Batch cooking is a type of meal preparation in which you prepare a large amount of a meal that can be eaten over several days. While it appears to be a great idea, in theory, the reality is that most people do not enjoy eating the same thing for days on end, even if it is a favorite recipe. This is a common error that everyone makes when they first start meal prepping, but it's a simple fix.

To avoid food burnout, make several different recipes at the same time and freeze half of each, keeping the other half in the refrigerator to eat during the week. This requires more work upfront (imagine making three recipes in one afternoon), but in the long run, you save time by having a backup in the freezer for the next week or month. If you do this once a week, you will always have something for dinner. Another way to avoid food boredom is to prepare ingredients that can be used in multiple meals.

When you first start meal planning, it's easy to get overly ambitious and prepare too much food, which leads to waste. According to FoodPrint, the majority of food waste occurs in home kitchens, where over-preparation and poor planning are the primary causes. Spoiled ingredients rot in landfills, emitting greenhouse gases unless composted, which only 27% of US households have access to.

Home chefs can help by putting extra thought into meal preparation to avoid making too much. Plan your week with some wiggle room. Make room in your weekly menu for leftovers, for example. It's easy to overestimate your weekly food consumption and fail to account for company lunches or last-minute dinners with friends or family. Even if you plan your meals carefully, things happen unexpectedly, and your carefully packed dishes may end up sitting in your refrigerator for longer than you expected.

Using the same meat, chicken — is a surefire way to get bored with your meals. Chicken is a popular protein staple in meal preparation; it's versatile and can be grilled, boiled, baked, steamed, and added to a variety of dishes, making it easy to get stuck in a rut. Trying a new protein, on the other hand, can keep you from becoming bored with your own cooking.

Make new recipes with old favorites like beef and pork. Alternatively, go to your local butcher or farmer's market and see what's in season; many places will also sell venison and bison. If you are a daring eater, try experimenting with uncommon meats such as liver, tripe, or even tongue. These proteins aren't as popular in the American diet, but they're safe to eat and widely consumed in other parts of the world. You can also make delicious vegetarian meals with plant-based proteins such as lentils, beans, and quinoa, which are quick to prepare and fill.

Customizing your dishes to your diet is an important step in weekly meal planning. Many inexperienced home chefs make the mistake of attempting to follow a pre-designed menu from their favorite website or magazine without taking into account their personal preferences.

Making a list of what you and your family will eat is the simplest way to customize your meals. If you have any special dietary needs, such as being gluten-free or vegetarian-friendly, keep in mind that the weekly menu must include items that will satisfy everyone. You may like the idea of making a large salad every week, but in reality, you will be the only one eating it; the rest of your family may refuse to eat salad despite its health benefits. So, no matter how much you want them to eat more greens, you must be realistic in your meal planning and ensure that everyone's needs and tastes are met.

While many home chefs plan their meals for the week on Sundays, one day a week is insufficient for food preparation. Food stored in the refrigerator will begin to spoil and bacteria will grow in three to four days (via Mayo Clinic). To avoid this, prep a couple of days a week to ensure dishes don't sit in the refrigerator for too long. Cook on Sundays and Thursdays, for example, to ensure fresh meals. You can also freeze portions of food to ensure that they are always available. According to the FDA, frozen prepared foods have a longer shelf life; for example, most soups and stews last two to three months.

Meal prepping more than once a week also allows you to experiment with different dishes. Because some foods, such as pasta and rice, do not freeze well, you can mix and match to make the most of your freezer space and time. Burritos, meatballs, tuna patties, soups, and casseroles are the best meals to freeze. You can even portion them out before storing them for quick individual meals. Meatballs and patties can be frozen covered and on a baking sheet, but remember to transfer them to a freezer bag to avoid sticking.

The traditional food pyramid has evolved over time, but the importance of a well-balanced diet has not. A complete diet provides your body with all of the nutrition it requires, including vitamins and minerals from fresh fruit and vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates. If your regular eating habits are deficient in any way, you risk having a weakened immune system and becoming ill.

