One of the main reasons so many people eat out is that they are so busy. If you work 8-10 hours a day and also have a commute, no wonder cooking at home is rare. However, there are a lot of things you can prep at home so that you can whip up a good healthy meal at some in less time.
White rice can be prepared in a pressure cooker or Instapot in a few minutes. The reason to prep this in advance is that cold rice is best to make fried rice of any type. There are a lot of ways to season and saute’ rice and make a nice main dish or side dish with the right things added.
- Traditional fried rice
- Rice and vegetable stir fry
- Cajun beans and rice
- Add to lentil soup or black bean soup
- Spanish rice can be done with cold white rice as well
The reason prepping a day before is better, is that it is easier to work with if it is cold.
Next, chopped vegetables that you use regularly. If I do not prep, I might chop onions and peppers 2-3 times per day for each meal. If you have vegetables you use very regularly, and they do not turn brown fast, chop enough for a couple of meals and save them.
Black Beans or Pinto Beans – The only good way to prepare these is soaking them overnight. You must then discard the liquid and then cook them in a pressure cooker or Instapot. You can then freeze them in smaller containers after they cool and get them out as you need them. Beans in the refrigerator will only stay good 3-5 days max so you should freeze what you will not eat.
These can then be used as a refried bean side item, added to tacos, burritos, bean quesadillas, tex mex bowls, or things like soups and vegetable medleys.
Wontons for wonton soup are also a great thing to prep. Making the filling and stuffing the wontons are a lot of work, but once done you freeze them and can use a few at a time as needed. Simply heat up chicken broth and add the wontons to the broth until fully cooked and you have a great, healthy soup you can make for one person or ten people. Very handy to have ready to go.
These are just some food prep tips that can save you time and make it easier to decide to cook at home instead of eating out. Enjoy.