You will be amazed at all the different ways one can achieve a freezer full of homemade meals to make ahead, from scratch!
Meals to Make Ahead Options
There are a couple of lifestyle and household items you may want to consider before starting out, such as your time, money, household demographics, freezer and pantry space and friends.
1. Time
How much do you have?
- Not much – If you only have an hour or two, here or there, batch cooking and meal kit cooking is most likely the best method for you.
- Some – Can you spare maybe three or four hours? Bulk cooking and meal swapping may be good options for you.
- A Day – If you can dedicate a whole day, then have a look at once a month cooking.
2. Finances
- Budget – Are you on a slim budget or watch for sales? If so, bulk cooking is a good method for taking advantage of sales.
3. Household Demographics
- Do you live on your own or don’t have children? Singles, couples and empty nesters all can take advantage of making meals ahead too! Batch cooking, meal kit cooking and meal swapping are great ways to feed small households with one or two people!
- Families with children with no childcare– no problem! Batch cooking, bulk cooking and cooking with friends for a meal swap are great solutions. Or simply share childcare, have a friend look after your kids while you cook and do the same for her later on.
4. Freezer and Pantry Space
- Limited Freezer Space – Just have a small freezer which is above or below your fridge? Batch cooking, meal kit cooking and meal swapping are better methods for you. Also choose your packaging wisely to get as many meals in your freezer as possible. Once a month cooking and bulk cooking are most likely not suitable methods for you.
- Limited Pantry Space – Dedicating pantry space to meal kits, even if it is a small space, will certainly be a good space investment in helping you get meals on the table faster.
5. Friends
Do you have friends who have similar tastes in meals? Meal swapping is a great way to maximize your efforts and get variety too!