If you want a large amount of variety, then start a culinary group with friends. Every participant makes seven batches of the same meal and then swaps them with six other friends. Now you have a different meal every day of the week but only had to cook once. It's simple and easy!
Cleaning up while prepping was a huge game changer for me. It is just a good feeling to have little to no dishes left when the last item is done cooking
me too! I used to be such a messy cook, but started reusing/washing bowls and cutting boards and knives as I went along. helped a LOT. I still don't do dishes when I cook, but it's much less chaos and I'm sure my other half appreciates not having such a big work load.
When there’s dirty pots and pans etc, I can’t enjoy my meal because of this open concept kitchen someone came up with. 🤪 I do precut veggies and do the mise en place, wash boards and knives, and cook early if I can. Then depending on how long before dinner, I put the food in servers and keep warm or put in fridge until ready to heat. That way I can do all dishes before eating undistracted! 😇
@@LifebyMikeG The clean up, during and after cooking, can seem to take as much time as the cooking. There are definitely some Pro Home Dishwasher tips to learn and apply. Cleaning up is a part of the whole process, but skills, techniques, and supplies are under appreciated or just based on old habits. Do you have enough tips on this aspect of cooking to do a video? Might help us to save some real time.
When you add new pantry ingredients (like almonds as we see here) into your storage jar, it's super important to rotate stock. Pour the old contents of your nearly-empty jar into a handy bowl, empty your new bag of almonds into the bottom of your jar, then put the old contents on top. Make this a habit and you will use up the older contents first, preventing the layer at the bottom of the jar going stale.
@@ODDnanref Yeah, usually after 2-3 rotations is best to do a clean up of the jar, well it will also depend on the size of the jar, for smaller you would need more rotations before a clean up.
Biggest tip for rice, speaking as a brazilian, who use to eat rice like every day: fry some onion and garlic with olive oil, add the rice, stir a little, put a pinch of salt and then the water. That’s is the perfect rice, give it a try
Going to comment again: Please do more of this kind of videos Mike! This is the holy grail of cooking and the most helpful kind of content on the entire internet!
There's a lot of great tips and ideas here. My biggest pet peeve with meal prep is all the time it takes to cut, wash ingredients and then cleaning up cookware. The actual cooking itself is not laborious. Just the stuff you do before and after
Same, it's why I resorted to do one or two things a day in bulk where some of it may go in the freezer for another time but the fridge remains on a cycle where nothing becomes too much and the food availability never becomes too little.
@@Zalzal019 It has saved me many a heartache of being overwhelmed, plus you can also maintain your stock to not become too limp or grisly from being cooked and too long in the fridge. But your soups and baked goods (plus some easy to do boiled eggs) can be done on day one as they remain freshest the longest. Glad to have helped, hope it works for you.
I’ve been thinking that maybe a day or two before when you might feel in the mood is a great time to actually do all the cutting and prepping and then do the actual cooking a different day. Then it’s not such a burn out!
Soo, guess what I just did? Picked up our daughter from her college campus and we prepped three weeks of vegetarian freezer meals 2gether. She was always saying the campus had very limited options (salad/fries/occasional non meat pizza.) and was always hungry. So I bought her a crock pot, and we made gallon sized freezer bag with everything for Vegetarian Taco Soup, Swedish Meatballs, and Plant based beef stew. She is a happy camper, and I don't have to worry. 💗 But this video, and subsequent comments have now inspired me to do even more and tweak the prepping. Batches of rice cooked with onions and garlic. Our daughter taught me to flavor the water with red pepper flakes. Gonna roast veggies instead of just steam, etc Thank you❣
When prepping lettuce or veggies that contain alot of moisture i always put a paper towel in with them to absorb some of the moisture and extend their shelf life ✌
@@commonmom4288 Yes to the towel idea! I buy white washcloths in bulk and sanitize them regularly. I keep a few just for storing high-moisture vegetables in any container or reusable silicon bag. Not only to save the environment, but to save me having to go to the store to buy/search for paper products.
Yup, homecooking is only expensive when you're building your pantry from scratch (unless you always go for expensive ingredients of course). I recently moved to my own place and had to restock my pantry regulars and it was quite painful on my wallet lol For beginners or casual homecooks like me, one way to save when building your pantry is to stick first to a cuisine or cuisines that share common ingredients.
I'm not a "prep for the whole week" cook. I'm a "just make more than you need right now" cook. I don't got into the kitchen to make one lunch when I'm hungry. I'll make three, leaving 2 prepped lunches for later in the week. I don't bake just enough potatoes for the meal that's going to include them. I'll bake a few extra, to be used in a different dish in a day or two. An extra prepped ingredient, snack, or full meal made when you have the time can make a big difference when you don't. Last night, I was making unstuffed peppers (stuffed peppers in casserole form, with the peppers chopped up) and realized early in I'd gotten some of my proportions wrong. Instead of setting aside the excess to be worked into another meal, I just went with it, scaling up all the other ingredients so I'd have an entire spare dinner ready to help us out on a busy night. We also fully embrace the joys of leftovers. Good, homecooked food that you've already put the work in to get? Yes, please. Reheat as is, or throw a bunch of leftover stuff into a pan and see what I can make of it. Either way is a win. There are few things better than looking at the contents of your fridge on Friday and realizing you can go all-in on having a Lazy Saturday by not even having to cook. Tell your housemates "Saturday's meal plan is to clean out the fridge," then sit back and relax.
Nice!! I also am a "make more than you need right now" cook! That way most of the food tastes relatively fresh, but still I'm only cooking 2-3 big meals a week.
All hail Leftover Land!!!! I wholeheartedly agree with everything you wrote. I too cook/meal prep a larger portioned meal. I live alone, and would rather cook as I want, than cook because I have too have. Bringing food from your fridge together, looking hot and beautiful in your plate, knowing its so fully delicious, just ready for consumption..... Oop it's time for breakfast!
Also the same, I feel like things go to waste when I cook ahead for a week. By the end of the week, I'm sick of the food, or it starts to go stale. I enjoy the nightly cooking of meals after work, its therapeutic. I actually feel bad for people who are on such a time crunch they have to meal prep a week ahead like this.
Oh man I used to do this in university whenever I ordered out. I'd use coupons to get enough cheap food to last me for 3 days at my favorite pizza place.
*Quick tip for those of us trying to make it until the next paycheck:* Try seasoning after separating one big batch of food into daily meals. Exp; Monday: soy sauce, Tues: tumeric mix, Wed: Mccormick, Thursday: ketchup, Friday: BBQ sauce, Sat: Teriyaki sauce, Sun: garlic salt.
Pro-tip for portioning out/freezing soup: Use solo cups. Pour soup directly into the cup or line with some plastic wrap then pour, set the cups in the freezer until frozen solid, then pop out your frozen soup pucks and throw them in a freezer bag. Great way to make individual soup portions for lunches and the like, just throw a puck in a bowl and microwave until melted. Great way to save home-made stocks as well. I made some butternut squash soup last fall that I still have a few pucks of, and it reheats beautifully every time.
I measure out whatever serving size I want, then pour into a small freezer bag. Lie flat in freezer till frozen. The packages take up less space in freezer.
One note: The major mistake beginners make food prepping is Food Hygiene. for example: Rice grows Bacillus cereus, which causes food poisoning. In order to food prep rice (and some other grains) safely, you have to cook it fully, then *immediately* get it into the fridge or freezer, don't leave it standing on the counter. It's also safest to use cooked grains within 3 days, rather than leaving them the whole week. Cooked fish can only be kept in the fridge for around 24 hours, seafood don't even bother. Meat... well the saying "Roast on Sunday, Cold on Monday, Stew on Tuesday, Soup on Wednesday, Curried on Friday, Food poisoning on Saturday" for chicken sums it up - spices like turmeric which are antibacterial will help it keep longer, reheating it after a couple of days is fine as long as you do it thoroughly, but any longer than that and you're dicing with the GIs. My favourite way of food prepping is single-serving freezer portions - I make a big dish of stew/curry/stirfry/roast/pasta, enough to feed six to eight people, and eat one portion and freeze the rest in single servings. If you do two dishes the first week, two the second week, two the third week then one a week from then on, the variety builds up over time. I generally have a different meal each night now, and whenever I run low on one of my staple dishes, I make another batch. Side veg I generally cook fresh - one pan, 20 mins unattended.
I thought the same , when the rice was cooked,,,, thank you for confirming my fears. Basic food hygiene seems to be missing from so many people's videos.
It seems to be some debate over how long rice is good for in the fridge. All sources say two hours left out is longest for cooling down prior to fridge but, in fridge is a different matter. 3-7 days one sight said 24 hours. Here’s my dilemma the signs of bad rice says if it’s dried out, my leftover Chinese is always rock hard next AM and I always add water to bring it back to life. Smells bad? Never smelled bad rice to know or compare it to. According to my microbiology class, if I remember correctly, heat foods to 375 and you kill spores. The professor was talking SHF situation years ago stating it might still have strange taste but anything is edible heating to high temp. Now before people argue I’m simply stating what I learned, haven’t tried. I also know salt inhibits bacterium so maybe salty rice ie soy sauce from fried rice keeps it fresher? I have had food poisoning once from fried chicken 🐓 at a restaurant. One bite I knew it was bad the taste was sour and the smell only hit as it lingered with my tastebuds. I spit most of it out but it was enough. I thought I was ok. Heck no at around 1 in am it hit and I pray no one has to feel that way, so be safe with meal prep and the rule is 3 days for me. Put it in freezer. I don’t agree with immediately putting hot food in fridge it can spoil other food by changing temp in fridge. I am a nurse and most people think when they have vomiting and loose stool that they have the flu, no such thing. The flu is respiratory. If you have those symptoms then chances are you have food poisoning.
I never understand why people prep rice at all. As shown in the video it takes 15-20 mins to cook it freshly. And rice is not even work. You just put in in the pot, boil it, reduce the heat and it's done.
I would not put hot food into a fridge or freezer. That's a No-no in food hygiene because the hot food raises the temperature of the fridge or freezer which can cause freezer burn and crystals to form in the food you have already in there. You need to bring cooked foods down to room temperature quickly by sitting the pot in iced water, or place in a big bowl and run cold running water around it until the rice is cold. Even quicker: portion out the rice into ziploc or vaccum sealed bags, and dunk in iced water or cold running water until really cold. Then chill or freeze.
honestly, this was the BEST cooking for the week, prep video i have EVER seen. so many ideas that i am pulling from this that i never thought to do: the herb sauce, the spice mix made at home, the ideas for doing stuff with the leftover, making sure to make the HEALTHY snacks, i am taking soooooo many amazing ideas that will keep my family healthier and make life easier for me! thank you, thank you, thank you!!!💕💕💕💕
Same goes with re-using plastic containers that food came in, such as yogurt, sour cream, etc. Sure they aren’t as nice as see-through Tupperware, but you can always use a masking tape label on them if need be.
@@anti-ethniccleansing465 you can also use chalkboard paint to create a permanent label and then just use chalk to change the label as the contents change!
