With a family of seven, there’s always going to be some degree of chaos. With a lot of kids, someone’s going to lose their socks, misplace homework, and get into an occasional squabble. For the parents, it’s all about keeping peace and staying organized. Especially when it comes to food, there has to be a way to make meals tasty, healthy, easy, and of course, fast.
Thanks to a woman named Erica Adler, all you parents are in luck. Not only is she a professional chef but also a professional food prepper. No, this doesn’t have anything to do with stocking up canned goods and dried food for Dooms Day. It’s about making mealtime in your home easier but without sacrificing on flavor.
Showing us the ropes
In one of her more popular videos posted online, she teaches viewers how to meal prep three to four lunches/dinners for a family of seven. In this case, she’s working for a client. Before going to their home to start prepping, Erica recommends having groceries delivered ahead of time. While there’s a small fee for this, it’s worth it for busy families.
Creating family meals
What Erica does is create what she refers to as “family meals.” That means they include a few mains and sides, each in individual containers as opposed to having them share space in a single container. That helps keep the flavors natural. Although the other way works too, this is her preferred method.
Time for zoodles
A lot of kids, adults too, love noodles. Unfortunately, they’re loaded with carbohydrates. Erica suggests swapping out squash in place of pasta. You might consider investing in a “zoodle” machine, which does all the cutting and spiraling for you. When cooked right, no one will be able to tell the difference.
Prep everything first
Rather than prep just one type of food before cooking it, Erica says it’s much faster and easier if you prep everything first. In other words, you can fill a bowl with minced garlic, chopped onion, diced tomatoes, and so on. With a good menu, you can use those ingredients in more than one dish.
Salt and pepper seasoning
Most people have a salt and pepper shaker nearby for seasoning the prepped food. But Erica says a bowl or what’s called a “spice pot/chamber” works better. That way, you’ll get the right amount of seasoning needed. This will also save you time.
Make batches of sauces and marinades
A lot of sauces and marinades will keep in the freezer for months. As part of meal prepping, consider making things you like and then freezing them. When it comes time to put several dishes together, you’ll already have what you need, saving you significant time. If you want, you can buy jarred products and then customize them before freezing.
Additional tips from Erica
She provides a host of fantastic tips. A few more of these include using one-quarter cup of dry grain a serving per person and when cooking it, add about one-half teaspoon of salt. She also points out the importance of allowing cooked food to completely cool before closing the container lid. Why? The food will keep longer.
If you’ve never done prepping before, there’s a slight learning curve. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll never go back to the old way. The alternative…hire a personal chef/meal prepper like Erica.
For more helpful meal prep ideas, as well as delicious menu options from Erica, check out her video below.
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Source: YouTube
