I’m completely happy that meal prep has develop into so fashionable, as a result of it’s a good way to save lots of time on feeding your self. However one factor that grinds my gears about the best way meal prep is showcased on social media—rows and rows of tupperware containers, all full of an an identical association of rooster, rice, and broccoli, or one thing comparable—is that it feels so, so regimented. These photos and the accompanying rhetoric make it appear that for those who’re not following this method (a starch plus a protein plus a vegetable, all cooked individually), you’re not doing it proper.
However Instagram completely doesn’t equal actuality, and the reality is that meal prep doesn’t should look any explicit approach. Something you can make forward of time, and both reheat or eat chilly, is a superb candidate for lunch meal prep. Certain, typically which means rooster and broccoli and rice (and there’s a recipe for that beneath that features a enjoyable sauce), however it could possibly additionally imply a giant pot of noodles, a sluggish cooker pork shoulder, a giant batch of chili, or perhaps a sturdy salad. The extra big-batch recipes you could have in your arsenal, the much less probably you’re to get bored together with your weekly meal preps, which implies you’re extra more likely to really preserve doing it.
The recipes beneath work for every kind of preferences and conditions. Two of the recipes are vegan, and three have meat. Two could be made within the sluggish cooker, whereas three name for some mixture of oven and stovetop cooking. All 5 are gluten-free, so long as you’re utilizing the gluten-free variations of substances like grits and soy sauce (or tamari).
For those who’re in a rut with meal prep and also you’re able to strive one thing new—otherwise you want a little bit little bit of motivation to strive massive batch prepping for the primary time—give certainly one of these a spin and remind your self that getting ready a number of meals directly can look many alternative methods.
Chelsea Kyle. Prop styling by Amy Elise Wilson for Laird and Good Firm. Meals styling by Pearl Jones for Ashley Klinger & Co.
Peanut-Coconut Pork Noodles With Kale
Coconut-based sauces have lengthy been a key function of many South and Southeast Asian cuisines, and now they’re common around the globe. This noodle recipe makes eight servings however calls for only one can of coconut milk, which implies there’s simply sufficient sauce to coat the noodles, however not a lot that you simply want a spoon to sop every little thing up. I believe the dish tastes finest with floor pork, however you would use one other type of floor meat and nonetheless get tasty outcomes. Get the recipe right here.