PRO TIP: I made a ridiculous amount of east Indian onion masala a while back. After it cooled, I skimmed off all the excess oil, and instead of tossing it, I use it for cooking. This way, I can start off with just a huge kick of sweet and savory flavor in whatever I'm cooking. I mostly use it for roasting vegetables, but my favorite is using it to make stovetop popcorn. Add a little salt, and it becomes an experience. The bright yellow color is fun, too. Also just want to add, I love your kitchen, and can't wait until I'm in a position to get that same aesthetic. The black iron on hard wood is just fantastic.
When cooking rice, follow his great directions, but also: when you turn the fire off, DO NOT TAKE OFF THE LID! Let the rice steam covered for 10 minutes before serving. No peeking! This advise comes from my Louisiana Cajun grandmother Lottie Eugenia Dupuy Davis.
I've been feeling so depressed recently and I'm trying to study for exams and go to my lessons at the same time, and I realised all I was eating was one croissant a day... I've got all my rice, lentils, pasta and cous cous etc in the pantry and I'm going to follow your advice and cook it all up so at least when I have no energy I can just add some vegetables to a grain and put it in the microwave
RV tip ... Works in home kitchen too. Use/buy SQUARE containers. It optimized space, stacks better, and if they taper stagger them right side up and upside down. Works great for cabinets and fridge as well
Great tips. I would love to see suggestions for those of us without so much kitchen space. The sheet pan idea for example wouldn't work in a lot of smaller fridges unless you take everything else out of the freezer completely. Also your pantry space is a dream, but a lot of us are very limited on cabinet space for storing all those extra spices and flours.
I used to live in a shoebox where there wasn't much room for anything. I had an entryway closet that I took everything out of, sanitized and separated out all the seasonal jackets/shoes and stored them under beds. Then I separated the closet at first with a sheet of plastic, later with just a piece of inexpensive, lightweight plastic board from the hardware store to keep it more rigid. Then my husband built just a box for the base where the front was open to store larger, heavier things like cat food/litter/gallon jugs of vinegar or laundry detergent that wouldn't be feasible to put into the crates. I bought some wooden crates on sale at joanne fabric and stacked them so the front was open toward you like a shelf, 2 rows wide and 4 or 5 tall. that worked great until we had kids. At that point I had to add another set of those in the area between the kitchen and living room. It may not have made into an episode of HGTV, but I had easy access to things right where I needed them, they were prepacked for moving purposes, could easily clean them, see what I was getting low on, and hide them before company came if I thought I needed to. (Honestly, there are so many people using baskets or other cute organizers to make it pretty, but for me it was clean and functional and that was all I needed at the time!)
Sheet pans come in smaller sizes, and it can be adapted to different containers. You could cut less fruit and freeze it or separate it out into different flat containers and freeze and fit where it is able to fit. If you see his older videos you can see his kitchen space is very small, he stores the spices on racks he has mounted onto the wall. You just have to be creative with storage
Update! this is a re-upload from 1 hour ago. For some reason youtube made my video unavailable so I has to upload it again. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️ My apologies to anyone who commented in before!
If you're trying to lose weight, I strongly recommend not eating trail mix unless you're really good with portion control. Salted and roasted nuts and granola are highly palatable foods and have a high caloric content for a small volume. If you're not trying to lose weight, have fun munching down on that trail mix.
Seriously... whenever I eat a lot of nuts/trail mix I immediately can see/feel the weight pack on. I stay away from granola though... for some reason it makes me bloat.
there was studies that ppl who eat 1 handfull of nuts are losing weight, even if they should gain due to extra calories, see nutritionfacts.org for more info about that
Two additional tips: Collect a variety of old, well rinsed twist off jars. They are free, food safe (espc. if the lid is blue seal) and usually close well enough to transport even soup, salad dressing etc. without leaking. Also, store your pre peeled or pre sliced carrots, radish and the like in a jar filled with cold water to keep them extra fresh and crunchy all week long. This also works to perk up carrots and lots of other root veg that has already become a bit soft and bendy.
yes! i've been saving every single mason/twist off jar i can get my hands on, whether it's from some moonshine i had on the weekend or a store bought sauce. i love using them to store herbs and grains! eventually i'd like to use them for homemade pickled products and preserves :)
Great tips - though frozen fruit (that you get at the grocery store) tends to be fresher, more convenient, cheaper, AND has a smaller carbon footprint (frozen produce doesn't have to get rushed to stores by plane like fresh does). Frozen food tends to be a much better deal than people might think; it may not have the great lighting of the produce department, but it's my go-to.
@@dwelfusius I like that. As a Belgian dissident here in Toronto, some of the frozen stuff I buy at Loblaws and No Frills actually comes from Belgium. I am a great fan of frozen. I essentially only use frozen vegetables and fruit. It is convenient, requires no work, looks better than the sorry "fresh" produce in the grocery store and it is cheaper to boot. I learned decades ago from a great restaurant cook that the freshest food money can buy in most circumstances, is the frozen stuff. He was right then, and it remains right even now, over 45 years later.
@@Neph-v5r well..not really.Obvi the distance is the same, but the speed in which it needs to be delivered is lower. So that makes shipping a viable option where otherwise it would/might not be.And yes shipping accounts for a lot of pollution but that is due to the volume it represents in the stats.If you look at actual emission per kilo or per ton it's a LOT less than planes. If the hybrid hydraulic ships that are being redesigned to fir more and more freight come in full use that goes even more down. So it is a factor that mitigates
This channel trained me to be better at cooking at home since college and now that I'm an adult and married, I'm still watching it! The core content is the same as it was a few years ago but it has definitely changed and improved. This is probably the only channel I've kept watching since college :) It's been a decade...
I’m not sure about the one seasoning/one sauce fits all approach, but I guess it’s good for beginners. I prefer having seasoning mixes by cuisine/flavor profile. I’ve got an Italian Mix, and Asian Mix, a Cajun Mix, an Indian Mix. I think it’s better for variety.
But then if you use that same mix for years, it still gets boring.. It's just a different approach, I don't think it's particularly more amateur - just one approach to having variety without spending too much time.
I did like the sound of the sauce he made. I can imagine drizzling it on a flatbread, stirring it into pasta, diluting it into a salad dressing, using it as a dip like guacamole and I’m sure there are loads of other great uses. I’m not sure all sauces would work as well as all purpose though. I imagine the seasonings being a bit like playlists, you make one you’re in the mood for each weekend but then on thursday you’re like ‘I’m really in the mood for the mix from two weeks ago’ so you get that one back out 😂
@@gytisdobrovolskis7355 ... I used the same spicemix for like all my meat for years without getting bored... Only stopped cause they changed the recipe completely and now its gross. (R.I.P santa maria grillkrydda citrus, I'll always remember you as you were...)
The thing about meal prep is I'm not really sure about the storage time for each component. Like how many days should you store the roasted veggies? Is it ok to still eating it after a week?
That's always my fear, too. I tend to default to a lot of deli meat because when I cook, it's usually some kind of chicken dish and it makes me nervous keeping that in the refrigerator too long.
It is good for approximately 1 week. You will notice when it's off because it will become kinda sludgy. But a good tip is to freeze the excess that you cannot eat with the week. That will be good for about a month. After a month to 2 months, it's still fine to eat but it will taste less fresh.
Something else helpful - depending on your schedule, consider cooking maybe a meat on one day, enough for several days. Next day, enough grain or starch for several days. Next day, the pan of roasted veggies. Now you’re out of meat, cook another batch of a different meat. Next day, a different grain or starch. If you flow your foods like this, you can cook an easy-ish batch of something every day or two and not have exactly the same combos because you’re adding something different to the mix every day. So perhaps you have pork roast for three days, but twice with rice and once with potatoes and a different vegetable each time. Keeps you from getting bored.
Creatively using up leftovers is the best tip for me as I am just cooking for myself. My husband, who is no longer with us, asked for an easy-to-use storage system with easy-to-find lids and we settled on Brilliance containers which are completely clear, seal tight, and stack nicely. It's very nice to be able to see exactly what is available but it's also nice to have a neat refrigerator.
Your brownies are timely my friend. I was organizing my pantry yesterday and realized I had accidentally stocked up three containers of tahini! So, my takeaway: keeping your pantry organized is key and time to make brownies with tahini in them.
yes I agree. Last holiday season I was making big goodie boxes for my family, went to the store, and accidentally bought big bags of ground flax and cacao powder when I already had plenty at home. It's been over a year and I still haven't gotten to them 🤣
My mom and I love these tips! Thank you so much for sharing them, they’re a great help right now. The only thing that made us wince a bit was that grains aren’t something you even have to worry about if you just have a rice cooker or something like an Instant Pot! Maybe it’s a Filipino thing, but we were both yelling at the rice part. If you just use a rice cooker and your finger, you save so much time and mental effort!
I like the idea of an all purpose spice mix but the cardamom, cumin, mustard, chilli and cinnamon should be toasted in a dry pan before grinding. It really brings out the flavour in them.
A month ago I moved into my first truly own apartment with my own small kitchen. I never had the chance to really cook consistently, be free and creative with it before, because in my past living arrangements either someone else was cooking for the family or the kitchen was shared/badly equipped. I would never have thought how much I love to cook now. There is something so satisfying and liberating in providing for yourself and getting to choose what to eat and when to eat. Your channel really gave me a lot of useful tips and ideas, my dream is to have such a well-equipped pantry and all those nice kitchen gadgets one day too. It´s probably going to take a few years, but I´ll get there! Thanks for your videos!
Please do more of these. Hammer this idea in to our brains. The more we watch how you handle week after week is a big help. Basic tools and get rid of what you don’t need. Etc. We do alotmof what you show but not disciplined and being disinclined saves alot of money. A little good food prep, easy to find yummy food makes life easier and cheaper and healthier. There is a way, we must have the will to achieve it- all of it increases Joy and we all need more joy!
Yes, yes, and yes! My son is a great help with this. We recently started a weekly plan. Grilled dinner, cooking double the protein for another ready to go meal. Then a slow cooked double protein same idea. We are pretty inventive for round two. Tacos, burritos, stir-fry, fast soups, casseroles, etc... Two nights just veggies, like a killer salad or big baked taters with fixins. That covers 6 dinners then we are trying a semi-fast day with smoothies and extracted fresh juices as a cleanse or such. We'll see how that goes! lol.
Here in Brazil the containers are so bad that I only keep a few for non-food one use situations, like having a small container of paint for a touch up. They leak, they bend, they are made as cheaply as humanly possible. Jars are a vanishing commodity here. Many things that came in glass now come in the same terrible plastic.
I love meal prepping-I’ve been doing it for five years and I can’t imagine my life without it. Over the years I have learned so much and thanks for giving some more tips. I’ll have to try some out in my kitchen next time.
