Well, there is! The key ingredient for making easy meals every time—even when there are several ingredients or numerous steps—is preparation.
In one sitting, do the following:
- Prepare your menu for 2, 3, or even 4 weeks at a time.
- Prepare your shopping list for all of those meals.
- Prepare your cooking time wisely.
You may have heard those preparation tips before, or something similar. But, just in case you haven’t, here is a step-by-step example of how to make the preparation plan a reality:
- Open your pantry and freezer to see which ingredients you already have. Make a note—either mentally or on paper—of the main items such as rice, potatoes, condensed chicken soup.
- Determine which recipes to make and when to make them over the next few weeks. (Keep the recipes close by so they are at your fingertips when you’re ready to make them.)
- Decide what you need for each recipe, that isn’t already in your pantry or freezer.
- Make your shopping list and arrange it in order of where things are located in your local supermarket.
- Compare your list to the store’s ads and mark any sale items.
- Go shopping! (Make sure you have your list and store ad.)
- When you get home, do what you can right then to make meal preparation even easier on the days you’ve chosen to cook. For example, brown the hamburger, portion it out for each meal that calls for it, and freeze the portions you won’t use that particular week.
Remember, it doesn’t matter what you choose to make, just be sure you add in one key ingredient: preparation!
