Learn batch cooking like a boss to save time and make healthy eating a breeze.
Batch Cooking 101
Getting started...
Batch Cooking is a great fit if you're low on time during the week. You can cook multiple batches of the same recipe (think doubling or tripling recipes) and freeze to eat later on. It also allows you to buy food in bulk which can save you money and time from having to shop multiple times per week.
Before getting started:
1) Create a menu and make a shopping list of the food you want to prepare.
2) For variety during the week, keep foods that are cuisine-neutral so they can easily be combines with other ingredients.
3) Foods like soups, stews and casseroles last 3-4 days in the refrigerator and freeze well.
4) Schedule your batch cooking time, and block this time on your calendar (I’m serious!). For example: block off 1-2 hours on Sunday afternoon to cook, so that you have food ready to eat Monday - Wednesday (or longer if you freeze some meals).
5) Make sure you have enough room in your refrigerator and freezer for the amount of food you are going to cook/store.
6) Find recipes you enjoy and double or triple them.
How long will it stay fresh?
Most frozen food will be good for 3-6 months.
When stored in the refrigerator, freshness will vary depending on the food:
Cooked chicken: 3-4 days
Cooked dishes with meat: 3-4 days
Hard-boiled eggs: 5-7 days
Roasted veggies: 3-4 days
Chopped veggies: 5-7 days
Cut fruit: 4-5 days
Cooked beans: 3-4 days
Cooked grains: 3-4 days
For maximum freshness, store food in airtight containers (see link for an example). Label every meal or ingredient with the date cooked.
Make sure you let the food cool to room temperature before you store it. And make sure it is refrigerated or frozen no longer than 2 hours after the food has been cooked.
Batch Cooking Tips - Basics
Batch cooking can be very time consuming when you are just starting out. Here are some tips to cut down on some time:
Purchase 2-3 cooking sheets so you can bake/roast all of the food at once.
Buy precut vegetables when you can so you don’t waste any time cutting.
Marinate your meats before you store them in the freezer.
For Crockpot/slow cooker meals, place all ingredients in freezer safe bags. Therefore, the contents are ready to go, or it can be frozen for later use.
Prepare all your veggies, fruits, grains and herbs and store in air tight containers.
Instead of grilling/frying chicken breast, boil it or cook it in a instapot and then shred it. This way the chicken will be easy to throw on top a salad or in a wrap.
Hard boiled eggs, canned fish, tofu, and cottage cheese are nice options to have as protein sources towards the end of the week so you don’t have to worry about cooking as much midweek.
Batch cooking meal examples
Mediterranean Chicken Salad
shredded chicken
kalamata olives
artichoke hearts
salt and pepper
Lasts in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Chicken Tacos
shredded chicken
salsa
lettuce
corn tortilla
cheddar cheese
Shredded chicken will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Add toppings when ready to eat.
Chicken Fried “Rice”:
shredded chicken
riced cauliflower
peas and carrots
coconut aminos
avocado oil
salt and pepper
sesame seeds
Freezes well for 3-6 months
Batch Cooking Food Types
Make Ahead, Store for Later
Choose your lean protein
Shredded chicken breast
Ground beef, turkey or chicken
Seafood
Tofu
Hard boiled eggs
Smoked Salmon
Turkey or chicken lunchmeat
Protein powder
Yogurt
Choose your Carbohydrate
Brown Rice
Quinoa
Potatoes
Oatmeal
Homemade waffles
Gluten free bread
Choose your Fruits and Vegetables
For roasted vegetables, season with avocado oil, salt and pepper before roasting to keep it cuisine-neutral.
Clean and cut raw fruits and vegetables so they are easy to grab for a quick snack.
Store your food and label
Glass containers will make it easier to reheat.
Clear containers are great so you can see whats inside to make it easier to grab on the go.
Batch Cooking - Meals
Meals to make in bulk ahead of time. feed you and maybe even your family for the week, and only cook once.
Protein Pancakes
servings: 2 prepping time: 5 min cooking time: 15 min
ingredients
2/3 cup (80g) almond flour
2 tbsp (20g) tapioca flour
2 tbsp (20g) protein powder
1/8 tsp (1g) baking soda
1/8 tsp (1g) salt
1/8 tsp (1g) ground cinnamon
2 tbsp (32g) almond butter
1/3 cup (80g) unsweetened almond milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp (14g) Ghee, grass-fed butter, or avocado oil.
directions
Mix all dry ingredients together.
Whisk together eggs and almond milk.
Stir egg mixture, and almond butter into dry ingredient mixture until smooth.
Heat 1/2 tbsp butter or oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Scoop 1/6 of batter onto the skillet for one pancake, you will likely be able to fit 2-3 pancakes on the skillet.
Cook until edges become firm and you can easily flip the pancake.
Cook for another 3-5 minutes on the opposite side.
Repeat steps 5-7 with remaining batter.
Option to serve with mixed berries or spread with almond butter.
Paleo Banana Muffins
servings: 4 prep time: 8 Minutes cooking time: 15 - 20 minutes
ingredients
Muffins
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp real maple syrup
1 1/3 cup almond flour
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
On the Side
1 cup raspberries (for two servings)
1 cup blueberries (for two servings)
directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Fill a muffin tin with muffin liners or grease the inside of the muffin tins with coconut oil.
Mix together all wet ingredients in a large bowl, until well blended.
Gradually add dry ingredients until smooth.
Fill muffin tins with batter (makes 8-10 muffins).
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned on top.
