Meal Prepping: How to Prepare Dinner for One

In a city of convenience-cravers, it’s easy to choose readily-prepared meals over your cutting board and cast-iron skillet.

Digital apps and technology are challenging the traditional notion of in-home dining. Cooking habits and weekly shopping routines passed down by earlier generations have become obsolete to the average urban Millennial consumer.

Brianna Harrison, junior Fashion Merchandising major who gets it, divulges, “I like ordering online because its quick and easy, but mostly because cooking is such a task and I’d rather not.”

In recent years, home food delivery platforms like Postmates and Grubhub have seen a surge in usage thanks to the digital age. According to CNBC, the online ordering industry is forecasted to grow from “$43 billion in 2017 to $76 billion in 2022, 12% annually over the next five years.” The boom in delivery service comes from new technology that makes it easier to connect with consumers.

Although we can all agree that home delivery is an appreciated nuance, it’s also important to acknowledge the toll frequent spending can have on your pockets. With physicians recommending 5-6 small meals a day, it can be hard to keep up with your cravings; consequently, grocery shopping and eating out can take a serious chunk out of your daily budget. As stated in USA Today, “The average American household spent about $600 a month on food in 2016,” and additionally, “about 44% of that was spent outside the home at restaurants and bars.”

What can you do to cut back your daily spending and reduce your Postmates footprint? A simple question answered by the help of LIM’s very own student body. Meal prepping is a common conclusion on the highly debated topic.

Meal prepping is a popular cooking trend that can save students money and time, all while improving nutritional intake. According to Environmental Nutrition, meal prepping consists of making a large batch of your favorite recipe and sectioning off pre-portioned meals into easy grab-and-go containers for later consumption. This trend has become very popular among 1760 Residents and even those who are living on their own.

“The major key is to buy in bulk and freeze whatever produce you’re not using at the moment,” says Faith Jackson, a junior Marketing major who’s a firm activist on the trend.

Meal prepping is not as complicated as some people make it out to be. One key element that one should consider when going about meal prepping is to begin with easy recipes. Include a healthy balance of protein, carbs and fat in each meal. Second, choose a specific day to cook. If your schedule is jam packed during the week, it may be best to prepare your meals on weekends or whenever time allows. Third, consider storage. Reusable stackable containers are preferred to optimize refrigerator space. Lastly, enjoy your meals throughout the week; it should taste better knowing how much you’ve saved!

As we settle into the New Year, it’s time to reflect on all our vices from 2017 and figure out how to hit reset. The most common resolution that many of us have going into the New Year is to eat better, cleaner, and smarter.