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Save time, avoid waste, contain spending. There are many advantages of meal prep, the weekly organization of meals that for some years (particularly since the pandemic) has been going crazy on social media: tupperware upon tupperware full of cereals, vegetables, legumes, fruit, ready-made meals to spread from Monday to Friday, to take to the office or to school . You keep everything in the fridge or freezer, dedicate an entire day to preparation and the week, including ideas and dinners, is served.
What is meal prep and how is it done?
Chef Ben Ebbrellco-founder of the YouTube channel Sorted Food, says that avoiding making last minute decisions saves a lot of money. This system, in fact, allows you to purchase products on tap or opt for maxi formats, with an eye on your wallet and also the environment. There is only one rule: don’t give in to temptation. You decide in advance what you will eat (spelt salad, chickpeas, rocket and tomatoes for lunch for example, and tuna with grilled vegetables for dinner), while the weekend is free. Storing food correctly, however, is essential for the organization to work.
Store food for meal prep
Nutritionists have some reservations about the result. We must be careful about the timing and methods of conservation: as reported by Guardianthe Food Standards Agency recommends eating cooked rice within 24 hours, while Isobel Baillie Hamilton, nutritionist and director of Nutritionist Resource, adds that fish, cereals, meat and pasta can stay in the fridge for up to three days, but in separate containers. And speaking of containers: it is better to only use hermetically sealed ones, to be placed in the refrigerator only once the food has cooled down. Without forgetting that every food has its own freezing system: to find out more, here is one guide to using the freezer.
The effects of meal prep on mental health
An organization that can be useful to people who are less passionate about cooking or to those who don’t have much time to dedicate to cooking, but which can also have negative implications. In the United Kingdom the alarm has come from psychologists: eating in a balanced way is good for the body, but it is also necessary to pay attention to mental health. Meal prep, according to the psychotherapist Eloise Skinner, could have negative effects, making people feel “too controlled and structured”. Not to mention that, if done regularly, it can “narrow the options, creating a degree of rigidity.” Especially on those individuals who already have a tendency to excessive control, for whom this system could be perceived as a “path from which it seems impossible to escape”.
In short, the secret, as always, lies in moderation and the right amount of mental flexibility. Stopping for a bite to eat with colleagues, changing your mind to satisfy the cravings of the moment, treating yourself to a dinner out with friends or your partner is essential for maintaining emotional balance. An exception to the rule is therefore not only allowed, but recommended.