Chocolate Nut Butter Overnight Oats
servings: 1 prep time: 5 Minutes cooking time: 0 Minutes
ingredients
2/3 cup (160 g) unsweetened milk of choice
1/2 cup (40 g) rolled oats
1/3 cup (80 g) plain Kefir (or Greek yogurt)
1 tbsp (7 g) ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp (2 g) vanilla extract
2 tbsp (32 g) almond butter
1 tbsp (6 g) cocoa powder
Dash of sea salt (optional)
directions
Mix all ingredients together and store in a closed container in the refrigerator overnight.
Make Ahead Turkey Kofta Make Ahead
servings: 2 prep time: 5 Minutes cooking time: 15 Minutes
ingredients
12 oz (336 g) ground turkey
4 tbsp (60 g) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup (30 g) chopped parsley
1 tsp (6 g) salt
1/2 tbsp (7 g) avocado oil
3 cups (60 g) arugula or rocket
10 (170 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 tbsp (8 g) slivered almonds
1/2 tbsp (7 g) olive oil
1 tbsp (14 g) lemon
2 kiwis
directions
In a large bowl add ground turkey, feta cheese, chopped parsley, and salt. Mix together using your hands until well blended.
In a large skillet, warm avocado oil over medium heat. Create palm sized patties with the turkey mixture and add to the skillet. Cook for approximately 15 minutes until turkey is cooked through, flipping once when the bottom begins to brown.
Toss arugula with tomatoes, cucumber, slivered almonds, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Serve salad with turkey burgers (warm or cooled) with sliced kiwi.
Chicken Sausage Hash
servings: 1 prep time: 5 Minutes Cook time: 20-30 minutes
ingredients
1 tbsp (13 g) ghee
1 1/2 cups (200 g), peeled and cubed
1/4 white onion, chopped
1/4 cup (63 g) chickpeas
4.5 oz (136 g) chicken sausage, sliced
2 cups (42 g) kale
Salt and pepper to taste
directions
In a large skillet, heat ghee over medium heat.
Add sweet potatoes and white onion to the skillet and cook until sweet potatoes are cooked (10-12 minutes) or until they are able to be easily pierced with a fork.
Add chick peas and chicken sausage and sauté until the chick peas and chicken sausage is cooked through and crispy around the edges.
Add kale, salt and pepper and sauté until the kale turns bright green and softens.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Hearty Vegetable Chili
servings: 4 prep time: 10 Minutes cooking time: 45 minutes
ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion
1 green pepper
2 carrots
1 lb (453 g) ground beef
1- 28oz (794 g) canned diced tomatoes
3 tsp (8 g) chili powder
1 tsp garlic (3 g) powder
1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika
1/4 tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp (1.5 g) ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro to garnish (optional)
directions
Heat a large pot to medium heat
Add the olive oil
While the pot is heating up, chop the onion, pepper. and carrots into small pieces
Add the chopped vegetables to the hot oil and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften
Add the ground beef and stir everything together
Once the beef is cooked, scoop out any additional fat/oil leftover from the meat
Add the diced tomatoes, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin. salt, and pepper
Combine all ingredients, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes
Remove from heat, and sprinkle with cilantro
Enjoy!
Weeknight Quick Pasta Dinner
servings: 2 prep time: 5 minutes cooking time: 12 minutes
ingredients
8 oz (227 g) lentil pasta rotini (Tolerant brand)
2 cups (60 g) baby spinach
1/2 cup (75 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup (70 g) kalamata olives, halved
3 tbsp (36 g) basil pesto (made with olive oil)
directions
Cook pasta as directed on package.
Drain and rinse pasta then return to pot and toss with pesto sauce and spinach.
Warm for 1-2 minutes over medium heat until spinach is wilted.
Toss with remaining ingredients and enjoy!
Asian Sesame Kabobs
servings: 2 prepping time: 10 min (plus time to marinade) cooking time: 10 min
ingredients
12oz (340g) steak tips
2 bell peppers, color of choice, cut into squares
1 small yellow onion, cut into squares
1/2 cup (144g) coconut aminos or tamari
3 tbsp (40g) avocado oil
1 tbsp (14) sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1 tbsp (6 g) ginger, minced (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
1 tsp (2g) onion powder
Dash of salt
Grilling skewers.
directions
Mix together coconut aminos, avocado oil, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, onion powder, and salt.
Pour most of the coconut amino mixture over steak tips in a bowl in refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight). Save a small amount to pour over the skewers after cooking.
Let grilling skewers soak in water for 5 minutes before preparing kabobs.
Heat grill to medium heat.
Add steak and vegetables to the skewers, alternating between each.
Place on grill and cook for approximately 10 minutes (or until steak is desired texture), turning over once.
Once removing from the grill pour over remaining marinade.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
servings: 2 prep time: 10 Minutes cooking time: 25-30 Minutes
ingredients
12 oz (340 g) chicken breast
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
1 white onion
1 tbsp (14 g) olive oil
1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika
1/4 tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
2 tsp (5 g) chili powder
1 tsp (3 g) cumin
salt and pepper to taste
6 organic corn tortillas
1/4 cup (4 g) cilantro, chopped (optional)
directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 C).
Slice chicken, peppers, and onions into thin strips and combine in a mixing bowl.
Drizzle olive oil over everything.
Add smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to the mixing bowl.
Mix everything together until the chicken and peppers are evenly coated.
Spread the chicken and vegetables evenly out onto a large baking pan.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, stir everything around, and cook for another 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked (165 degrees F).
Remove from oven and spoon ingredients into tortillas.
Sprinkle with cilantro.
Enjoy!
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