Before delving into the details, there is one point we need to agree on. Fast food shouldn’t be an option. It may look tempting as it’s quick, cheap, and probably tasty, but that comes with a high price. You may be used to taking your time to cook your meals if you enjoy cooking, but less time means rushing which could ruin your meal for you. Meal planning and preparation is essential if you’re not used to eating out, and when your meal preparation time is cut, chaos may ensue.
Simpler plans
If you usually plan your meals and found that your plan would take too much time, don’t throw your plan out of the window. Try to check for alternative recipes for the same meal that takes less time to prepare. You can also incorporate your leftovers; if you usually don’t have any, try making extra food at least once a day to prepare yourself for tight schedules.
Pre-prepared convenience food
This may cost you a little extra but it will provide you with a lot more convenience with your tight schedule. It’s still a better financial option than takeout meals. Look for vegetables, pre-sliced and prepared so you wouldn’t have to waste time slicing and dicing. Chopped broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and salad greens will save a lot of time. You can spice it up with some pre-made sauces like tomato and curry sauces or salad dressing. Pre-marinated meat can cut the time you take to prepare any meat-including meal.
Stock well
Stocking your pantry can add a whole dimension of convenience. When you don’t have enough time to prepare a meal, turning to the freezer to help would be a viable option. Frozen vegetables that were already prepared can be added to soups or frying pans easily. Ingredients like quinoa and whole-wheat pasta can be quickly cooked. You can also prepare a whole meal and leave it in the freezer and take it out when you need it.
Meal delivery services
Cooking healthy meals from scratch can take time if you’d like to make something savory and nice. It’ also not that cheap. The grocery shopping, cooking, adjusting, and preparing time is enjoyable, but are not that practical with a tight schedule. If you stick with some sort of diet, it also gets harder to prepare healthy meals. According to expert chefs at mealmatchmaker.com, there are several professional services that can cater to specific preferences, which is much better than anything your local pizza or Chinese restaurants can offer.
Whether it’s for a diet or a preference, using professional healthy meal services can make a difference in the long run.
If you’re into vegan, Blue Apron and Green Chef are two of your best choices. Check out their menu, pricing and reviews to help you in comparing both options. You might have some allergies that you want to watch out so carefully read their ingredients list. Also, make sure that the delivery time is fast so you won’t end up wasting more time waiting for it to arrive.
Some people enjoy the process of cooking even more than eating the meal itself. It’s quite understandable that you’d like to prepare your own meals by yourself. It’s a shame that sometimes our schedules get tighter than we’re used to. This list, hopefully will help you circumvent this problem and get the most out of such a situation.
Julie Waldron says
These are some great tips! I like the idea of a meal delivery service, especially for someone who doesn’t like to cook.