I'm slowly learning how to cook, i started with pasta, i think about a recipe all week and then at the end of the week i try and prepare it, i've never cooked before this and i love it, cooking for someone else and seeing their reaction is an amazing feeling
If you mix a small amount of olive oil to your pasta after it's cooked (before sauce), and mix the oil in, it helps prevent it from drying out, especially if you are not going to eat it all in one sitting :)
Cumin with smoked paprika is DELIGHTFUL!! I mix it Apple Cider Vinegar and Maple syrup and it makes the BEST baked tofu and fried tempeh 😍 Going to try it on stewed beef soon 🤤
I really like your videos. You know what is extremely difficult to find is personalities like yours that provides helpful information for 1500 and under a month living . Nearly impossible to get quality fresh food (fruits and vegetables) outside major cities in different states. I really like your recipes! Food storage is ideal. Thank you very much for this clip. Types of good containers....... my situation isn't about saving time for work. It is about making several meals in one day for a couple weeks to be placed in a freezer. The hardest thing to find is vegetables and recipes. I am glad you offer a variety of vegetable ideas. Meal prep is very important for me because one day I may not be feeling well at all. So being able to reheat a meal in a oven or microwave is ideal.
I feel you dear. One thing worth remembering when there is not much money is that frozen fruts and veggies are usually of the same quality as fresh. That saved my ass from eating shit many times..
This video made me realize that I often spend a few minutes everyday looking for all my spices for that particular meal. Definitely gonna try that spice mix blend tip thanks
Wow! I’ve watched thousands of TH-cam videos over the years and I must say, your video was exceptional! I stumbled across this video because I’m trying to get better at my kitchen skills for my family and you provided so much valuable material. Thank you and I look forward to learning more.
I feel like these days most people have a rice cooker. Still, I moved to Spain where storage space is limited and now, I appreciate your instructions for rice cooking on the stove. 😊
Also important in tuperware purchasing is how well it can be stored! I bought a pack that all next together that are varied sizes! I also reuse many takeout tuperwares that have either held main dishes or dips or sides, so plenty of sizes 😁 💞
this one‘s PACKED with so much value!! Thank you so much. The past few weeks i’ve been researching about meal prep because preparing food every other day is getting more overwhelming every week. So this one is a blessing from heaven! Thanks a lot!
The ice cream was delicious! I also substituted maple syrup for vanilla extract but other than that it was the same. My toddler and I love sweets! I’m so thankful this is a healthier alternative than processed snacks. Thank you Mike!
this is a great video. i'm in my early 20s and living with my partner who works long/unusual hours, and meal prepping for the two of us has always been hard for me even though i LOVE to cook! i do find it hard to balance between simple weeknight dinners, vs elaborate/ambitious meals, so this video is a huge help. :)
Thank you so much for this video!! I'm still a teen living at home, but I like to be prepared for when I live on my own, and one of my biggest worries were food, and how to make food, and how to use food, and not spend a bunch of money. Some of the habits in the video I already picked up from my mom, but you put them into a entertaining to watch, easily digestible video! You inspired me to be excited about cooking, and having my own personalized space, with the stuff that works best for me, but also being beneficial. Thank you!!
I am an upcoming college freshman student, and I'm supposed to live on my own in a few months (or at least away from home) and I have no idea how I'm supposed to eat healthy since my father cooks most of our meals at home. I've been trying to figure out how to meal prep and I stumbled upon this video. This is very insightful, thank you so much! 😄
This might sound rude but it’s true: if cooking at home is more expensive than eating out, you’re buying the wrong foods and/or shopping in the wrong stores. (Accessibility to stores and being truly broke are different issues, but a 1hr drive once a month for groceries can save you a lot of money.) What ingredients are cheap in your area varies from another. Cheap beans and grains are usually bought dry and can bring a lot of variety: rices, beans, and in some cases even pasta, which I’ve found as low as 80¢/lb. Canned beans can also be a reasonable price. Furthermore, it’s a pain, but you can make your own pasta and bread for much higher quality for the price of flour, water, fat, eggs, and maybe a leavener. Yes, fats can be pricey but when used in moderation they cost pennies per serving. Find those fresh/produce items that are always cheap. For me, that’s celery, carrots, onions, potatoes, and eggs. For produce: shop seasonally, pay attention to price increases and decreases, and when that’s too expensive, frozen or canned produce is always better than none at all. Dairy, for me, is something I typically use less frequently unless I can find it on sale and it will freeze well - shredded cheeses in particular. I’m no stranger to processed cheeses and string cheese, but cottage cheese and yogurt (in bulk, not single servings) can be a reasonable price when you can afford it. I don’t typically have milk as a drink, but I save it for recipes and cereals because milk can get expensive quickly. The real money sink is meat, but you have to look for what’s cheap and be willing to “pay” a little extra in prep time if you want skinless and de-boned poultry. Sometimes your best meat options are canned (tuna, salmon, chicken, etc) or frozen, but I frequently find chicken thighs and drumsticks for a reasonable price per pound, frozen and thawed. The options are there, you just have to be creative with what you have and willing to take a little extra time in the beginning to learn what is usually cheapest in your area. Edit: Another exception: going gluten & dairy free. Recently forced to do this because of health. Short of making everything at home (which I don't always have time for), gluten free products are PRICEY holy cow.
Vegan is cheap! And healthy and good for the planet, the animals, the people who are exploited by that industry (either through working conditions or living in the vicinity of a factory farm).
@@emeraldmaria it can be, however you have to do your research and make sure you’re taking a multi with b12 and getting all your essential nutrients or you can get deficient really quickly. Edit to also add that if the quality of life for animals and workers are a concern to you but you don’t want to (or, like me, have tried to and can’t) go vegetarian/vegan sustainably, it never hurts to look for local farmers and ask about their prices. Yes, this can get expensive, but if your conscience is concerned and your pocketbook allows, I believe that supporting good, local farmers is always the best option. Unfortunately, I know that’s not available to many people, myself included.
@@lemonarizonatea Yes, though b12 isn't expensive and everything else can come from plant sources. You can always go vegan! Every vegan I know has said they could never go vegan at one point in their life. And you can never kill anything humanely if it doesn't want to be killed. Nor can you guaruntee it had a good life by buying local. It is actually very hard to ensure, it is a very secretive industry and even smaller farmers exploit. The most humane pig farmer I've ever heard of still castrated without anesthetics.
@@emeraldmaria Everyone's dietary needs are different. Period. What works for some, doesn't always work for others. You sound very pretentious when you push your dietary beliefs on others. You can inform without trying to convert.
@@jessm.2779 Agreed, going vegan is not as easy as people make out. It can be incredibly difficult to get all the nutrients you need and in my experience it requires a lot more time in the kitchen.
I just bought ingredients for my first meal prep and found this video on my feed! This has been insanely helpful and I feel excited about getting in the kitchen again. The frozen fruit tip is life-saving, and I also love the way you seared your meat in the slow cooker. I'd never thought of this! Subscribed!
Although I don’t meal prep (I work from home and have the time to cook twice a day), I loved this video. Your kitchen is so beautiful too! Totally agree about variety. Most people eat monotonous. I’m very proud of the fact that my BF and I have been living together for a year and I’ve never cooked the same thing twice.
Thanks for this! I tried meal prep the common way before and while it helped me when for my baby, I don't do it for myself because my family and I get bored with the same stuff and I refuse to let things go to bad and to waste. I'm caught between needing it to last and wanting variety.
I'm so happy you mentioned kids. I'm a mom of two, 5 yrs and 3 Mon, and I'm a sucker for eating junk food just because by the time I make everyone else's food and clean up it feels like it's nearly time for the next meal. Once tried to meal prep before but, like you mentioned, it just got bland. Thanks for these tips!!
Agreed about the leftovers. I always eat mine, but I remember as a kid I was so into adding spices to revitalize leftover white rice. Tandoori Masala and rice hits just right. Personally, I think it would be a good idea to keep some Garam Masala and Five Spice Mix around to ensure that I have easy access to two cuisines at least.
Homemade popcorn, hell yeah! Brown paper bag in the microwave with a little canola oil. Finish with Slap Ya Momma creole seasoning or just some garlic powder and a touch of salt.
I have always loved to home cook, but for some reason as my kiddos get bigger it has become a chore. I can’t spend 2 hours a night in the kitchen anymore and I’m not sure I want to. I want to enjoy it again. Have a glass of wine, or throw on a podcast. You have totally motivated me to meal prep ahead and I love it! Thank you so so much!
Wow, I've been struggling recently with cooking because it just got so boring, but I also found it hard to find the time to think about new or "innovative" recipes to try. This video just inspired me again and reminded me why I love cooking, small changes really make a big impact on the taste of your food. Can't wait to try some of these tips and recipes.
This video came at the right time for me! I've been trying to eat healthier, and with work getting busier - I'm really struggling to do so. After following some really bland meal prep guides I was feeling pretty uninspired, but this has really giving me the inspiration to keep going
The person I started cooking fresh and high quality for is: Me. I was shocked at how much better home cooked and fresh vegs/meats were compared to prepackaged/processed foods. It's like I've been ok with feeding myself bad quality food while I deserve better. So after realizing that the only person that can take great care of you is you I completely changed the way I prepare food and this channel has helped me with a lot of great tips. Thanks!
I find that I don't necessarily spend a lot of time prepping for the week so much as I prep for other meals as I'm cooking one. For example, if I'm cutting up some broccoli and cauliflower to steam, I'll cut up some more to make a stir-fry later in the week. That's 2 less veggies I need to prep. Or when I buy a large package of ground beef at the wholesale club, I'll make meatloaf out of half and then make some hamburger patties and/or fry off the rest and package how I'd use it. I also like leftovers. They work for lunch or when you feel exhausted, just being able to warm up a hot meal makes you feel better. Makeovers are good too. Throwing little bits and portions of other meals together to make a new meal is very quick and satisfying.
try scooping the ice cream, before freezing it. This way, you have your portions ready to go. It's way more difficult to scoop, after it has gone freeze. By the way, I loved your tips!
I got sick 2 years ago, and i have cooked at home nutritious organic food. I take a probiotic too. However, it was the change in eating that got me well. I cut out all sugar but every now and then i can eat that now. You’re encouragement is great and you are young good for you!!!!
Two things. 1. please make more of this type of video, and even some videos where you go through what you're cooking for the week. 2. your green goddess dressing is superb! I'm going to be making it consistently.
Come on, James, he’s giving you almost 20 minutes of awesome info, surely you do one thing yourself and convert it. I mean, ask your phone hands free, takes a second.
Thank you for this. I am the only cook in my house. But everyone has tastebuds and opinions. After 30 years it was getting boring. Watching you cook has renewed my love of cooking and everyone has benefited.
For me the best containers to store stuff in are the ones from Ikea... Glas with a four side snap lid... perfect! I can use them to freeze, microwave and even bake in the oven (without the lid on ofc). I bought a set of 10 in each size and it saved so many evenings already when I was lazy and didnt want to start cooking from scratch.
Same for me, those were brilliant and are my daily cooking helper! I was quite annoyed to see that IKEA changed their sizes and styles lately... The new ones look nice, but their sizes seem off for me - i.e. Much deeper or much smaller than the old, "perfect" ones. Anyhow, rant over. Just hold on to your containers, they're the best! :)
I agree kind of. It’s better in general but if you’re taking lunch to work on public transport the risk of breakage is high and can be really heavy to carry. If you’re at home or driving to work then yes, I’d definitely go glass.
