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Whether your goals for 2023 are all about saving money or eating a little bit healthier, prioritising your meal prep is a key first step for both. A journey I personally embarked on last year, I found that properly planning my food shops, storing leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch, and batch-cooking where possible made me far less likely to end up picking up ready meals or ordering in.
If you hate being in the kitchen but love the idea of home-cooked meals, then these nifty aides will help make the whole process that bit easier – from handy one-pot cookbooks, to choppers that can tackle even your toughest vegetables...
1
Keep your counter clean and organised with this storage chopping board
With its two separate storage strays underneath, this chopping board is perfect for swiping any vegetable skins and offcuts into one, and keeping your chopped ingredients in the other. A great way to ensure you’re not left with too much tidying up.
2
Blitz veggies into purees and sauces with this nifty chopper
For finely chopping small ingredients like garlic and ginger into handy purees, I can think of no better tool than this brilliant chopper. It can chop, mince, and puree with ease, and also comes with two stackable containers with lids for storage.
3
Select some budget-friendly meals that are easy to batch cook
I can think of nobody better to help you along on your meal prepping journey than The Batch Lady herself, Suzanne Mulholland. Sure to get you inspired, you’ll find over 100 simple and energy-efficient batch-cooking recipes in this brilliant book.
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4
Sort out your meals in advance with this magnetic meal planner
Available in two different sizes, and ten different colours, this magnetic meal planner will make a great addition to your fridge if you’re determined to properly keep track of your meals this year.
5
Buy a big pot for making stews and casseroles in bulk
If cooking in large quantities will definitely leave you slopping sauce over the side of your pot, then you need this mammoth 8.5 litre one. It’s induction-safe, and can even go in the dishwasher.
6
Quickly cook up to five portions of food in this large air fryer
Despite using far less oil, this air fryer is capable of whipping up a meal in half the time it would take in the oven. Best of all, this one can make up to five portions of food — so it’ll definitely accommodate for leftovers.
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7
Prep your veggies super quickly with this 12-in-1 chopper
Making a healthy curry, chilli or stew in bulk is a nice idea until you realise that means you’ll have to spend hours chopping a massive pile of vegetables. So, to speed up the process, use this amazing 12-in-1 vegetable chopper. I have it, and I’m genuinely obsessed!
8
Store portions of soup and pasta sauce in these silicone freezer trays
If I’m cooking some kind of pasta sauce, soup, or broth, I always try to make a larger portion than I need for that particular night. Then I pour any leftovers into these two large silicone mould trays, and keep them in the freezer for another day.
9
Save fridge space by storing liquids in these reusable food bags
These nine reusable ziplock bags are not only far better for the planet than the disposable plastic ones, but they’re also far more leak-proof. Perfect for liquids, they also take up far less precious freezer drawer space than a clunky rectangular container.
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10
And use these clever bag holders to ensure you don’t have any spills
I cannot even explain how useful these bag holders are if — like me — you always find it tricky to pour your soup at the same time as holding the bag. They’re absolutely genius!
11
Swap the annoying paper labels for these reusable freezer-safe ones
If you’re sick of trying to pick the leftovers of those sticky labels off from your tupperware, then use these clever ones instead. Made with acrylate non-residue glue, reviewers say they peel off in one easy swipe — even when they’ve been in the freezer.
12
Keep your pantry organised so you can easily see which ingredients you need
Coming up with a good shopping list is a key part of nailing meal prep — so make it easy for yourself by keeping your pantry well-organised and stocked. These ten containers in different sizes really helped keep my cupboards in order.
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13
Get inspired to up your work-week lunch game with this recipe book
Ideal for anyone who’s new to meal prepping, each recipe in this handy cookbook is designed to be cooked in bulk — so you can get all of your cooking for the week done in just one afternoon.
14
Take overnight oats or yoghurt and granola with you to the office
Instead of picking up something on the way to work, bring a healthy breakfast from home. Perfect for overnight oats or yoghurt and granola, these four dual-compartment tubs each come with a reusable spoon, and are completely leak-proof.
15
Accommodate for different sized portions with this set of glass containers
In this handy set of glass food storage containers and lids, you’ll get two small rectangular ones, two larger rectangular ones, two small round ones, and one large round one. Leak-proof and microwave safe, they’re perfect for safely transporting your lunches to work.
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