And, while you all know how important it is to eat a well-balanced diet, doing so isn't always easy. So, when planning your meals, double-check your food prep to ensure you're putting together a balanced menu. Are there enough leafy greens in your diet? Consume enough colorful vegetables such as peppers and carrots. If you plan your meals with nutrition in mind, you should be able to include a variety of foods that will keep you healthy and satisfied. Eating fruits and vegetables in season, according to Nourish, is one way to maintain a varied and balanced diet.

Are you a home chef who enjoys experimenting with new recipes? Making meals you've never had before is an enjoyable way to express yourself in the kitchen. That gleaming new dish, on the other hand, may require a few tweaks before it's ready for a weekly rotation. You don't want to waste time and money preparing a meal that you think you'll enjoy but have never made before.

After all, recipes and tastes differ; whenever you try a new one, you'll want to personalize it with a little more garlic, less salt, or more spice. So, don't include it in your weekly prep until you've mastered the dish and found your favorite variation. Meal planning works best when you stick to family favorites and prepare staples like chicken and vegetable stir fry or beef enchiladas, and save the new recipes for when you're not making a large batch.

A bland meal can be elevated with the right spices. Many home cooks do not measure their seasonings, instead sprinkling a pinch or two of this or that. While you may be able to eyeball your spices for a two-person dinner, batch cooking makes it more difficult to gauge ratios and add the appropriate amount. As a result, it's critical to follow the recipe's exact measurements to avoid over or under-seasoning your foods.

Marinating proteins before cooking them is an excellent way to season them. Because salt tends to dry out meats like chicken and steak, a marinade can help keep them moist. Dry rubs are another option for flavoring proteins and come in a variety of herb and spice blends. A simple squeeze of lemon on a prepared meal that has been sitting in the refrigerator for a couple of days adds a burst of bright, fresh flavor.

Overcooking your food is another common mistake in meal planning. While most proteins require some kind of fat to be cooked in, too much oil mixed with fat sitting in the refrigerator turns into a cold, gelatinous goo. Because prepared meals are kept in the fridge for a few days, ensuring that they are still tasty on day three is an important part of the process.

Using less oil is the best way to avoid over-oiling your dishes. You can experiment with different cooking methods such as air frying or baking. To infuse flavor without adding fat, steam and sauté ingredients in white wine or broth, and use flavorful marinades. White wine can be used to partially replace oil in marinades, according to WebMD. Salads and vegetables are also susceptible to over-oiling. Salads should always be meal prepped without dressing to keep them fresh and crisp. Before storing sautéed and roasted vegetables, pat them down with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Snack time is the best time of day because a snack is a nourishing little treat that will keep you going until your next meal. However, many newcomers overlook them when planning their weekly meals. Everyone requires a snack throughout the day, and a hungry stomach makes poor decisions. Snacks, according to Healthline, can help control hunger throughout the day and eliminate the desire to eat too many calories. So make sure to properly prepare these morsels and have plenty of healthy options on hand.

Preparing small bags of granola, dried fruit, cheese, crackers, or nuts for easy grab-and-go is an easy way to prepare snacks. Everyone is busy, and having a portable treat to keep energy levels up throughout the day is the best way to keep up with work, school, and other activities. Hard-boiled eggs are a great source of protein if you're looking for a more filling snack (via myfitnesspal). Make a weekly batch and store them in the refrigerator for when you need a protein-rich snack. Simply place a hard-boiled egg in a sandwich bag on your way out the door — no additional packaging is required.

Meal preparation includes a significant amount of packaging. Because your pre-made homemade dishes will be stored in containers, you should select your containers carefully. The first consideration is the material: plastic containers are both durable and lightweight. Glass is also strong, but it is more expensive, heavier, and, of course, breakable. You should also consider the vessel's quality and intended use. The ideal container should be microwave-safe and leak-proof, with a tight-fitting lid. It should also be stackable and dishwasher-safe. If you intend to freeze your prepared meals, you'll need freezer-friendly containers, such as reusable silicone bags.

If you are preparing meals for the entire family, you should consider purchasing containers in bulk. Reusing yogurt packaging or glass jars also works and is recyclable. Reusing foam containers, on the other hand, is not only bad for the environment, but it is also not microwave-safe.