Capsule x Ninja
You know we’re all about making life easier and less stressful at Capsule because honestly, when you stop to think about it, we are juggling a HELL of a lot at one go. This ongoing series, Work Smarter, Not Harder, powered by our pals at Ninja Kitchen, will help you with tips that are actually practical and helpful in getting through the week as unscathed as possible.
We always want to hear from you, too – any tips you have for any of the topics we cover, please share with us at hello@capsulenz.com so we can then, in turn, share them with our readers. Sometimes it’s the simplest thing that gets the wheels of organisation turning just that little bit better!
In this instalment, we tackle the beast that is meal prep – we know it helps, but how the hell do you start when there aren’t enough hours in the day as it is?
Ah, ‘meal planning’ – we all know that it, in theory, helps life run smoother but come on, who has the time to spend half a Sunday diligently chopping veg and filling cute little Tupperware’s full of perfectly-proportioned food for a whole week?
Yeah, literally no one.
The phrase conjures up visions of perfect Pinterest-worthy meals (as well as a sense of smug productivity which, I will admit is fabulous) but it’s so easy to have the best of intentions, only for life to get in the way and all of your fresh fruit and veges to slowly wilt in the vege drawer and turn into that sad mushy slush that reminds you that you’ve failed in your domestic goddessery.
It’s easy to see all of that and think that meal prepping is beyond you, but we’re all about the work smarter, not harder vibe around here, so we’ve compiled a few easy meal prep hacks below for you to try to make it a hell of a lot easier to manage in the real world.
1. Start with what you already have
If you’re like me and you can get *carried away* with the idea of going to the supermarket and buying everything in sight because it’s fun and hey, you’re saving so much money with the meal prepping it just makes sense, taihoa queen – start with what’s already in the fridge and pantry.
TIP: Use apps like Fridge Hero – you can use it to track your fridge and pantry so you never have that ‘I’ll buy one just in case!’ panic at the supermarket, and it helps you organise shopping lists, keep track of expiry dates and figure out exactly what you have at home.
Foodcombo.com is an awesome website where you can input what ingredients you have, and it’ll give you recipes you can make. Easy peasy!
And, simply, take a photo of your fridge or pantry before you go to the supermarket!
2. Streamline your short cuts
It can be quite a daunting thought to have to prepare everything in one go to completion, so why not adopt a ‘half meal prep’ vibe? This is where you do all of your mise en place (fancy word for prep, but it DOES make you sound fancy) ahead of time – things like chopping veges, cooking proteins, chucking on some rice or other grains. That way the hard work is done, so all you have to do is assemble. This also gives you flexibility if you’re one of those people who doesn’t like having the same thing time after time, and the space to switch up your flavours with a simple spice mix or different sauce.
3. Invest in appliances that help you both in the prep stage, and at mealtimes
The whole point of meal prep is to save you time so you can do other stuff – and whether you’re in the thick of the Sunday afternoon session or you’re popping together your dinner with your prepped ingredients, gals, the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker will be your new best friend. We’ve done a review on this bad boy and I can say from experience that this will cut down on your cook times by at least half (and you’ll use less than half the dishes, too). It’s part air fryer, part oven, part steamer and all gift from God (proving once and for all she is a woman) and it’s jazzy wizardry means you can cook an entire meal – grains, veges and protein – at the same time.
If you have one, keep a few Combi-friendly ingredients handy like marinated chicken, frozen vege and pasta on hand, and you’ll literally have a full meal cooked in 15 minutes. Hell, you can bang in a tray of veges to roast while you’re enjoying your dinner, and you’ll have a roast vege salad for multiple lunches in 18 mins flat (I know, I tested it. I tell ya, this thing does the BEST crispy roasties). If that isn’t better living, I don’t know what is…
4. If you still want to do it all at the same time but it seems too much, try a three-day plan, rather than the full week
Life has this really annoying habit of getting in the way – unexpected meetings, sports practices and, of course, the CBF when you come home from a long day and it’s SO tempting to pull out UberEats. Darls, there’s no harm in planning for three days – and as much as I hate to reference that stupid ad on TV that tried to make us think ‘dunch’ was a thing, if you prep your differs, make enough of the ingredients so they can be chucked in a wrap or as a salad for lunches. This’ll give you structure without stress and will encourage you, rather than demotivate you, while leaving room for spontaneity.
EASY MEAL PREP COMBOS YOU CAN USE AGAIN AND AGAIN (AND WILL STILL BE GOOD ON DAY 3)
All of these are super-simple, whether you have a Combi or not (although using one will make the process faster and easier and hell, we’re all here for that!).
– Mediterranean bowl: Lemon, oregano and olive oil marinated chicken; grilled capsicum and courgette; fresh baby spinach, hummus, feta (and a dash of sweet chilli sauce)
– Mexican bowl or wrap: Mince seasoned with taco seasoning; corn, rice, green veges; wrap, avocado, lime juice and hot sauce to serve
– Dumpling bento: Frozen dumplings, steamed (the Combi is BRILLIANT at this); edamame; sliced cabbage; sesame oil and soy dipping sauce (with pickled ginger and Kewpie)
– Breakfast for lunch: Frittata; mini pancakes; berries; ricotta
– Pasta salad: Grilled haloumi; roasted veges; pasta (whatever you have); simple dressing of olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, honey (or whatever sauce/ dressing takes your fancy!)
