What is batch cooking?
Batch cooking or literally “batch cooking” was popularized by English chef Jamie Oliver. It consists of prepare all your meals for the week in advance during the weekend.
Save time, save money, free your mind… Batch cooking will give you many advantages. Thanks to this method, you will eat healthy and balanced, by combining proteins, raw or cooked vegetables and starchy foods in your meals.
Meal prep or batch cooking: what are the differences?
Meal Prep, short for “Meal Preparation” in English, focuses on the advance preparation of individual meals for a given week or period. This method involves planning meals in advance, preparing ingredients in quantities suited to the specific needs of each meal, and then assembling them at the time of consumption. Emphasis is placed on customizing meals to meet individual dietary preferences and nutritional needs. It allows for precise portion and calorie control, which can be particularly helpful for those following a specific diet. In addition, it promotes variety by allowing you to prepare different dishes every day.
THE Batch Cookingfor its part, is focused on preparation of large quantities of identical meals or similar, which are then divided into individual portions to be consumed throughout the week. This method aims to maximize efficiency by cooking once for multiple meals, saving time and energy. This method is therefore ideal for people who have busy days and prefer to reduce the time spent in the kitchen. It requires less planning than Meal Prep because it typically focuses on a main dish or base, like a rice or sauce, which is then paired with different sides.
How to get started with batch cooking?
Here are the four golden rules for successful batch cooking…
Anticipation
The most important thing is to prepare your weekly menus in advance. How to find meal ideas? Don’t hesitate to get your whole family involved, you might as well make everyone happy. You can also plan menus around common ingredients, so that you can use them in different ways throughout the days. Once your menus have been defined, make your shopping list while making sure to take inventory of your cupboards, the aim being to save money and avoid waste.
Preparing for the weekend
To optimize your time, start by cooking what takes the most time : dried vegetables or cereals, vegetables to roast in the oven, meats such as chicken for example. For this step, don’t hesitate to ask your whole family, the more the merrier. While cooking, wash, peel and slice the vegetables, then wash the dishes and put everything away. A tidy kitchen after use is always more pleasant. And you won’t have to worry about the “washing” station during the week.
Food preservation
Your dishes are finally ready, you have to think about storing them. Whether in the refrigerator or freezer, be sure to cover them well to ensure their preservation and protect them from drying out. The good idea: have storage boxes that go in the freezer as well as in the oven. This is the case with Pyrex dishes, particularly with their airtight lids. On the other hand, you should avoid plastic dishes whose toxic compounds migrate more easily into fats.
Assembly
Every evening of the week, all you have to do is take out what you need from your refrigerator or freezer. Since everything is prepared or cooked, you will only need a few minutes to reheat or season your different ingredients, together or separately. Magic of organization. Little touch that will make all the difference in your dishes? Spices and aromatic herbs. All you have to do is taste.
Cookeo, Thermomix, Companion: how to batch cook with a food processor?
Batch Cooking with cooking robots like the Cookeo, the Companion or the Thermomix can be a practical and effective approach to preparing meals in advance.
- Planning : Start by planning your meals for the week. Choose recipes suitable for your robot and make a list of necessary ingredients.
- Preparation of ingredients : cut, weigh and prepare all the ingredients you will need for your recipes. This may include cutting vegetables, preparing meat, etc.
- Cooking basic ingredients and dishes : the Thermomix can chop, mix, steam, mix, etc. You can prepare sauces, soups, main dishes, and even desserts. As for the Cookeo, it allows you to cook your basic ingredients (rice, pasta or steamed vegetables), but also to prepare soups, stews, meat dishes, etc.
- Food preservation : Once your meals are cooked, divide them into individual portions and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer. Be sure to label each dish with the name and date of preparation.
- Reheating : when you are ready to eat, simply reheat the portions in the Cookeo, Thermomix or in a microwave. This will save you time on days when you don’t want to cook.
Which application can help you with your batch cooking?
There are several useful smartphone apps to simplify the process of planning, preparing and tracking meals. Here are some of the popular apps:
- Batchii : this app allows you to choose a menu for the week, create a shopping list and prepare your meals easily on the weekend. Very well rated by users, it is nevertheless based on the principle of a paid subscription.
- My Recip Box : it works on the principle of a digital recipe book, and also allows you to create a shopping list and plan your meals.
- Fridge Magic : this app suggests recipe ideas based on what’s in your fridge. A good way to reduce waste!
- Mealime : it allows you to plan your meals, with an emphasis on healthy recipes.
- Plan to Eat : its objective is to facilitate the planning and organization of your recipes.
Which batch cooking book to choose?
You can also find many recipe books dedicated to batch cooking, with a wealth of advice to get you started with this method of preparing your meals. Here are some examples of books dedicated to this method:
- Batch cooking – I cook for the whole week in 2 hours on Sunday, Anne Loiseau, ed. Larousse.
- Batch cooking Family – The simple method for the whole family, Pascale Weeks, ed. Webedia Books.
- 2 hours in the kitchen for the whole week, Caroline Pessin, ed. Practical Hatchet.
- Batch cooking with Cookeo is easy!, Sandra Thomann, ed. Dessain and Tolra.
- Easy batch cooking!, Kéda Black, ed. Marabout.
- Batch cooking with Thermomix, Bérangère Abraham, ed. Larousse.
- Batch cooking for athletes, Amélie Roman, ed. Mango.
- I batch cook all year round, Sandra Thomann, ed. Larousse.
- My first steps in batch cooking, Kéda Black, ed. Marabout.
Can you batch cook for your baby?
Absolutely, Batch Cooking is an effective and practical method for preparing healthy and balanced meals for your baby. This will also allow you to better manage meal times, avoiding the stress of last-minute preparation. When planning meals, consider your baby’s age, food preferences and your pediatrician’s recommendations for infant nutrition. At the beginning, you will favor smooth purees and compotes. As your baby grows, you can introduce solid foods and different textures.
Also be sure to prepare food in an age-appropriate way for your child. For example, vegetables will be steamed for toddlers. Divide the formula into individual portions, adapted to your baby’s size and appetite. You can use ice cube trays or suitable containers to store portions in the refrigerator or freezer. do not forget label each portion with content and date of preparation. Baby foods should be eaten quickly or frozen to maintain freshness.
Batch cooking and specific diets: noglu, vegetarian, light…
Batch Cooking is a method of meal preparation that can be adapted to a variety of specific diets, including healthy diets, vegetarian, vegan and many others.
Healthy batch cooking
For those following a health-focused diet, Batch Cooking can be an ideal solution. You can prepare balanced meals with an emphasis on vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and nutrient-dense foods. Plan recipes that limit the use of saturated fat, added sugar and salt. Use healthy cooking methods like steaming, baking, or pan-frying with low fat.
Vegan or vegetarian batch cooking
If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, Batch Cooking can be adapted by replacing animal proteins with plant-based protein sources such as legumes, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds. Prepare dishes based on vegetables, whole grains and legumes to ensure adequate nutritional intake.
Gluten-free batch cooking
People suffering from celiac disease or gluten intolerance can also practice Batch Cooking by choosing gluten-free grains such as rice, quinoa, buckwheat and corn. Be sure to read ingredient labels carefully to avoid any hidden gluten.
Batch cooking for food allergies
If you or your family has food allergies, Batch Cooking can be adapted by eliminating specific allergens from your recipes. Use ingredient substitutions to accommodate allergies while maintaining variety and balance in your meals.
Other specific diets
Batch Cooking can also be adjusted for specific diets such as ketogenic diet, paleo diet, low-carb diet, etc. Simply select recipes and ingredients that conform to the principles of these diets.
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