@@pinkmagicali heavy, yes, I completely agree with you. But honestly, I have dropped my glass Tupperware several times already (I am supper clumsy) and the worst thing that happened was the lid popped out and my food spread all over the floor. But the Tupperware was completely fine !
In general don't heat food on plastic, at minimum you can wreak the plastic. But the hotter the plastic gets the more chemical leakage, so let the food cool first and heat it on a plate.
I try to cook several different meals throughout the week alternating various proteins and 2 sides with the more complicated efforts on the weekends, but my mantra is to try to cook each time for at least 2 meals. We typically use leftovers for lunches if there is not enough of something to make another main meal or side. If something is still around after a few days then it's going into soup, casserole or an omelette.
The one tip that didn’t resonate with me is freezing your own fruit. Way cheaper, way easier, way less time spent to just buy frozen fruit. (And I’m definitely a fan of frozen fruit as snacks and desserts.)
I was thinking the same thing, only things I freeze myself are banana and zucchini (if it counts) since I can't find it frozen (unless in mixes, bananas always with even more super sweet fruit) And I'm easily overwhelmed by sweetness. Hence the zucchini, similar creaminess as banana (avocado works too, that I can buy frozen) but a lot less flavour. They don't look as pretty but... how much do we care? You got me at way cheaper, but less time spend and easier are sweet bonusses.
You can buy a pound or two, use the fresh ones for breakfast, then freeze the rest before it goes bad. Frozen fruit in the stores that I buy it has preservatives which lower the quality.
I agree not to mention the pre-frozen fruit at the grocery store is probably going to have better texture since it's flash-frozen not to mention it usually will be fresher since it hasn't spent god knows how long since being picked to when you actually get it.
Meal Prepping in an efficiency apartment is the real challenge. My 2 feet of counter space and corner table don't allow for a lot of options. But I like the ideas you provide
Yes my meal preps in this situation consisted of big pots (curries, soups) of food that you can heat up everyday and eat for a long time as long as you’re heating it. Tupperware and multiple elements take up too much space especially because a lot of these apartments give you those tragic tiny fridges.
My table is 36". I usually am using half of it for meal prep, baking, most anything. You can do stuff! I have a small counter I can use but it's higher than my table and not as comfortable. The height of your prep area is important.
I used to live in an apt with inches of counter space. I used to use the stovetop and space over the sink to make things work. I would also prep things in other spaces. That apt was a studio so I'd prep stuff at the table in the living area. It wasn't the most easeful thing but it worked!
When I started cooking for myself I was shocked how little food I actually need. My shelves were stocked for pretty much one month when I thought it'd last me a week.
I really like all your ideas about fresh, home cooked meals and utilizing a variety of foods etc. Thats how we do things too, organic, as fresh as possible etc. My problem is that myself and my family are limited to certain foods we can eat due to allergies (which we're working on reversing) but so to me, simple is always better. This can make things pretty boring. I've never been much of a cook and so watching these videos for motivation and ideas is helpful especially when it comes to the sauces/condiments/dressings you make. That alone elevates a meal from plain Jane to amazing, which I appreciate because like I said, we have limited options but a 2 ingredient sauce (like in your other video i just watched) will make thinks a lot more flavorful and enjoyable. No excuses, just gotta make it a priority to get in the kitchen and create! Thanks!
It's amazing how simple it could be once you get going. Thanks for reminding and thanks for the nifty tips. I've never thought of grinding whole cardamom pods, always tried to peal them. And I'm deffinitely trying out the baked veggies. I need tons of them as I am dieting.
Love these types of videos! Have been following you since the start of brothers green and you’ve grown so much !!! First time leaving a comment just wanted to show some love and to tell you we all appreciate the effort you put on your videos :)
Thanks you so much for this. I'm transitioning into that world of adulting full time, preparing to get two jobs, and preparing to over the new rental next year when my dad follows my mom back to their home country. Of course in order to save money, making meals at home is essential to cut those spending costs, so knowing how to meal prep and what to get to start off with, as well as tips on how to maintain the motivation of doing it is really helpful.
I've recently gotten into trying to understand the bits and pieces of making food. Obviously I've been cooking before, but by the recipe, not by understand what was going on. And Your vids are making me more excited to prep and cook, because it's just that easy! Can't wait to treat my friends to some of the stuff thanks to the skills I've picked up from you.
This is so cool and great advice.. but I feel that a lot of this is hard to do for people who haven't started or gotten the motivation for cooking. My advice? Start with things like sausage and pre-marinated meats you just need to put in the oven. Then slowly do sandwiches, make your own lemonade. Then evolve into cooking with salt and pepper. From eggs, to steak, chicken and fish. Do some roasted veggies. And learn to mix basic sauces with mayo. Once you are more used to actually using your kitchen, you can evolve quite a lot.... it's about getting used to the kitchen first. You don't need to start by doing everything. Just take baby steps... let yourself evolve. And once you do, then try easy basic recipes you can find online. It's crazy how much you grow once you break past the first point of just getting used to the kitchen. Not learning how to cook, but just doing stuff in it.
Cooking for other people… I used to do this all the time. Now I’m used to being solo and need to improve how I feed myself- it needs to be easy but wholesome and tasty. Your videos are a big help
Thank you for reinspiring me to cook again after facing medically-necessary dietary changes (again). I love that you focus on whole foods and lots of veggies, and I just love your heart for family meals.
I meal prep the same stuff every week for the past 3 years. My motivation was losing 40 lbs initially. Once I did that the motivation is maintaining my weight and muscle while barely working out. I love it. Not for everyone but it's easy as shit to make and takes 3 hours a week to do 11 meals. And I can have a cheat meal or two a week as well.
@@M00N.L1GHT ground turkey or chicken already made i just warm it up (im bad at making chicken), quinoa, broccoli. for lunch and dinner. my meal prep is super boring but i dont mind it
Hey! I stumbled upon you when I searched Short Ribs! I salted my ribs (to use tomorrow), and went on to watch 3 more of your videos, AND subscribed! You are so in tune with the cooking needs of America. I'm old as dirt, but I have gained fresh ideas about flavor and cooking work-strategies. Then there are the young women (and some men), who are coming back to home cooking; what a game-changer it would have been if I had your expert videos when I was a new bride. Thanks for inspiring all of us! Big hug, Cat
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If you want a large amount of variety, then start a culinary group with friends. Every participant makes seven batches of the same meal and then swaps them with six other friends. Now you have a different meal every day of the week but only had to cook once. It's simple and easy!
That sounds fun!
I don't have friends.
@@ronniekoomba922 yea that’s the problem !
Oo
O
Cleaning up while prepping was a huge game changer for me. It is just a good feeling to have little to no dishes left when the last item is done cooking
me too! I used to be such a messy cook, but started reusing/washing bowls and cutting boards and knives as I went along. helped a LOT. I still don't do dishes when I cook, but it's much less chaos and I'm sure my other half appreciates not having such a big work load.
very true, great tip to add in there!
When there’s dirty pots and pans etc, I can’t enjoy my meal because of this open concept kitchen someone came up with. 🤪
I do precut veggies and do the mise en place, wash boards and knives, and cook early if I can. Then depending on how long before dinner, I put the food in servers and keep warm or put in fridge until ready to heat. That way I can do all dishes before eating undistracted! 😇
@@LifebyMikeG The clean up, during and after cooking, can seem to take as much time as the cooking. There are definitely some Pro Home Dishwasher tips to learn and apply. Cleaning up is a part of the whole process, but skills, techniques, and supplies are under appreciated or just based on old habits. Do you have enough tips on this aspect of cooking to do a video? Might help us to save some real time.
I agree.. 🔥🔥
When you add new pantry ingredients (like almonds as we see here) into your storage jar, it's super important to rotate stock. Pour the old contents of your nearly-empty jar into a handy bowl, empty your new bag of almonds into the bottom of your jar, then put the old contents on top. Make this a habit and you will use up the older contents first, preventing the layer at the bottom of the jar going stale.
fofo - first in, first out
edit: it's *fifo* , thanks for the correction haha
@@Partario fifo ( fee fi fo fum )
Yup rotating your stock is important. Also, you need to clean those after a while.
@@ODDnanref Yeah, usually after 2-3 rotations is best to do a clean up of the jar, well it will also depend on the size of the jar, for smaller you would need more rotations before a clean up.
Thank you, that's really significant & valuable!
Biggest tip for rice, speaking as a brazilian, who use to eat rice like every day: fry some onion and garlic with olive oil, add the rice, stir a little, put a pinch of salt and then the water. That’s is the perfect rice, give it a try
100% correct
Best tip ever!
Thank you Goodball.
You failed to mention the rice has to be a day old. Also add turmeric red chilli powder, and saute the onions till they're sweet
So basically fried rice cuz the Chinese do that 😂
Going to comment again: Please do more of this kind of videos Mike! This is the holy grail of cooking and the most helpful kind of content on the entire internet!
Real shit!
So true!
Agree
honestly yes please!!!!
Agree 100%!!
There's a lot of great tips and ideas here. My biggest pet peeve with meal prep is all the time it takes to cut, wash ingredients and then cleaning up cookware. The actual cooking itself is not laborious. Just the stuff you do before and after
Same, it's why I resorted to do one or two things a day in bulk where some of it may go in the freezer for another time but the fridge remains on a cycle where nothing becomes too much and the food availability never becomes too little.
@@rustyhowe3907 this is a great approach!
@@Zalzal019 It has saved me many a heartache of being overwhelmed, plus you can also maintain your stock to not become too limp or grisly from being cooked and too long in the fridge.
But your soups and baked goods (plus some easy to do boiled eggs) can be done on day one as they remain freshest the longest.
Glad to have helped, hope it works for you.
I’ve been thinking that maybe a day or two before when you might feel in the mood is a great time to actually do all the cutting and prepping and then do the actual cooking a different day. Then it’s not such a burn out!
@@pheasantpluck i like this and have started doing this as well. Just break out the meal prep throughout the week. thanks for sharing
Soo, guess what I just did? Picked up our daughter from her college campus and we prepped three weeks of vegetarian freezer meals 2gether. She was always saying the campus had very limited options (salad/fries/occasional non meat pizza.) and was always hungry. So I bought her a crock pot, and we made gallon sized freezer bag with everything for Vegetarian Taco Soup, Swedish Meatballs, and Plant based beef stew. She is a happy camper, and I don't have to worry. 💗
But this video, and subsequent comments have now inspired me to do even more and tweak the prepping. Batches of rice cooked with onions and garlic. Our daughter taught me to flavor the water with red pepper flakes. Gonna roast veggies instead of just steam, etc Thank you❣
Based mom!
I did that for my daughter who was away at college. It's a very maternally fufilling feeling, isn't it? :-)
Aww, that's so sweet of you!
When prepping lettuce or veggies that contain alot of moisture i always put a paper towel in with them to absorb some of the moisture and extend their shelf life ✌
good tip, you will get quicker wilting if you skip this step 👆👆👆
My sweet Grandmother taught me this tip......back in the 60's! (Yes, I am old, er I mean, *well-seasoned* )
My Grandmother was one smart lady.
