Prep Now, Eat Later

Prepare perishable foods soon after shopping. That makes it easier to whip up meals later in the week, saving time, effort and money. Here are a few tips:

1. When you get home from the store, wash, dry, chop, dice, slice and place your fresh food items in clear storage containers for snacks and easy cooking.
2. Befriend your freezer and visit it often. Freeze food such as bread, sliced fruit or meat that you know you won’t be able to eat in time.
3. Cut your time spent preparing food each week by batch cooking entire meals ahead of time that can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
4. Prepare and cook perishable items, then freeze them for use throughout the month. For example, bake and freeze chicken breasts or fry and freeze taco meat.