Anything that saves me time from Monday-Friday is something worth spending time on. I’m a big advocator for make-ahead-meals! My Sundays are usually spent grocery shopping and cooking, and although this sounds like a chore to some and maybe not the most exciting way to spend half your weekend – it helps me stay healthy, stick to a budget and, (most importantly), save time for the hectic week ahead!

Like the majority of us, I work full time and try to pack in the gym, dancing, blogging, housework, family and friends into my day. One of the main reasons we turn to the local chipper, or frozen pizza or packet of bright green soup powder is because of time! You can so easily fall off the healthy eating agenda and spend a fortune by doing this. Simply taking the time to consciously prepare your food can put a stop to it all.

For those of you simply wanting to eat healthy, making your meals in advance is a brilliant way to maintain balanced nutrition and control portion size.

And for those of you who think you don’t have time – try this for one week and see how much more time you will have on your hands!

Dinner is generally the meal we all slip up on. Our good intentions and healthy eating habits often get thrown aside after we hit the 3pm slump, which is why having a healthy meal waiting at home gives you no excuse to opt for the “bad” option.

I’ve pulled together a list of dishes which are perfect for preparing and freezing or refrigerating for the week ahead.

The list is built around balanced nutrition (carbs, protein, fat, and all the vitamins and minerals you need!) and should pick up your energy and make you feel good about what you eat, whilst saving you heaps of time and even money!

Try it for one week and see if it makes a difference for you – I hope this helps!

Dishes You Can Prepare and Store

Soup

Soup is the perfect dish to pack nutrition and taste into. Preparing a simple vegetable soup at home takes minutes to prepare and keeps really well. Once cooked, allow to cool before portioning for the freezer or fridge. Soup will keep well in a fridge for up to 3 days.

Tip: If you are running short on space, soup can be portioned into zip lock bags for the freezer.

Try my delicious Mushroom Soup, recipe

Tip: Whenever I make a loaf, I’ll slice it once it is cool and wrap individual slices, so to prevent waste. These can be removed from the freezer each evening as needed to defrost overnight and enjoy the next day.

For a simple bread recipe to get you started, try my Wholegrain Cheese and Seed Bread, recipe

Try my sweet potato wedges for a healthy alternative to chips! Recipe

Try my simple chicken marinade recipe

Using the marinade recipe used above; apply this to my grilled chicken with pineapple and green pepper skewers for a fun, summer dish. Recipe

Tip; This recipe uses cashew nuts which will go soft and lose their texture once refrigerated. Set these aside to add as you use.

Homemade Honey and Mustard Slaw with Carrot, Radish, Red Onion and Cashew Nuts. Recipe here

Hot Pots

Beef stew always reminds me of coming home and having a hot dinner on the table waiting for me! The best thing about hot pots and stews is the little time it takes to prepare, and the low and slow cooking that brings out so much flavour. Stew can be refrigerated up to 2 days after cooking, and can also be portioned and frozen.

To reheat after freezing,; allow the stew to fully defrost before heating over a low heat until the meat is fully heated through to the centre. Only add the bisto at this point as it will clump when frozen otherwise.

For my 4 Step Comfort Stew, click here for the recipe

Get shopping, chopping, cooking and freezing and see how much time and money you save!

Enjoy,

Eimear (Home Bird) x