As the price of just about everything has risen over the past few years, Canadians looking to rein in their spending usually turn to discretionary costs first.
For more than half of Canadians, that means dining out less, according to a survey released last year by Ipsos.
But it’s easier said than done to cut back on restaurant meals, especially for those who have busy schedules.
Enter meal prep: a way to make nutritious lunches and dinners ahead of time that you can pop in the office microwave or throw in the oven after a long day.
Meal prepping can lower your grocery bill and avoid food waste, but only if it’s done properly—otherwise, you could be stuck with meals you dislike for several days in a row or end up throwing out food.
It’s best to start slow, said Abby Langer, a registered dietitian and owner of Toronto-based Abby Langer Nutrition.
One of the biggest mistakes people often make is trying to do too much at once, and they end up wasting food because they haven’t figured out how to plan out their meals yet, she said.
“Always look through your calendar beforehand, see when you need meals, and then if you’re just starting out, you can say to yourself, ‘I will do two meals out of these three,’” she said.
While there are plenty of food bloggers posting picture-perfect meals on social media, try not to give in to the pressure of making your own meals perfect, said Langer.
“It’s super unhelpful to place expectations on yourself that are based on other people’s lifestyles and other people’s preferences,” she said.
“You have to figure out what works for you; otherwise it'll never be sustainable.”
You might also feel pressured to go out and buy a lot of brand new food storage containers or other items you see people on social media using, added Langer, but take a look at what you have first before going shopping.
“You have to figure out what you want to make, and if you have the tools to make it. It doesn’t have to ... be complicated, and it can incorporate certain tools and containers that you already have,” she said.
“It’s, again, all about expectations and following what ... works for you, versus what someone on social media is saying you have to do.”
Over time, you’ll learn that some recipes work better than others for meal prep, said Langer. Meals with sauce tend to do well—she often makes pasta dishes such as lasagna, or marinated tofu with greens and rice.
She’s also a cheerleader for the “dense bean salad,” a medley of beans and vegetables that recently went viral on TikTok for its ease of preparation and the fact it actually gets better as it marinates in the fridge for a few days.
“It deserves to go viral,” said Langer.
“It’s good for, like, four days. And that I can’t say about chicken.”
Canada’s Food Guide offers tips on meal prepping, starting with making a plan around using what you already have at home to avoid waste, and looking at your schedule for the week to figure out how many meals and snacks you should make.
It suggests planning your shopping trip around what’s on sale and sticking to a list to avoid overspending.
The guide also suggests keeping recipes you like in a binder or on your computer so you can refer back to them.
When you’re cooking, if you have extra portions, you may be able to pop them in the freezer, said Langer. She often freezes bolognese sauce, lasagna or extra ground meat for an easy meal another day.
Langer also suggests keeping raw shrimp, frozen vegetables and pre-made soups in the freezer to make prepping easier and for quick at-home meals.
“I think frozen food has gotten such a bad rap lately and it’s completely undeserved,” she said. “The freezer is your best friend.”
The freezer can also help you avoid food waste while saving a few dollars if you keep leftover vegetables or odds and ends that might otherwise be thrown out in a freezer bag, said Langer.
“When you have enough of them, you can make a soup out of them,” she said.
“This can make a huge difference.”
Meal prepping also doesn’t have to involve taking everything to the finish line every time.
You can do some prep work ahead of time such as chopping vegetables or marinating your protein or making what Langer calls “simple foods,” such as pasta, roasted vegetables and potatoes, rice, raw vegetables for snacking, chicken breasts, pinto beans or tofu to have on hand for later.
“It’s about being able to mix and match ingredients so you have options that aren’t the same thing every single day,” she explained.
