IN tougher times, more people are learning the art of food prepping.
Mum of 3, Diana Cosovan has been meal prepping for years and is saving money on family meals.
“We always used to meal prep as a family back home in Moldova. My mom was always in the kitchen and me being the only daughter and the oldest one in the family I always had to help her,” Mrs Cosovan said.
“When I moved to Australia 15 years ago, I was pregnant so I couldn’t go to work and wasn’t able to find a job for a while. Having just one income for years, I had to fit family meals in the budget which is why I meal prep.”
Mrs Cosovan said meal prepping is not just cheaper for her family, but healthier too.
“Cooking at home for a family of five has helped us save a lot of money and I find the most amazing dishes are made from basic ingredients,” she said.
“I make all our sauces, mayonnaises, dips and infused oils, because it’s cheaper and the most important thing is they are so much healthier and cleaner.
“I made my own tomato sauce a couple months ago from a box of tomatoes which was $5, and it lasted me for months. I went in-store and a small organic tomato sauce was $6.50.
“When our meals are full of nutrients and clean ingredients and they are readily accessible for our kids when they come home from school, they don’t even need the extra snacks like chips, biscuits, and sweets, which saves a lot too.”
Mrs Cosovan said the key to meal prepping is planning.
“Make a weekly meal plan for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks, and add some extra ideas for lunch boxes for the kids,” she said.
“Try to cook 3-4 days in advance, life gets busy, and convenience is the key. This will ensure you always have cooked meals ready to go.
“Another tip to save time and money is online shopping, if you have a meal plan handy it makes it so much easier to shop for what you need.”
Mrs Cosovan said bulk shopping is the way to go.
“In my opinion bulk shopping for meal prepping is easier and cheaper,” she said.
“If you buy 2kg bag of potatoes and 2kg of chicken breast and put in the oven with some dry spices and maybe some tomatoes, you can get one week worth of lunches for two people for under $30. You can always find deals and specials on bulk items.
“Fruit and veggie shops are another way of saving. You can always get good deals or boxed produce, with mixed fruits and veggies and that can go a long way.”
Mrs Cosovan said meal prepping doesn’t need to be fancy.
“If you are well organised, you can manage to cook lunches and dinners for the week in just two hours,” she said.
“Keep everything in one tray and it can be portioned as you go. You can always do extras on the weekend too and freeze it.”
