If you’ve just gone to the grocery store and it still looks like there’s no food in your house but instead only ingredients, then you’re doing something right! If you’re avoiding factory-made food, it’s up to you to turn those ingredients into something edible, and today I’m sharing an easy way to do just that with food prep suggestions and storage information.
Of course, you could spend time making homemade dips, salad dressings, muffins, and the like (I love having that stuff on hand), but there are also plenty of foods you can prep that don’t require any recipe at all (i.e., it doesn’t get any easier). Honestly, the hardest part is just remembering to do it. So simply print out this list (here’s a pdf version for you), post it on your fridge, and the next time you’re in the kitchen making dinner, knock out two or three of these at the same time. The next time someone is hungry in a hurry, you’ll be glad you did!
What To Prep Ahead + Food Storage
| Food Item | Storage Location / Notes | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked bacon | Refrigerator | 2 to 3 days |
| Baked white or sweet potatoes | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Cooked chicken (or other meat) | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Diced in-season fruit (such as melon, pineapple, and/or berries) | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Mashed potatoes | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Cooked quinoa or brown rice | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Washed and sliced raw veggies (such as carrots, bell peppers, celery, and/or cucumbers) | Refrigerator / Submerge carrots and celery in water | 3 to 4 days |
| Washed lettuce or other greens | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Cooked whole-wheat couscous | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Cooked whole-wheat noodles | Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days |
| Hard-boiled eggs | Refrigerator / Keep in shell until just before eating. | 4 to 5 days |
What other easy items would you add to this list?
No-Cook Veggie Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
At least once a week, we have “pizza from leftovers night.” Whole grain naan, sauce, and cheese – shredded in the beginning of the week, in serving size, to just plop atop the sauce and go. Top the cheese with anything you find in the fridge. Cook for 20 minutes at 425.
muffins, frittata, pasta sauce, cooked rice, crock-pot beans
I roast a baking sheet of veggies for the week like: cauliflower, asparagus, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc which I store In the fridge to pull out as sides, for salads, or for quick soups. Roasting gives a nice rich flavor and good variety for the week combined with meats, grains, potaotoes and raw veggies
I found another cool website where you can add your favorite recipe and read about many more.The site is http://hifow.com
I too love to roast vegetables to use later. I also roast whole flowers of garlic and then store the cloves in olive oil to use in cooking later. I can add it at the last minute while sauteing vegetables and since it’s already soft, there is no chance of burning.
I freeze cooked shredded chicken, ground beef (seasoned and not), bacon (crumbled), diced ham, ground Italian sausage on a parchment lined baking sheet and then store in stack-able containers. That way I can take as much or as little as I need for my recipe. I also cook a pound of beans (black, pinto, garbanzo) at a time and once cool freeze them flat in pint & quart size bags..
I always prep food for the week every Sunday, so any time I want a quick lunch I can just throw the ingredients together! I always steam and roast some veggies, cook some quinoa or other grain, cut up raw veggies, and make hummus!