Meal-prepping made easy with the help of your friends

Making time for family, friends, and overall health can be rough while juggling what seems to be a never-ending amount of responsibilities daily. Getting the chance to have a proper meal may seem near impossible on some days. The solution of meal-prepping has come to the forefront. The term was popularized by health social media influencers. Meal-prepping involves preparing one large dish or several dishes that can be portioned over time. 

While this concept may seem like another monotonous task to add to your laundry list of obligations, it, like anything, can be fun. Instead of seeing meal prepping as something that has to be done, involving friends or other things that bring joy can make the act something to look forward to. 

Do it on the weekends

The week is far too hectic to add something new to the agenda. Most people get off work around 5 or 6 and may have other commitments afterward. Plus, meal-prepping is supposed to relieve stress, not add to it. 

Set aside an hour or so on Sunday before the grind starts and invite a few friends to listen to some good music, compare recipes, and refresh and renew for the week ahead. This allows for productivity and a social battery recharge all in one.

Come up with themes

To keep the meal-prepping sessions lively, incorporate a new theme each week. It could be meals aligned with various holidays, cultures, or lifestyles. For instance, during a meal-prep night, a group member could showcase their cultural background by teaching everyone how to cook a meal from their culture. This way, guests get to know more about each other and enjoy a piece of a heritage they may not have been familiar with. 

Create a meal list

If the group decides to cook the same meals each week, be mindful of dietary restrictions, allergies, and dislikes. Find ingredient substitutes with similar flavor profiles. Create a list of upcoming meals with detailed ingredient lists to prepare in advance and make cooking more enjoyable.

Make guests feel welcome

If someone is going to be the host for the whole time of meal-prepping together or if the hosts will rotate weekly, it will be helpful to make the environment one people feel excited to go to. 

All the cooking will make friends hungry, so provide some tasty snacks. If the conversation comes to a lull, have a favorite movie on or a reliable playlist with well-loved songs in the background. 

Meal-prepping helps to save time during the week by ensuring tasty meals are set for the days ahead. While it’s used to relieve stress from the day-to-day, it can also be something fun to look forward to with the people who bring joy.