Batch cooking is one of the best things that a busy mom can do, in our opinion.
Trying to find time to make fresh meals every single day as a mom can feel nearly impossible sometimes. And when it feels like this, we are more likely to take unhealthier routes such as takeaways, microwave meals, and even only having snacks for dinner.
Batch cooking can be a great escape from this frustrating routine.
The practice can be a way of taking back control over your life and your time. It can free up so much room during your day that you can take back and use for things you enjoy. It can also make sure that you and your family are staying healthy and nourished in the process.
If you want to learn more about batch cooking and how to do it, you have landed in the right place today.
This blog will give you some handy tips and tricks on how to try batch cooking for your whole family, in a way that keeps it easy and fun for everyone.
Sound good?
Great, then keep reading!
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Pick simple, classic recipes
First things first, what do you make when you are batch cooking?
We think that one of the very best things to do is cook simple, classic recipes that the entire family will love, time and time again. When you are making a big batch of a certain meal, you don’t want all that food to go to waste because your family aren’t enjoying the meal and won’t eat it. Batch cooking usually isn’t the time to experiment, it’s time to stick to your basics.
It’s also a good idea to make things that you know your family like because they are going to be eating it more than once. This type of cooking means that you are making multiple lots of the same meal all at once, then storing these meals and reheating them when you are ready to eat them. This means that the best way to handle the process will be making big batches of the same thing. If they only like it a little, this won’t go down well.
If you don’t have any favourite recipes of your own yet, you can check out some guides on timeless family-friendly recipes online. They’re free too!
Have backup options
Kids can be pretty fussy. Adults too.
One of the potential pitfalls of batch cooking is that we never really know in advance what kind of meal we are going to want on a certain evening. To prepare for this, having backup meals stored is a great way to go.
It is part of batch cooking to make lots of the same thing, and that is good, but it’s also good to have backups in the freezer to make sure that you can cater to how everyone feels on a certain night. Without these backups, this is when we are most likely to get takeaways as a quick alternative. This can end up much more expensive and unhealthier over time, so those backups are pretty important.
You never know when having a backup batch of spaghetti bolognese in the freezer can be an absolute lifesaver.
Safety note: Remember that you should only keep fresh food frozen for about 3 months before you eat it, so try not to forget about all those extra dishes you have stored in the back, use them up!
Spread your ingredients across different dishes
Batch cooking can a great thing for saving money and stretching your money further when it comes to grocery shopping. To make the most out of this, it is a good idea to buy really versatile ingredients that can be stretched across multiple meals.
If you can buy some main ingredients in one grocery shop and spread them across 3/4 separate meals, you will get the most value for your money and you will also significantly cut down on the time you spend preparing the meals themselves. Being able to prepare food efficiently is very beneficial for busy mums, and I am sure that you know that already. Finding little hacks to make things go quicker is always a great thing.
Use your multitasking skills to your best ability here, and you will find that things go much more easily and efficiently.
Make fresh, freeze when you can
To ensure the best quality of food in your batch cooking, you should follow the general rule of making fresh, and freezing when you can.
Keeping things frozen means that you don’t have to worry about meals going “off” in the fridge because you haven’t got round to them this week. Meals in the fridge tend to only last around 3 days, whereas they can stay good for around 3 months in the freezer. All you need to do is leave them out in the morning or night before, and you have a fresh meal, well-preserved and ready to go for another day.
Making things fresh also ensures that your family is getting the best possible quality of food. So many things these days are simply a matter of reheating or microwaving, and this means that they come with a lot of preservatives already added. You can cut down on the preservatives and salt added to your family’s food by batch cooking everything fresh and keeping it safe at home.
Food is always made fresh and you will really notice a difference when you are consistently eating fresh food.
Batch cooking can be the answer to a lot of your problems as a mom, and we would really recommend giving it a go!
If you have any more tips and tricks for fellow moms, please feel free to leave us a comment in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you all.
Thank you, happy cooking!
