How to Meal Prep During Winter
Winter is here and when it comes to planning meals, it’s only natural to want to enjoy warm and comforting ones that keep the chill out. However, the colder months can bring what feels like shorter days and hearty dishes often fall in to the ‘slow cooked’ category, so finding the time and energy to cook wholesome meals from scratch each night can be a challenge.
That’s where winter meal prepping comes in! By dedicating some time to planning and preparing your meals in advance, you can eat better, reclaim precious time during the week, but also ensure that warm, stress-free, comforting meals are ready to go, no matter how hectic it all gets!
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Why Meal Prep Is a Winter Game-Changer
When the days get dark early and the weather leaves you wanting to snuggle under a blanket, the idea of cooking a whole meal each night can be daunting. That’s why planning and preparing meals in advance is truly a game-changer.
- Save precious time during dark and busy weekdays: Meal prepping allows you to come home to a delicious, ready-to-heat dinner so you have more time for relaxing, your hobbies, or spending time with family or friends.
- Reduce food waste and encourage consistent, healthier eating: When you plan out your meals and only buy the ingredients you need, it can help you minimise your food waste. If you have dietary goals, having healthy, portioned meals prepared makes it easier to stick to them and avoid impulsive and less nutritious food choices.
- Keep warm and nourished with less effort: Usually winter dishes can take a while to prepare and cook, so making a larger batch of warming meals ahead of time and splitting them up into airtight containers ensures you can have tasty and cosy food ready to enjoy.
- Avoid the mid-week takeaway temptation. Having appealing, pre-made meals ready and waiting means you can cut the need to get expensive and often less healthy fast food or takeaways, saving you money and supporting your health.
How to Start Meal Prep
Before you dive into the cooking, a little preparation can go a long way to ensure everything goes smoothly. Here are some essential steps to help set you up for success:
- Pick a dedicated meal prep day: You’ll need a good portion of time to prep, cook, and then store your meals for the week, so choose a day when you can focus without rushing.
- Create a simple meal plan: Decide which meals you’ll be prepping, whether it’s lunch, dinner, or even breakfast. Plan your meals for the week ahead, considering what's in season and readily available. We’ll be recommending some brilliant winter staples shortly!
- Write a detailed shopping list: Depending on your meal plan and recipes, make sure to take note of the ingredients you have and what you’ll need. This can save you time at the supermarket and prevent you from forgetting anything or doubling up.
- Get your containers ready: It’s important to make sure you have enough airtight containers and in various sizes to store your prepped ingredients and complete meals. Having dedicated meal prep containers is a good idea so they are easy to find, and you know what they are used for. Don’t forget to label what meals are in them!
Winter Meal Prep Recipe Ideas
Taking inspiration from what’s in season in winter, we’re sharing some of our favourite prep-ahead and comforting recipes that are perfect for making those chilly winter days stress free and delicious.
Breakfast Meal Prep Recipes:
Packed with all the good stuff, this healthy granola is perfect for breakfast or a midday snack. Easy to make and full of nourishing ingredients, you can store it in glass containers so it stays fresh and crunchy all week long.
This cosy winter breakfast is ready in under 5 minutes! With the help of your Microsafe container, you can whip up this tasty chia oatmeal in the microwave in no time.
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Lunch Meal Prep Recipes:
This quick and delicious miso noodle soup recipe is a great option to bring to the office! No need to use a stove, simply put all the ingredients into a microwave safe container at home then add the stock into your lunch when ready.
Pasta salads keep well, especially when stored in airtight containers, which makes them perfect for meal prep. This recipe also includes chickpeas as a source of protein to help keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Pumpkin is a great winter veggie that can be used in a multitude of ways and adds some heart to any meal of the day by adding to our delicious frittata. Using containers that are also oven safe means you can cut down on the dishes and store your meals easily after its cooked!
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Dinner Meal Prep Recipes:
This incredible 'Marry Me' chicken dinner is packed with flavour and a crowd pleaser that works well as a super simple weeknight dinner. You can bake and store the dish in Decor’s baking dishes, then serve it up the next day too!
This exceptionally tasty one-dish baked pasta is a super easy mid-week meal that the whole family will love! Using an oven proof dish that also acts as storage makes it easy to cook it, dish it and save it for later.
If you’re looking for low-effort high protein dishes, this tasty and simple baked salmon recipe is just what you’re after. A glass container is a great option for convenient oven cooking, especially if they also come with a lid so you can store any leftovers easily in the fridge (once the container has cooled).
