Meal Prep Hacks for Healthy, Quick, From-Scratch Meals
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I grew up eating ultra-processed foods that you just unwrap and eat or throw in a pan and add water. (Little Debbies and Ramen noodles, I’m lookin’ at you!)
As an adult, I’ve looked at the research and have found compelling information about the damaging effects of ultra-processed foods and the standard American diet (one that is low in fat and protein and high in carbohydrates, food dyes, and sugar). If you want to learn more, @realfoodology, @thefoodbabe are two of my favorite Instagram accounts with evidence-based information and alternatives. Check them out!
These days, my family eats an omnivore, whole-food diet because it makes us feel our best, and evidence supports it as a healthy way to live a long, vibrant life.
Of course, we order pizza from time to time or eat brownies made from a box mix when family members offer them. However, I never purchase ultra-processed foods (think boxed Mac-n-cheese, Cheetos, shelf-stable pastries, etc.) to keep in our home or use seed oils in my kitchen.
Every meal has an animal protein and we don't shy away from fat.
While I’d love to be able to spend hours in the kitchen each day cooking, it just isn’t realistic for me, even with just one child.
Cooking from scratch does not need to be time-consuming or overwhelming. I make great use of my crockpot and Instant Pot and also cook in large batches and freeze leftovers for later.
Today, I’m going to share some hacks for creating meal bases that you can make in bulk, freeze, and pull out for super fast, wholesome meals your family will love.
Pro Tips
I bulk-cook meat and freeze it in glass containers. Then, all I have to do is thaw it out and spice it up with a few mix-ins, a new sauce/gravy, or a side dish. This is the one key thing that helps me get dinner on the table fast.
I season simply (often with just salt) because I don’t always have a plan for how I’ll use the meat. Keeping it simple means I’m not limited in the recipes I can make with it.
Get yourself a Crock-Pot and/or Instant Pot. They make it literally effortless to cook tender, delicious meat (and other things).
Stock up on glass storage containers. They stack well in the freezer and don’t leech toxins into your food. I have a couple sets of these containers from Sam’s Club. (I usually just slap a piece of Scotch tape on the lid and write what’s inside so I don’t have to guess when I shop my freezer.)
Shop your freezer weekly. I live in a rural town, and my local grocer is ridiculously expensive, so I only shop there when absolutely necessary. My husband and I typically go out of town to STOCK UP once a month, and then I shop from my freezer until our next shopping trip. I pull out a few pre-cooked meat items that I made right after my shopping trip, as well as uncooked meat, and let it all thaw in the fridge. Then I use it up in the order it thaws. For example, a whole chicken takes a couple of days to thaw, but ground beef is ready the next day, so I grab some quick-thawing foods and some slow-thawing foods so that not everything is ready on the same day. Helps keep it all as fresh as possible!
Whole Chicken
I used to find whole chickens very intimidating, but honestly, they’re one of the easiest things to make.
The key to a moist, tasty chicken is getting the cooking time right. Go too far and it’s chalk, but get it just right, and it’s delicious, moist, and flavorful with very minimal work on your end.
You need a meat thermometer to master the whole chicken, but that’s about it!
If you’re roasting it in the oven, put it in a pan and season however you prefer. I’ve done just salt many times, and it’s delicious because it’s cooked on the bone with skin on.
In the oven, bake at 400 degrees F and check the internal temperature after an hour. 165 degrees F is considered safe, but my family prefers it a tad more dry, so I don’t take it out until it hits 170. I never worry about tying up the chicken’s legs or stuffing the cavity. Truly, you can keep it super simple and still end up with a company-worthy bird.
In the Instant Pot, add water to the bottom of your pan, chuck in the bird, and close the lid. Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes per pound and then do the slow release. You’ll end up with the most tender pulled chicken EVER.
Ways To Use Leftovers
We’re a family of 3 right now, so a whole chicken usually provides us with 2 dinners and 1 - 2 lunches. Some of my go-to ways to use the leftovers are:
Toss in BBQ sauce.
Mix with buffalo sauce and add shredded cheddar and cubed cream cheese.
Sauté in butter, then add heavy cream and parmesan to the pan until warmed through and bubbly.
Mix with your favorite salsa for chicken tacos.
As part of a toddler picnic lunch (iykyk… add cheese and blueberries and call it a day!)
Honestly, the options are endless, which is why we pretty much always have whole chickens on hand.
Bonus: they’re often more economically priced than boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They also are higher in collagen and glycine because you cook them bone-in, skin-on. In my opinion, they taste better and are more moist. And, super bonus, you can make your own bone broth (also in the Instant Pot), which is ridiculously expensive to purchase pre-made.
Pot Roast
Gosh, I love a good pot roast. Chuck is my preferred cut, but if the price is too high or another cut looks fresher, I’ll take it.
Some of the flavor pairings I love are sesame brown sugar or bourbon brown sugar.
Ways To Use Leftovers
Cooked, shredded roast freezes really well and can be reheated and used in a variety of ways. Some of our favorites are:
Sautéed with butter and bell peppers
In a breakfast skillet with eggs, potatoes, and cheese
With mashed potatoes and gravy
In a sourdough grilled cheese. Bonus points if you add chopped bacon!
BBQ’d and thrown on a bun or plain with a side dish
Also, all of these recipes/tips work just as well for other slow-cooked meats like pork shoulder.
Potatoes
Washing, peeling, chopping, and cooking potatoes takes forever, amiright? But I don’t use instant potatoes because they’re full of preservatives and chemicals, and don’t even taste good in my opinion.
Some of my go-to ways to quickly make potatoes are:
Steamed in the Instant Pot - they’re super quick, and you can skip the aluminum exposure from traditional oven-baked potatoes. Just wash and throw in skin-on and pressure cook on high for 20 - 25 minutes, then do a slow release. (The slow release is essential, in my opinion, because it creates the most fluffy, tender potato!)
Batch-make mashed potatoes and freeze. I always make a large batch and freeze most of it. They reheat just as well as fresh!
Chopped, roasted potatoes, also batched out and frozen. Thaw in the microwave or fridge, then throw into a pan with butter to crisp the edges.
Start With A Base, Then Get Creative!
Having two main components of my dinners, the meat and potatoes, already prepped makes getting a wholesome dinner on the table almost effortless. I do cook “fresh” meals several nights a week, but sometimes I just don’t have the time or energy to put something wholesome together, so that’s when I lean on these strategies.
A little legwork the day after I grocery shop or on days when I end up with extra time has served me very well, and I hope it helps you too!
