Vegetable Meal Prepping 101
Vegetable Meal Prepping 101
Meal prepping, also known as batch cooking, involves cooking dishes or ingredients in advance, often in bulk. There are many benefits of meal prepping such as saving time, saving money, increasing intake of whole foods, solving cooking burnout and reducing stress. Overall, meal prepping encourages thoughtful preparation of ingredients such as vegetables, legumes and proteins.
Washing and cooking vegetables can take time, but planning a specific prep method will ease the process. Practice meal prep with these 4 ways to batch cook vegetables.
Most vegetables can be roasted. Spread a selection of vegetables on parchment paper, drizzle olive oil and spices, and roast between 350°F-450°F for 20-45 minutes, depending on the vegetables. When roasting vegetables together, choose those that require a similar cooking time such as root vegetables like carrots, parsnips and sweet potato, and chop them into a comparable size. Some of our favorite veggies to roast are tomatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans and fennel.
To sauté vegetables, add olive oil, minced garlic and diced onions to a pan over medium heat. As the garlic and onions become fragrant, add vegetables and spices. Sprinkle in chopped herbs.
Steaming is an easy prep method that preserves a fresh taste and retains water-soluble vitamins. Delicious steamed vegetables include carrots, broccoli, kale and cauliflower.
Chop and slice raw vegetables such as peppers, cucumbers, radishes and carrots. Save for a crudité platter or dips and spreads.
Our favorite recipes for meal prepped vegetables:
Blistered Tomatoes with Smashed Rosemary Potatoes and Cheezy Beans
Any roasted, sautéed or steamed vegetable drizzled with salad dressing
Pro tip: if meal prepping a salad or any vegetables with a dressing, wait to dress until just before eating.