Or any kind of towel if you don't use disposable
@@commonmom4288 Yes to the towel idea! I buy white washcloths in bulk and sanitize them regularly. I keep a few just for storing high-moisture vegetables in any container or reusable silicon bag. Not only to save the environment, but to save me having to go to the store to buy/search for paper products.
@@GeckoHiker Would it be better to use cotton or microfiber in this case?
Yup, homecooking is only expensive when you're building your pantry from scratch (unless you always go for expensive ingredients of course). I recently moved to my own place and had to restock my pantry regulars and it was quite painful on my wallet lol
For beginners or casual homecooks like me, one way to save when building your pantry is to stick first to a cuisine or cuisines that share common ingredients.
I'm not a "prep for the whole week" cook. I'm a "just make more than you need right now" cook. I don't got into the kitchen to make one lunch when I'm hungry. I'll make three, leaving 2 prepped lunches for later in the week. I don't bake just enough potatoes for the meal that's going to include them. I'll bake a few extra, to be used in a different dish in a day or two. An extra prepped ingredient, snack, or full meal made when you have the time can make a big difference when you don't.
Last night, I was making unstuffed peppers (stuffed peppers in casserole form, with the peppers chopped up) and realized early in I'd gotten some of my proportions wrong. Instead of setting aside the excess to be worked into another meal, I just went with it, scaling up all the other ingredients so I'd have an entire spare dinner ready to help us out on a busy night.
We also fully embrace the joys of leftovers. Good, homecooked food that you've already put the work in to get? Yes, please. Reheat as is, or throw a bunch of leftover stuff into a pan and see what I can make of it. Either way is a win. There are few things better than looking at the contents of your fridge on Friday and realizing you can go all-in on having a Lazy Saturday by not even having to cook. Tell your housemates "Saturday's meal plan is to clean out the fridge," then sit back and relax.
Nice!! I also am a "make more than you need right now" cook! That way most of the food tastes relatively fresh, but still I'm only cooking 2-3 big meals a week.
We put our leftovers in burrito shells and call it a day 🤭
All hail Leftover Land!!!!
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you wrote. I too cook/meal prep a larger portioned meal. I live alone, and would rather cook as I want, than cook because I have too have.
Bringing food from your fridge together, looking hot and beautiful in your plate, knowing its so fully delicious, just ready for consumption.....
Oop it's time for breakfast!
Also the same, I feel like things go to waste when I cook ahead for a week. By the end of the week, I'm sick of the food, or it starts to go stale. I enjoy the nightly cooking of meals after work, its therapeutic. I actually feel bad for people who are on such a time crunch they have to meal prep a week ahead like this.
Oh man I used to do this in university whenever I ordered out. I'd use coupons to get enough cheap food to last me for 3 days at my favorite pizza place.
*Quick tip for those of us trying to make it until the next paycheck:* Try seasoning after separating one big batch of food into daily meals. Exp; Monday: soy sauce, Tues: tumeric mix, Wed: Mccormick, Thursday: ketchup, Friday: BBQ sauce, Sat: Teriyaki sauce, Sun: garlic salt.
Good thinking, best idea ( comment ) on this subject saving what little money some of US have :)
I grew up never really being taught how to cook or meal plan. This helps me immensely as a young adult with my own house and family to feed
Pro-tip for portioning out/freezing soup: Use solo cups. Pour soup directly into the cup or line with some plastic wrap then pour, set the cups in the freezer until frozen solid, then pop out your frozen soup pucks and throw them in a freezer bag. Great way to make individual soup portions for lunches and the like, just throw a puck in a bowl and microwave until melted. Great way to save home-made stocks as well. I made some butternut squash soup last fall that I still have a few pucks of, and it reheats beautifully every time.
Awesome tip! Thank you so much!
I measure out whatever serving size I want, then pour into a small freezer bag. Lie flat in freezer till frozen. The packages take up less space in freezer.
Great tip
@@queenanneslace3659 and if they're flattened they'll heat up faster/more evenly
adam ragusea does the same thing but with ice trays
One note: The major mistake beginners make food prepping is Food Hygiene. for example: Rice grows Bacillus cereus, which causes food poisoning. In order to food prep rice (and some other grains) safely, you have to cook it fully, then *immediately* get it into the fridge or freezer, don't leave it standing on the counter. It's also safest to use cooked grains within 3 days, rather than leaving them the whole week. Cooked fish can only be kept in the fridge for around 24 hours, seafood don't even bother. Meat... well the saying "Roast on Sunday, Cold on Monday, Stew on Tuesday, Soup on Wednesday, Curried on Friday, Food poisoning on Saturday" for chicken sums it up - spices like turmeric which are antibacterial will help it keep longer, reheating it after a couple of days is fine as long as you do it thoroughly, but any longer than that and you're dicing with the GIs.
My favourite way of food prepping is single-serving freezer portions - I make a big dish of stew/curry/stirfry/roast/pasta, enough to feed six to eight people, and eat one portion and freeze the rest in single servings. If you do two dishes the first week, two the second week, two the third week then one a week from then on, the variety builds up over time. I generally have a different meal each night now, and whenever I run low on one of my staple dishes, I make another batch. Side veg I generally cook fresh - one pan, 20 mins unattended.
Great
I thought the same , when the rice was cooked,,,, thank you for confirming my fears. Basic food hygiene seems to be missing from so many people's videos.
It seems to be some debate over how long rice is good for in the fridge. All sources say two hours left out is longest for cooling down prior to fridge but, in fridge is a different matter. 3-7 days one sight said 24 hours. Here’s my dilemma the signs of bad rice says if it’s dried out, my leftover Chinese is always rock hard next AM and I always add water to bring it back to life. Smells bad? Never smelled bad rice to know or compare it to. According to my microbiology class, if I remember correctly, heat foods to 375 and you kill spores. The professor was talking SHF situation years ago stating it might still have strange taste but anything is edible heating to high temp. Now before people argue I’m simply stating what I learned, haven’t tried. I also know salt inhibits bacterium so maybe salty rice ie soy sauce from fried rice keeps it fresher? I have had food poisoning once from fried chicken 🐓 at a restaurant. One bite I knew it was bad the taste was sour and the smell only hit as it lingered with my tastebuds. I spit most of it out but it was enough. I thought I was ok. Heck no at around 1 in am it hit and I pray no one has to feel that way, so be safe with meal prep and the rule is 3 days for me. Put it in freezer. I don’t agree with immediately putting hot food in fridge it can spoil other food by changing temp in fridge. I am a nurse and most people think when they have vomiting and loose stool that they have the flu, no such thing. The flu is respiratory. If you have those symptoms then chances are you have food poisoning.
I never understand why people prep rice at all. As shown in the video it takes 15-20 mins to cook it freshly. And rice is not even work. You just put in in the pot, boil it, reduce the heat and it's done.
I would not put hot food into a fridge or freezer. That's a No-no in food hygiene because the hot food raises the temperature of the fridge or freezer which can cause freezer burn and crystals to form in the food you have already in there. You need to bring cooked foods down to room temperature quickly by sitting the pot in iced water, or place in a big bowl and run cold running water around it until the rice is cold. Even quicker: portion out the rice into ziploc or vaccum sealed bags, and dunk in iced water or cold running water until really cold. Then chill or freeze.
honestly, this was the BEST cooking for the week, prep video i have EVER seen. so many ideas that i am pulling from this that i never thought to do: the herb sauce, the spice mix made at home, the ideas for doing stuff with the leftover, making sure to make the HEALTHY snacks, i am taking soooooo many amazing ideas that will keep my family healthier and make life easier for me! thank you, thank you, thank you!!!💕💕💕💕
I use all of the glass jars that came with food in. It's environment friendly and I saved so much money, not buying any extra food storage containers
Absolutely! And if you need to store anything with fat in it (nuts, catfood) a glass jar with a metal lid is best to prevent rancidity.
@@TraceyMush Great to know! Thanks! :)
Save all sizes of jars. I place plastic wrap between the jar and lid.
Same goes with re-using plastic containers that food came in, such as yogurt, sour cream, etc. Sure they aren’t as nice as see-through Tupperware, but you can always use a masking tape label on them if need be.
@@anti-ethniccleansing465 you can also use chalkboard paint to create a permanent label and then just use chalk to change the label as the contents change!
PRO TIP: I made a ridiculous amount of east Indian onion masala a while back. After it cooled, I skimmed off all the excess oil, and instead of tossing it, I use it for cooking. This way, I can start off with just a huge kick of sweet and savory flavor in whatever I'm cooking. I mostly use it for roasting vegetables, but my favorite is using it to make stovetop popcorn. Add a little salt, and it becomes an experience. The bright yellow color is fun, too.
Also just want to add, I love your kitchen, and can't wait until I'm in a position to get that same aesthetic. The black iron on hard wood is just fantastic.
Haha If you buy popcorn in Indians movie theatres , they generally come in yellow color either due to Masala or oil and it's just a great nostalgia !
Indian spiced popcorn sounds amazing 😍
@jaun tapu East India, the region, contains about 16% of India's total population, so no, they aren't the only Indians.
How do you make the Indian masala, please?
Yea. I am also saving the fat from the meat I am cooking and using in all my subsequent meals.
When cooking rice, follow his great directions, but also: when you turn the fire off, DO NOT TAKE OFF THE LID! Let the rice steam covered for 10 minutes before serving. No peeking! This advise comes from my Louisiana Cajun grandmother Lottie Eugenia Dupuy Davis.
Tell her thank you!
Use a rice cooker. Fluff and flavor rice when done
yeah you right, chere!
Thank you Grandma Lottie :)
@@SuperLifestream I agree and it makes Uncle Roger happy. If you havent seen his YT vids check it out! He is hilarious.
I've been feeling so depressed recently and I'm trying to study for exams and go to my lessons at the same time, and I realised all I was eating was one croissant a day... I've got all my rice, lentils, pasta and cous cous etc in the pantry and I'm going to follow your advice and cook it all up so at least when I have no energy I can just add some vegetables to a grain and put it in the microwave
Diet and excercise may not CURE depression, but it sure makes conquering it day to day much easier
@@PredictableEnigma i completely agree :)
@@PredictableEnigma second that!
Food is medicine. So is light, especially in the colder months. Even a cloudy walk will make you feel better. Hope you start to soon xo
add a short walk in - that seems to help me. I quiz myself while walking.
RV tip ... Works in home kitchen too. Use/buy SQUARE containers. It optimized space, stacks better, and if they taper stagger them right side up and upside down. Works great for cabinets and fridge as well
true but they are also more annoying to clean
Yes. This. Those Pyrex sets with the round & rectangular containers annoy me no end.
Yes! Round containers are spacially inefficient!
Great tips. I would love to see suggestions for those of us without so much kitchen space. The sheet pan idea for example wouldn't work in a lot of smaller fridges unless you take everything else out of the freezer completely. Also your pantry space is a dream, but a lot of us are very limited on cabinet space for storing all those extra spices and flours.
