We all know how important it is to eat healthy, home-cooked meals. Not only are they usually more delicious than anything you could get from a restaurant or takeaway joint, but they're also usually much healthier for you.

Sadly, the big problem with home-cooked meals is that they take time – time that a lot of us simply don't have.

But luckily for us, there's a solution to this problem – meal prepping!

Meal prep involves cooking large quantities of food in advance so that you have easy access to healthy meals throughout the week. It might sound like a lot of work, but trust us – it's worth it!

One woman who can attest to the benefits of meal prep is Kaitie Purssell from Lake Macquarie in New South Wales.

She has become something of an expert in the art of meal-prepping ever since she started doing it in 2020, after losing a total of 21 kilograms after giving birth. In the years since then, she has been using her skills to keep the weight off.

'Meal prep doesn't have to be huge or take all day to be effective!' said the mum.

Meal prepping has helped Kaitie to keep her weight and health in check. Credit: Healthy Mummy.​

Kaitie is able to prepare so many meals every week because a lot of her dishes use the same ingredients.

In her most recent meal-prep session, she made eight serves of Spanish turkey rice tray bake, eight serves of spaghetti bolognese, six serves of chilli con carne, four serves of satay chicken, six serves of raspberry muffins, three serves of Snickers mousse, 10 serves of caramel slice, and 20 serves of apricot and coconut balls.

In addition to the dinners and snacks, she also boiled some eggs and prepped vegetable sticks, celery boats, and fruit.

'I love choosing recipes with similar ingredients; this saves on time preparing and helps keep my grocery bill down,' Kaitie explained, noting that keeping a grocery list handy (either written on paper or on her phone) is a helpful reminder of what she needs to bring back home.

She also keeps track of her calorie intake, eats nutritious snacks throughout the day, and supplements her regular meals with protein shakes so that she can keep up with her hectic schedule while still maintaining a healthy weight.

'Having snacks at the ready like boiled eggs and veggie sticks keep things easy and mean you're more likely to stay on track if the preparation has already been done,' she said.

'Getting organised and meal prepping has helped so much in my weight loss journey; I am a busy mum of two on a tight budget and always having a freezer full of meals and snacks saves me from skipping meals or grabbing a takeaway on nights that time is limited.'

Preparing meals in bulk can save you time and money. Credit: Daily Mail. ​

Meal preparation in advance has many health benefits, but it's also a cost-effective strategy to avoid ordering takeout throughout the week.

Kaitie suggests starting the weekly meal planning process by clearing out the fridge and freezer of any perishables. She also recommended not complicating the meal plan by adding too many new items or too many variations on existing ones and sticking to the same dishes or snacks throughout the week.

'When starting out it can feel overwhelming. There is nothing wrong with eating the same snack five times a week. Do what works for you!' she said.

For people who have never made meals in bulk before, Kaitie suggested beginning small by making more food during the week.

'Cook double or triple servings of dinner each night and start building a freezer stash, even on days you are home throw something in the cooker just to portion up and freeze. It takes no time and it basically looks after itself,' she said.

With practice, planning and consistency, you'll likely fall into the habit of meal prepping during the week or on Sundays!

You should prepare meals that can be easily frozen and reheated. Credit: Daily Mail.​

Here are her other meal-prepping tips and advice:

• It's very important to make meals that can be frozen and reheated, like pasta, stews, and curries.
• If you're going to freeze the food, label all the containers and make sure it's completely defrosted before reheating.

She suggested that the easiest way to get started with meal planning is to dedicate an afternoon or evening each week to the task, so that you don't have to worry about it when your schedule gets hectic.

'If Sunday doesn't work for you, find a time that does!' she said. 'I often spend less than an hour in the kitchen preparing a whole week of food for my family. It doesn't have to be hard or take all day!'

The benefits of meal preparation are clear: not only does it help you maintain a healthy weight, but it also prevents you from blowing your weekly food budget. And we all know how hard it can be to figure out what to eat for dinner, so having ready-made meals in your fridge is a huge help!

So what do you think, folks? Are you ready to give meal-prepping a try? Let us know in the comments!

 

[Suzanne rose]

My daughter meal preps once a week.
She loves that she has meals ready in the freezer for those days she doesn't feel like cooking.

I will cook a batch of lentil soup and freeze in different size containers as well as sheperds pie.

My daughters know I have these if they need food for the kids.

Food last for 3 months frozen so make sure you label with the date you froze it.

Also when you cook say a casserole or Spaghetti then freeze any leftovers or make a little more to freeze.

