—say over the weekend—and then safely storing individual meals over a period of days eliminates the need to prepare a meal every day. It also can cut down on eating out or ordering in, thereby saving lots of money.
If it is helpful for you to have rules to follow, it would be worthwhile to check out this article for “rules’ and more info:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2016/01/18/rules-of-batch-cooking_n_8401718.html
And another very helpful site to Google:
Batch Cooking 101, which is a super guide to all things “Batch.”
Denise’s
2 Cents:
One of the greatest drags on momentum for people striving for a consistent health plan is selecting their food choices in a deliberately healthy way. Most of us fit in food around the circumstances of our lives, instead of the other way around. This usually leads to choosing packaged or fast foods, which we know can have dubious ingredients. That can result in low nutrition, high sodium, and high calories. Preparing food in advance is one key to keeping yourself on target regarding your weight and overall nutritional goals. Batch cooking can be an answer—a secret weapon— for some. Usually this technique actually helps anchor people into a structure that grounds their lives in other ways as well.