I used to live in a shoebox where there wasn't much room for anything. I had an entryway closet that I took everything out of, sanitized and separated out all the seasonal jackets/shoes and stored them under beds. Then I separated the closet at first with a sheet of plastic, later with just a piece of inexpensive, lightweight plastic board from the hardware store to keep it more rigid. Then my husband built just a box for the base where the front was open to store larger, heavier things like cat food/litter/gallon jugs of vinegar or laundry detergent that wouldn't be feasible to put into the crates. I bought some wooden crates on sale at joanne fabric and stacked them so the front was open toward you like a shelf, 2 rows wide and 4 or 5 tall. that worked great until we had kids. At that point I had to add another set of those in the area between the kitchen and living room. It may not have made into an episode of HGTV, but I had easy access to things right where I needed them, they were prepacked for moving purposes, could easily clean them, see what I was getting low on, and hide them before company came if I thought I needed to. (Honestly, there are so many people using baskets or other cute organizers to make it pretty, but for me it was clean and functional and that was all I needed at the time!)
I would love to see suggestion for people who are not as financially able as this guy.
Use small-medium ziploc bags piled in a paperboard that you can put on a wall or furniture
Video isn't exactly helpful in that regard, unfortunately.
Sheet pans come in smaller sizes, and it can be adapted to different containers. You could cut less fruit and freeze it or separate it out into different flat containers and freeze and fit where it is able to fit. If you see his older videos you can see his kitchen space is very small, he stores the spices on racks he has mounted onto the wall. You just have to be creative with storage
Update! this is a re-upload from 1 hour ago. For some reason youtube made my video unavailable so I has to upload it again. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️ My apologies to anyone who commented in before!
It’s not fair for you I guess, I was wondering when I get notified 🤷🏻♂️
Will watch it again anyway mate,
Much love ✌️❤️
I wondered about that. Thank you for uploading it again.
Thank you for the re-up!
Well, that's frustrating. Specially for the algorithm.
No worries homie :) Darn technology.
If you're trying to lose weight, I strongly recommend not eating trail mix unless you're really good with portion control. Salted and roasted nuts and granola are highly palatable foods and have a high caloric content for a small volume.
If you're not trying to lose weight, have fun munching down on that trail mix.
Seriously... whenever I eat a lot of nuts/trail mix I immediately can see/feel the weight pack on. I stay away from granola though... for some reason it makes me bloat.
as someone who is trying to gain weight, trail mix (no chocolate for me) is a godsend
@@mothgru makes sense!
there was studies that ppl who eat 1 handfull of nuts are losing weight, even if they should gain due to extra calories, see nutritionfacts.org for more info about that
I am trying to gain weight
Two additional tips: Collect a variety of old, well rinsed twist off jars. They are free, food safe (espc. if the lid is blue seal) and usually close well enough to transport even soup, salad dressing etc. without leaking. Also, store your pre peeled or pre sliced carrots, radish and the like in a jar filled with cold water to keep them extra fresh and crunchy all week long. This also works to perk up carrots and lots of other root veg that has already become a bit soft and bendy.
yes! i've been saving every single mason/twist off jar i can get my hands on, whether it's from some moonshine i had on the weekend or a store bought sauce. i love using them to store herbs and grains! eventually i'd like to use them for homemade pickled products and preserves :)
You need space for that =/
Great tips - though frozen fruit (that you get at the grocery store) tends to be fresher, more convenient, cheaper, AND has a smaller carbon footprint (frozen produce doesn't have to get rushed to stores by plane like fresh does). Frozen food tends to be a much better deal than people might think; it may not have the great lighting of the produce department, but it's my go-to.
a lot of frozen food items are actually fresher.Like peas, here in belgium they are frozen almost on the field so to speak. And delicate fruits to.
I think this tip would be great for fresh fruit that is in season/on sale or so you can buy extra and freeze
@@dwelfusius I like that. As a Belgian dissident here in Toronto, some of the frozen stuff I buy at Loblaws and No Frills actually comes from Belgium. I am a great fan of frozen. I essentially only use frozen vegetables and fruit. It is convenient, requires no work, looks better than the sorry "fresh" produce in the grocery store and it is cheaper to boot. I learned decades ago from a great restaurant cook that the freshest food money can buy in most circumstances, is the frozen stuff. He was right then, and it remains right even now, over 45 years later.
Surely it has exactly the same carbon footprint as it still has to make the same journey?
@@Neph-v5r well..not really.Obvi the distance is the same, but the speed in which it needs to be delivered is lower. So that makes shipping a viable option where otherwise it would/might not be.And yes shipping accounts for a lot of pollution but that is due to the volume it represents in the stats.If you look at actual emission per kilo or per ton it's a LOT less than planes. If the hybrid hydraulic ships that are being redesigned to fir more and more freight come in full use that goes even more down. So it is a factor that mitigates
This channel trained me to be better at cooking at home since college and now that I'm an adult and married, I'm still watching it! The core content is the same as it was a few years ago but it has definitely changed and improved. This is probably the only channel I've kept watching since college :) It's been a decade...
I love how he gets right to the point instead of showing five minutes of chopping. Very creative and fun. Thanks!
awesome stuff really.. only thing missing is: how to re-heat the food after? because some stuff get really soggy depending on the method
Yes this is the biggest problem i have!
I usually reheat it the same way I cooked it if ur lazy oven and microwave are great
I either sautee them back up or stick it in the oven at 300 degrees-ish for 20 minutes-ish. I don't use the microwave b/c of the texture afterwards...
I have the same issue!
Another option is to meal prep things that are good "soggy" like stroganoff, soups, and pasta sauces.
I’m not sure about the one seasoning/one sauce fits all approach, but I guess it’s good for beginners. I prefer having seasoning mixes by cuisine/flavor profile. I’ve got an Italian Mix, and Asian Mix, a Cajun Mix, an Indian Mix. I think it’s better for variety.
But then if you use that same mix for years, it still gets boring.. It's just a different approach, I don't think it's particularly more amateur - just one approach to having variety without spending too much time.
I did like the sound of the sauce he made. I can imagine drizzling it on a flatbread, stirring it into pasta, diluting it into a salad dressing, using it as a dip like guacamole and I’m sure there are loads of other great uses. I’m not sure all sauces would work as well as all purpose though. I imagine the seasonings being a bit like playlists, you make one you’re in the mood for each weekend but then on thursday you’re like ‘I’m really in the mood for the mix from two weeks ago’ so you get that one back out 😂
I think he was more or less doing it as an example of just making up your own spice mixes to try out. More experimental.
@@gytisdobrovolskis7355 ... I used the same spicemix for like all my meat for years without getting bored... Only stopped cause they changed the recipe completely and now its gross.
(R.I.P santa maria grillkrydda citrus, I'll always remember you as you were...)
well it's just supposed to be for a few days and if you're in a hurry cooking.
The thing about meal prep is I'm not really sure about the storage time for each component. Like how many days should you store the roasted veggies? Is it ok to still eating it after a week?
Most likely if they are stored properly. Take a food safety course or just read up on it online. There's a plethora of information at our fingertips.
@@voidcheque7019 I usually do 7-10 days from purchase/cooking. Anymore than that and it begins to taste really bad. But 8 days is max for me.
That's always my fear, too. I tend to default to a lot of deli meat because when I cook, it's usually some kind of chicken dish and it makes me nervous keeping that in the refrigerator too long.
It is good for approximately 1 week. You will notice when it's off because it will become kinda sludgy. But a good tip is to freeze the excess that you cannot eat with the week. That will be good for about a month. After a month to 2 months, it's still fine to eat but it will taste less fresh.
As long as you reheat to 165 Deg., that should kill any bacteria.
It's crazy how organized his kitchen is. So many tools and foods to organize as well. I can really feel how intentional every space is.
Yeah if you have anice kitchen it's way easier to cook than if you have a rental kitchenette
Something else helpful - depending on your schedule, consider cooking maybe a meat on one day, enough for several days. Next day, enough grain or starch for several days. Next day, the pan of roasted veggies. Now you’re out of meat, cook another batch of a different meat. Next day, a different grain or starch. If you flow your foods like this, you can cook an easy-ish batch of something every day or two and not have exactly the same combos because you’re adding something different to the mix every day. So perhaps you have pork roast for three days, but twice with rice and once with potatoes and a different vegetable each time. Keeps you from getting bored.
this is an amazing idea??
I actually like this idea a lot! thanks
👍good idea - thanks!
Creatively using up leftovers is the best tip for me as I am just cooking for myself. My husband, who is no longer with us, asked for an easy-to-use storage system with easy-to-find lids and we settled on Brilliance containers which are completely clear, seal tight, and stack nicely. It's very nice to be able to see exactly what is available but it's also nice to have a neat refrigerator.
Your brownies are timely my friend. I was organizing my pantry yesterday and realized I had accidentally stocked up three containers of tahini! So, my takeaway: keeping your pantry organized is key and time to make brownies with tahini in them.
yes I agree. Last holiday season I was making big goodie boxes for my family, went to the store, and accidentally bought big bags of ground flax and cacao powder when I already had plenty at home. It's been over a year and I still haven't gotten to them 🤣
My mom and I love these tips! Thank you so much for sharing them, they’re a great help right now.
The only thing that made us wince a bit was that grains aren’t something you even have to worry about if you just have a rice cooker or something like an Instant Pot! Maybe it’s a Filipino thing, but we were both yelling at the rice part. If you just use a rice cooker and your finger, you save so much time and mental effort!
I like the idea of an all purpose spice mix but the cardamom, cumin, mustard, chilli and cinnamon should be toasted in a dry pan before grinding. It really brings out the flavour in them.
Thanks for the tip
A month ago I moved into my first truly own apartment with my own small kitchen. I never had the chance to really cook consistently, be free and creative with it before, because in my past living arrangements either someone else was cooking for the family or the kitchen was shared/badly equipped. I would never have thought how much I love to cook now. There is something so satisfying and liberating in providing for yourself and getting to choose what to eat and when to eat. Your channel really gave me a lot of useful tips and ideas, my dream is to have such a well-equipped pantry and all those nice kitchen gadgets one day too. It´s probably going to take a few years, but I´ll get there! Thanks for your videos!
Please do more of these. Hammer this idea in to our brains. The more we watch how you handle week after week is a big help. Basic tools and get rid of what you don’t need. Etc. We do alotmof what you show but not disciplined and being disinclined saves alot of money. A little good food prep, easy to find yummy food makes life easier and cheaper and healthier. There is a way, we must have the will to achieve it- all of it increases
Joy and we all need more joy!
Yes, yes, and yes! My son is a great help with this. We recently started a weekly plan. Grilled dinner, cooking double the protein for another ready to go meal. Then a slow cooked double protein same idea. We are pretty inventive for round two. Tacos, burritos, stir-fry, fast soups, casseroles, etc...
Two nights just veggies, like a killer salad or big baked taters with fixins. That covers 6 dinners then we are trying a semi-fast day with smoothies and extracted fresh juices as a cleanse or such. We'll see how that goes! lol.
Finally, some REAL help. You speak like a real person with real obligations. This is truly helpful and doable.