 

[Ricci]

I tried food prep but gave it away as I got totally fed up with eating the same 4 or 5 dishes on a regular basis. I ended up with meals in the freezer that I just couldn't bring myself to eat. The dogs loved it though!!

 

[Cribbagemaster]

I'm an elderly male living alone, and I bulk cook every now and then. I get four to eight meals, which I separate into individual meals and put them into the freezer until needed. Some are just base meals, so I need to cook something on the day to make a complete meal. Saves time.

 

[Ashmenou]

I love my daily fresh cooked meals.

 

[Zoya]

We all know how important it is to eat healthy, home-cooked meals. Not only are they usually more delicious than anything you could get from a restaurant or takeaway joint, but they're also usually much healthier for you.

Sadly, the big problem with home-cooked meals is that they take time – time that a lot of us simply don't have.

But luckily for us, there's a solution to this problem – meal prepping!

Meal prep involves cooking large quantities of food in advance so that you have easy access to healthy meals throughout the week. It might sound like a lot of work, but trust us – it's worth it!

One woman who can attest to the benefits of meal prep is Kaitie Purssell from Lake Macquarie in New South Wales.

She has become something of an expert in the art of meal-prepping ever since she started doing it in 2020, after losing a total of 21 kilograms after giving birth. In the years since then, she has been using her skills to keep the weight off.

'Meal prep doesn't have to be huge or take all day to be effective!' said the mum.

Meal prepping has helped Kaitie to keep her weight and health in check. Credit: Healthy Mummy.​

Kaitie is able to prepare so many meals every week because a lot of her dishes use the same ingredients.

In her most recent meal-prep session, she made eight serves of Spanish turkey rice tray bake, eight serves of spaghetti bolognese, six serves of chilli con carne, four serves of satay chicken, six serves of raspberry muffins, three serves of Snickers mousse, 10 serves of caramel slice, and 20 serves of apricot and coconut balls.

In addition to the dinners and snacks, she also boiled some eggs and prepped vegetable sticks, celery boats, and fruit.

'I love choosing recipes with similar ingredients; this saves on time preparing and helps keep my grocery bill down,' Kaitie explained, noting that keeping a grocery list handy (either written on paper or on her phone) is a helpful reminder of what she needs to bring back home.

She also keeps track of her calorie intake, eats nutritious snacks throughout the day, and supplements her regular meals with protein shakes so that she can keep up with her hectic schedule while still maintaining a healthy weight.

'Having snacks at the ready like boiled eggs and veggie sticks keep things easy and mean you're more likely to stay on track if the preparation has already been done,' she said.

'Getting organised and meal prepping has helped so much in my weight loss journey; I am a busy mum of two on a tight budget and always having a freezer full of meals and snacks saves me from skipping meals or grabbing a takeaway on nights that time is limited.'

Preparing meals in bulk can save you time and money. Credit: Daily Mail. ​

Meal preparation in advance has many health benefits, but it's also a cost-effective strategy to avoid ordering takeout throughout the week.

Kaitie suggests starting the weekly meal planning process by clearing out the fridge and freezer of any perishables. She also recommended not complicating the meal plan by adding too many new items or too many variations on existing ones and sticking to the same dishes or snacks throughout the week.

'When starting out it can feel overwhelming. There is nothing wrong with eating the same snack five times a week. Do what works for you!' she said.

For people who have never made meals in bulk before, Kaitie suggested beginning small by making more food during the week.

'Cook double or triple servings of dinner each night and start building a freezer stash, even on days you are home throw something in the cooker just to portion up and freeze. It takes no time and it basically looks after itself,' she said.

With practice, planning and consistency, you'll likely fall into the habit of meal prepping during the week or on Sundays!

You should prepare meals that can be easily frozen and reheated. Credit: Daily Mail.​

Here are her other meal-prepping tips and advice:

• It's very important to make meals that can be frozen and reheated, like pasta, stews, and curries.
• If you're going to freeze the food, label all the containers and make sure it's completely defrosted before reheating.

She suggested that the easiest way to get started with meal planning is to dedicate an afternoon or evening each week to the task, so that you don't have to worry about it when your schedule gets hectic.

'If Sunday doesn't work for you, find a time that does!' she said. 'I often spend less than an hour in the kitchen preparing a whole week of food for my family. It doesn't have to be hard or take all day!'

The benefits of meal preparation are clear: not only does it help you maintain a healthy weight, but it also prevents you from blowing your weekly food budget. And we all know how hard it can be to figure out what to eat for dinner, so having ready-made meals in your fridge is a huge help!

So what do you think, folks? Are you ready to give meal-prepping a try? Let us know in the comments!

I meal prep now and again but not on a regular basis. It definitely helps when busy.