Heres a tip that he probably says but i haven't seen the whole video: Save containers, PLEASE! i.e salsa jars, sour cream containers
Here in Brazil the containers are so bad that I only keep a few for non-food one use situations, like having a small container of paint for a touch up. They leak, they bend, they are made as cheaply as humanly possible. Jars are a vanishing commodity here. Many things that came in glass now come in the same terrible plastic.
@@antiantipoda That makes me sad
Hard agree. I buy my compote in a glass jar and saved all of them to use them to store spices, rice, etc. Super useful
hah this username 👆👆
@@LifebyMikeG SENPAI NOTICED ME!!!!
I love meal prepping-I’ve been doing it for five years and I can’t imagine my life without it. Over the years I have learned so much and thanks for giving some more tips. I’ll have to try some out in my kitchen next time.
Great video, I’d recommend not adding salt to the spice mix so you can better control how much ends up in each dish though
I'm slowly learning how to cook, i started with pasta, i think about a recipe all week and then at the end of the week i try and prepare it, i've never cooked before this and i love it, cooking for someone else and seeing their reaction is an amazing feeling
If you mix a small amount of olive oil to your pasta after it's cooked (before sauce), and mix the oil in, it helps prevent it from drying out, especially if you are not going to eat it all in one sitting :)
My spice mix for any meat: Smoked paprika, coarse garlic powder, a touch of cumin and your choice of chilli
I have the same spice mix !! It's a blast, I put it everywhere :D
What ratios?
Try adding coriander seed! Its earthy lime flavored.
Cumin with smoked paprika is DELIGHTFUL!!
I mix it Apple Cider Vinegar and Maple syrup and it makes the BEST baked tofu and fried tempeh 😍
Going to try it on stewed beef soon 🤤
I really like your videos. You know what is extremely difficult to find is personalities like yours that provides helpful information for 1500 and under a month living . Nearly impossible to get quality fresh food (fruits and vegetables) outside major cities in different states.
I really like your recipes! Food storage is ideal.
Thank you very much for this clip. Types of good containers....... my situation isn't about saving time for work. It is about making several meals in one day for a couple weeks to be placed in a freezer. The hardest thing to find is vegetables and recipes. I am glad you offer a variety of vegetable ideas.
Meal prep is very important for me because one day I may not be feeling well at all. So being able to reheat a meal in a oven or microwave is ideal.
I feel you dear. One thing worth remembering when there is not much money is that frozen fruts and veggies are usually of the same quality as fresh. That saved my ass from eating shit many times..
This video made me realize that I often spend a few minutes everyday looking for all my spices for that particular meal. Definitely gonna try that spice mix blend tip thanks
Wow! I’ve watched thousands of TH-cam videos over the years and I must say, your video was exceptional! I stumbled across this video because I’m trying to get better at my kitchen skills for my family and you provided so much valuable material. Thank you and I look forward to learning more.
I feel like these days most people have a rice cooker. Still, I moved to Spain where storage space is limited and now, I appreciate your instructions for rice cooking on the stove. 😊
I don't have a rice cooker. I rather cook mine on the stove:) 63 so I'm old school.
Me: *eating a bowl of cereal*
Mike: You should really put some flavour blast on that
Also important in tuperware purchasing is how well it can be stored! I bought a pack that all next together that are varied sizes! I also reuse many takeout tuperwares that have either held main dishes or dips or sides, so plenty of sizes 😁 💞
I LOVE my deli containers for ingredient and leftover storage
this one‘s PACKED with so much value!! Thank you so much.
The past few weeks i’ve been researching about meal prep because preparing food every other day is getting more overwhelming every week.
So this one is a blessing from heaven!
Thanks a lot!
The ice cream was delicious! I also substituted maple syrup for vanilla extract but other than that it was the same. My toddler and I love sweets! I’m so thankful this is a healthier alternative than processed snacks. Thank you Mike!
Good to hear someone tried it. I'm going to try it also.
Can you do an episode just dedicated on different combinations for your all purpose sauces/dressings?
He did!
@@dimasgomez He did?! Can you share the link or title of the video? That would be helpful.
this is a great video. i'm in my early 20s and living with my partner who works long/unusual hours, and meal prepping for the two of us has always been hard for me even though i LOVE to cook! i do find it hard to balance between simple weeknight dinners, vs elaborate/ambitious meals, so this video is a huge help. :)
As a bachelor living alone, I had many eye-opening moments throughout this video! Thank you so much for such a great video.
Thank you so much for this video!! I'm still a teen living at home, but I like to be prepared for when I live on my own, and one of my biggest worries were food, and how to make food, and how to use food, and not spend a bunch of money. Some of the habits in the video I already picked up from my mom, but you put them into a entertaining to watch, easily digestible video! You inspired me to be excited about cooking, and having my own personalized space, with the stuff that works best for me, but also being beneficial. Thank you!!
I am an upcoming college freshman student, and I'm supposed to live on my own in a few months (or at least away from home) and I have no idea how I'm supposed to eat healthy since my father cooks most of our meals at home. I've been trying to figure out how to meal prep and I stumbled upon this video.
This is very insightful, thank you so much! 😄
How are you going with your cooking journey?
This might sound rude but it’s true: if cooking at home is more expensive than eating out, you’re buying the wrong foods and/or shopping in the wrong stores. (Accessibility to stores and being truly broke are different issues, but a 1hr drive once a month for groceries can save you a lot of money.) What ingredients are cheap in your area varies from another.
Cheap beans and grains are usually bought dry and can bring a lot of variety: rices, beans, and in some cases even pasta, which I’ve found as low as 80¢/lb. Canned beans can also be a reasonable price. Furthermore, it’s a pain, but you can make your own pasta and bread for much higher quality for the price of flour, water, fat, eggs, and maybe a leavener. Yes, fats can be pricey but when used in moderation they cost pennies per serving.
Find those fresh/produce items that are always cheap. For me, that’s celery, carrots, onions, potatoes, and eggs. For produce: shop seasonally, pay attention to price increases and decreases, and when that’s too expensive, frozen or canned produce is always better than none at all.
Dairy, for me, is something I typically use less frequently unless I can find it on sale and it will freeze well - shredded cheeses in particular. I’m no stranger to processed cheeses and string cheese, but cottage cheese and yogurt (in bulk, not single servings) can be a reasonable price when you can afford it. I don’t typically have milk as a drink, but I save it for recipes and cereals because milk can get expensive quickly.
The real money sink is meat, but you have to look for what’s cheap and be willing to “pay” a little extra in prep time if you want skinless and de-boned poultry. Sometimes your best meat options are canned (tuna, salmon, chicken, etc) or frozen, but I frequently find chicken thighs and drumsticks for a reasonable price per pound, frozen and thawed.
The options are there, you just have to be creative with what you have and willing to take a little extra time in the beginning to learn what is usually cheapest in your area.
Edit: Another exception: going gluten & dairy free. Recently forced to do this because of health. Short of making everything at home (which I don't always have time for), gluten free products are PRICEY holy cow.
Vegan is cheap! And healthy and good for the planet, the animals, the people who are exploited by that industry (either through working conditions or living in the vicinity of a factory farm).
@@emeraldmaria it can be, however you have to do your research and make sure you’re taking a multi with b12 and getting all your essential nutrients or you can get deficient really quickly.
Edit to also add that if the quality of life for animals and workers are a concern to you but you don’t want to (or, like me, have tried to and can’t) go vegetarian/vegan sustainably, it never hurts to look for local farmers and ask about their prices. Yes, this can get expensive, but if your conscience is concerned and your pocketbook allows, I believe that supporting good, local farmers is always the best option. Unfortunately, I know that’s not available to many people, myself included.
@@lemonarizonatea Yes, though b12 isn't expensive and everything else can come from plant sources. You can always go vegan! Every vegan I know has said they could never go vegan at one point in their life. And you can never kill anything humanely if it doesn't want to be killed. Nor can you guaruntee it had a good life by buying local. It is actually very hard to ensure, it is a very secretive industry and even smaller farmers exploit. The most humane pig farmer I've ever heard of still castrated without anesthetics.
@@emeraldmaria Everyone's dietary needs are different. Period. What works for some, doesn't always work for others. You sound very pretentious when you push your dietary beliefs on others. You can inform without trying to convert.
@@jessm.2779 Agreed, going vegan is not as easy as people make out. It can be incredibly difficult to get all the nutrients you need and in my experience it requires a lot more time in the kitchen.
I just bought ingredients for my first meal prep and found this video on my feed! This has been insanely helpful and I feel excited about getting in the kitchen again. The frozen fruit tip is life-saving, and I also love the way you seared your meat in the slow cooker. I'd never thought of this! Subscribed!
Although I don’t meal prep (I work from home and have the time to cook twice a day), I loved this video. Your kitchen is so beautiful too! Totally agree about variety. Most people eat monotonous. I’m very proud of the fact that my BF and I have been living together for a year and I’ve never cooked the same thing twice.
Really appreciate all those time stamps that separate the video into chapters, very convenient for me to go where I need to get that info!
This is my biggest weakness. Providing consistantly. I either want to make a big complex meal or not cook at all.
Then make extra of that meal and put it in the fridge or freezer :) even just doubling a recipe means you halve the amount of times you need to cook
Thanks for this! I tried meal prep the common way before and while it helped me when for my baby, I don't do it for myself because my family and I get bored with the same stuff and I refuse to let things go to bad and to waste. I'm caught between needing it to last and wanting variety.
I'm so happy you mentioned kids. I'm a mom of two, 5 yrs and 3 Mon, and I'm a sucker for eating junk food just because by the time I make everyone else's food and clean up it feels like it's nearly time for the next meal. Once tried to meal prep before but, like you mentioned, it just got bland. Thanks for these tips!!
Agreed about the leftovers. I always eat mine, but I remember as a kid I was so into adding spices to revitalize leftover white rice. Tandoori Masala and rice hits just right. Personally, I think it would be a good idea to keep some Garam Masala and Five Spice Mix around to ensure that I have easy access to two cuisines at least.
8:30 🕣
All purpose sauce
Dill
Parsley
Lemon juice
Garlic
1 avocado
Add spoon fills of yoghurt
Add more water or lemon until desired consistency.
Dude, you’ve really progressed to an amazing level from when you started out with the one dollar meal channel. You did it mane.
Homemade popcorn, hell yeah! Brown paper bag in the microwave with a little canola oil. Finish with Slap Ya Momma creole seasoning or just some garlic powder and a touch of salt.
I have always loved to home cook, but for some reason as my kiddos get bigger it has become a chore. I can’t spend 2 hours a night in the kitchen anymore and I’m not sure I want to. I want to enjoy it again. Have a glass of wine, or throw on a podcast. You have totally motivated me to meal prep ahead and I love it! Thank you so so much!
Wow, I've been struggling recently with cooking because it just got so boring, but I also found it hard to find the time to think about new or "innovative" recipes to try. This video just inspired me again and reminded me why I love cooking, small changes really make a big impact on the taste of your food. Can't wait to try some of these tips and recipes.
This video came at the right time for me! I've been trying to eat healthier, and with work getting busier - I'm really struggling to do so. After following some really bland meal prep guides I was feeling pretty uninspired, but this has really giving me the inspiration to keep going
The person I started cooking fresh and high quality for is: Me. I was shocked at how much better home cooked and fresh vegs/meats were compared to prepackaged/processed foods. It's like I've been ok with feeding myself bad quality food while I deserve better. So after realizing that the only person that can take great care of you is you I completely changed the way I prepare food and this channel has helped me with a lot of great tips. Thanks!
I find that I don't necessarily spend a lot of time prepping for the week so much as I prep for other meals as I'm cooking one. For example, if I'm cutting up some broccoli and cauliflower to steam, I'll cut up some more to make a stir-fry later in the week. That's 2 less veggies I need to prep. Or when I buy a large package of ground beef at the wholesale club, I'll make meatloaf out of half and then make some hamburger patties and/or fry off the rest and package how I'd use it. I also like leftovers. They work for lunch or when you feel exhausted, just being able to warm up a hot meal makes you feel better. Makeovers are good too. Throwing little bits and portions of other meals together to make a new meal is very quick and satisfying.
try scooping the ice cream, before freezing it. This way, you have your portions ready to go. It's way more difficult to scoop, after it has gone freeze. By the way, I loved your tips!
I got sick 2 years ago, and i have cooked at home nutritious organic food. I take a probiotic too. However, it was the change in eating that got me well. I cut out all sugar but every now and then i can eat that now. You’re encouragement is great and you are young good for you!!!!
Two things. 1. please make more of this type of video, and even some videos where you go through what you're cooking for the week. 2. your green goddess dressing is superb! I'm going to be making it consistently.
Can you please include metric system, like celcius would be awesome!
Kind regards from a dane
tree fondo (350f) is standart 180C
People should learn how to do both as it will help for anytime in the future.
C > F is = * 1.8 + 32
Eg 100 C (boiling) = 180+32= 212
I mean you could just google the conversion (“what is 400 F in Celsius?”) or whatever the case may be
@@hervva so i heared you suck at cooking?
Come on, James, he’s giving you almost 20 minutes of awesome info, surely you do one thing yourself and convert it. I mean, ask your phone hands free, takes a second.
Thank you for this. I am the only cook in my house. But everyone has tastebuds and opinions. After 30 years it was getting boring. Watching you cook has renewed my love of cooking and everyone has benefited.
For me the best containers to store stuff in are the ones from Ikea... Glas with a four side snap lid... perfect! I can use them to freeze, microwave and even bake in the oven (without the lid on ofc). I bought a set of 10 in each size and it saved so many evenings already when I was lazy and didnt want to start cooking from scratch.
Same for me, those were brilliant and are my daily cooking helper! I was quite annoyed to see that IKEA changed their sizes and styles lately... The new ones look nice, but their sizes seem off for me - i.e. Much deeper or much smaller than the old, "perfect" ones.
Anyhow, rant over. Just hold on to your containers, they're the best! :)
bpa free doesnt really work, there are still endocrine disruptors in pretty much all plastics lol ideally use glass instead of plastic
I agree kind of. It’s better in general but if you’re taking lunch to work on public transport the risk of breakage is high and can be really heavy to carry. If you’re at home or driving to work then yes, I’d definitely go glass.
glad to hear you are on he same page as me on plastic!
@@pinkmagicali heavy, yes, I completely agree with you. But honestly, I have dropped my glass Tupperware several times already (I am supper clumsy) and the worst thing that happened was the lid popped out and my food spread all over the floor. But the Tupperware was completely fine !
Yes, and they now use BPS instead. BPA-free indeed.
In general don't heat food on plastic, at minimum you can wreak the plastic. But the hotter the plastic gets the more chemical leakage, so let the food cool first and heat it on a plate.
I try to cook several different meals throughout the week alternating various proteins and 2 sides with the more complicated efforts on the weekends, but my mantra is to try to cook each time for at least 2 meals. We typically use leftovers for lunches if there is not enough of something to make another main meal or side. If something is still around after a few days then it's going into soup, casserole or an omelette.
this dude's kitchen is as big as my apartment.
That spice rack is as big as my kitchen cabinet.
My kitchen table is my office right now...
@@songbanana8 that is his work studio. it is an apartment that he turned into a kitchen
He forgot that tip. Have enough money to have a big kitchen..money makes things easier tip.
2.5 millions subscribers pays off 😂
The one tip that didn’t resonate with me is freezing your own fruit. Way cheaper, way easier, way less time spent to just buy frozen fruit. (And I’m definitely a fan of frozen fruit as snacks and desserts.)
There's also the tendancy for bought frozen fruit to be more nutritional because it ripens on the plant rather than in-transit
freezing some fruits yourself makes sense. i dont see frozen apples or bananas at the store
I was thinking the same thing, only things I freeze myself are banana and zucchini (if it counts) since I can't find it frozen (unless in mixes, bananas always with even more super sweet fruit) And I'm easily overwhelmed by sweetness. Hence the zucchini, similar creaminess as banana (avocado works too, that I can buy frozen) but a lot less flavour. They don't look as pretty but... how much do we care?
You got me at way cheaper, but less time spend and easier are sweet bonusses.
You can buy a pound or two, use the fresh ones for breakfast, then freeze the rest before it goes bad. Frozen fruit in the stores that I buy it has preservatives which lower the quality.
I agree not to mention the pre-frozen fruit at the grocery store is probably going to have better texture since it's flash-frozen not to mention it usually will be fresher since it hasn't spent god knows how long since being picked to when you actually get it.
Meal Prepping in an efficiency apartment is the real challenge. My 2 feet of counter space and corner table don't allow for a lot of options. But I like the ideas you provide
Yes my meal preps in this situation consisted of big pots (curries, soups) of food that you can heat up everyday and eat for a long time as long as you’re heating it.
Tupperware and multiple elements take up too much space especially because a lot of these apartments give you those tragic tiny fridges.
My table is 36". I usually am using half of it for meal prep, baking, most anything. You can do stuff! I have a small counter I can use but it's higher than my table and not as comfortable. The height of your prep area is important.
I used to live in an apt with inches of counter space. I used to use the stovetop and space over the sink to make things work. I would also prep things in other spaces. That apt was a studio so I'd prep stuff at the table in the living area. It wasn't the most easeful thing but it worked!
I'm only at the beginning but FYI to everyone who ever gets takeout: you can save and wash those containers rather than buying containers!
Thats why i've never bought a single container in my life lmao
When I started cooking for myself I was shocked how little food I actually need. My shelves were stocked for pretty much one month when I thought it'd last me a week.
Yes, I tend to overstock like I'm cooking for a crowd...lol.
I really like all your ideas about fresh, home cooked meals and utilizing a variety of foods etc. Thats how we do things too, organic, as fresh as possible etc. My problem is that myself and my family are limited to certain foods we can eat due to allergies (which we're working on reversing) but so to me, simple is always better. This can make things pretty boring. I've never been much of a cook and so watching these videos for motivation and ideas is helpful especially when it comes to the sauces/condiments/dressings you make. That alone elevates a meal from plain Jane to amazing, which I appreciate because like I said, we have limited options but a 2 ingredient sauce (like in your other video i just watched) will make thinks a lot more flavorful and enjoyable. No excuses, just gotta make it a priority to get in the kitchen and create! Thanks!
It's amazing how simple it could be once you get going. Thanks for reminding and thanks for the nifty tips. I've never thought of grinding whole cardamom pods, always tried to peal them. And I'm deffinitely trying out the baked veggies. I need tons of them as I am dieting.
Love these types of videos! Have been following you since the start of brothers green and you’ve grown so much !!! First time leaving a comment just wanted to show some love and to tell you we all appreciate the effort you put on your videos :)
;)
Thanks you so much for this. I'm transitioning into that world of adulting full time, preparing to get two jobs, and preparing to over the new rental next year when my dad follows my mom back to their home country. Of course in order to save money, making meals at home is essential to cut those spending costs, so knowing how to meal prep and what to get to start off with, as well as tips on how to maintain the motivation of doing it is really helpful.
I've recently gotten into trying to understand the bits and pieces of making food. Obviously I've been cooking before, but by the recipe, not by understand what was going on. And Your vids are making me more excited to prep and cook, because it's just that easy! Can't wait to treat my friends to some of the stuff thanks to the skills I've picked up from you.
Grats on the journey!
This is so cool and great advice.. but I feel that a lot of this is hard to do for people who haven't started or gotten the motivation for cooking.
My advice? Start with things like sausage and pre-marinated meats you just need to put in the oven. Then slowly do sandwiches, make your own lemonade.
Then evolve into cooking with salt and pepper. From eggs, to steak, chicken and fish. Do some roasted veggies.
And learn to mix basic sauces with mayo.
Once you are more used to actually using your kitchen, you can evolve quite a lot.... it's about getting used to the kitchen first.
You don't need to start by doing everything. Just take baby steps... let yourself evolve. And once you do, then try easy basic recipes you can find online.
It's crazy how much you grow once you break past the first point of just getting used to the kitchen. Not learning how to cook, but just doing stuff in it.
Greatest motivation is to buy dishwasher.
++++++++++
Cooking for other people… I used to do this all the time. Now I’m used to being solo and need to improve how I feed myself- it needs to be easy but wholesome and tasty. Your videos are a big help
Thank you for reinspiring me to cook again after facing medically-necessary dietary changes (again). I love that you focus on whole foods and lots of veggies, and I just love your heart for family meals.
Mike: "Variety is key"
Also Mike: "Make one sauce that goes on everything"
one sauce that goes on everything saves time for people like me that keep it simple
And 1 spice mix!
I knew right...
Dude we all have that one sauce. Im just wondering how he gets avocado to keep so long
yeah but he said he changes the sauce/spice mix every week
Yesssss! Getting creative with leftovers and having HOME cooked meals for us for work and school is my motivator.
I meal prep the same stuff every week for the past 3 years. My motivation was losing 40 lbs initially. Once I did that the motivation is maintaining my weight and muscle while barely working out. I love it. Not for everyone but it's easy as shit to make and takes 3 hours a week to do 11 meals. And I can have a cheat meal or two a week as well.
I would love to know the recipes for the meals you prep! Congrats.
@@M00N.L1GHT ground turkey or chicken already made i just warm it up (im bad at making chicken), quinoa, broccoli. for lunch and dinner. my meal prep is super boring but i dont mind it
@@tonic316 thanks for sharing, and again, congrats.
My motto is: "don't serve leftovers, serve makeovers".
Good one
I love that!!!
Hey! I stumbled upon you when I searched Short Ribs! I salted my ribs (to use tomorrow), and went on to watch 3 more of your videos, AND subscribed! You are so in tune with the cooking needs of America. I'm old as dirt, but I have gained fresh ideas about flavor and cooking work-strategies. Then there are the young women (and some men), who are coming back to home cooking; what a game-changer it would have been if I had your expert videos when I was a new bride. Thanks for inspiring all of us! Big hug, Cat
The amount of effort put in this video is just amazing, kudos Mike❤️