Warm up your taste buds with this delicious baked pumpkin gnocchi recipe! Perfect for cosy nights, this dish pairs the soft, pillowy texture of gnocchi with a sweet pumpkin puree and cheesy topping. Bake, serve and save it for later with an oven safe container.
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How to Safely Store Your Meal Prep
After all your hard work in preparing your delicious meals, you don’t want them to go to waste! That’s why proper storage is key. Here are a few key things to remember to make sure your food is tasty and safe to eat throughout the week.
- Cool food before storing: Allow any cooked meals to cool down before closing the lid of your containers. Storing hot food can create condensation, which then leads to moisture build-up and potential bacteria growth.
- Utilise airtight containers: To keep your food fresher for longer, you’ll want to invest in good quality, airtight containers. Our Décor Vent & Seal range is perfect for meal prep as they have an airtight seal which makes the range leakproof so you can avoid spills while retaining optimum freshness.
- Divide meals into single-serving portions: Portioning your meals makes it easy for you to just grab and go in the morning and allows for quicker reheating.
- Label containers clearly with the contents and date: Label your containers with what dish is inside and the date you made it, so you know what meals you have stored. We suggest using generic masking tape or the OzHarvest Use It Up Tape.
- Organise your fridge by use-by date: Organise your meal prep in your fridge with the earliest cook dates at the front. This can help prevent food waste by reminding you what you need to eat first.
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How to Safely Reheat Your Meal Prep
While safe cooking and storage practices are key, it’s also important to properly reheat your meal prep so it’s safe to eat.
Reheating from the Fridge
Most prepped meals that are stored in the fridge immediately after cooking should be enjoyed within 3–4 days. If you’re heating in the microwave, make sure the meal heats up evenly by stirring halfway through the reheating time to avoid any cold spots. Our Décor Microsafe range has been specifically designed for quick microwave heating and cooking with safe hold handles and a steam release lid vent.
Your meal should also be piping hot all the way through and ideally reach a temperature of 75°C throughout. Remember you can only reheat your prepared meals once. For food safety reasons, try not to store and reheat the same dish multiple times.
Reheating from the Freezer
If you choose to freeze some of your prepped meals immediately after cooking, they can often last up to 3 months in the freezer. The Décor Microsafe containers are a handy option to freeze meal portions and then make things easy when it comes to reheating later. For best food texture results and even reheating, you’ll want to thaw your dish overnight in the fridge. If you’re reheating straight from frozen, the reheat time will be much longer, and you may need to stir often during the it to break the food up. As with all reheating, make sure it’s piping hot, again reaching that 75°C temperature throughout. Remember, reheating your prepped meals more than once is not recommended, and you shouldn’t refreeze any defrosted foods either.
Top Tip
To keep your reheated winter meals moist and delicious, especially dishes with rice, pasta, or proteins, try adding a splash of water before heating and covering them with a microwave-safe lid with a steam vent. This simple trick helps retain valuable moisture and makes enjoying reheated meals that much better!
What are the Best Foods for Meal Prep
Choosing the right ingredients and food is key to ensuring your make-ahead meals are not only delicious but also maintain their texture and flavour when you reheat them.
Foods That Work Well for Meal Prep
When it comes to successful meal prepping, there are certain foods that work better than other due to their ability to be stored and then reheat beautifully. It’s also a good idea to cook with ingredients that are in season, so you know they are fresh and also better for your budget.
- Cooked grains like rice, quinoa, and couscous are great bases for many dishes. They hold up well in the refrigerator and reheat evenly, making them a great carb option for lunch bowls or to add at dinner.
- Roasted vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots, and cauliflower can hold flavour and texture well, whether they’re stored in the fridge or freezer. They add a boost of nutrients and hearty warmth to any meal.
- Protein options like grilled chicken, slow-cooked beef, and versatile legumes such as chickpeas and lentils are great staples for meal prep. They are satisfying and flavourful when reheated and can be used in a variety of dishes. Protein also keeps you fuller for longer!
- Soups and stews are the quintessential winter comfort food and are also ideal for meal prepping. Many often taste even better the next day as the flavours incorporate more and they often freeze exceptionally well so are the perfect meal to batch cook.
Smart Meal Prep Tips for the Winter Season
To make your winter meal prepping even more efficient and enjoyable, here are our top tips:
- Cook in batches: Maximise your time by preparing big batches of your favourite recipes. This way, you'll have more meals ready to go with just a single cooking session.
- Focus on freezer-friendly meals: Embrace recipes like soups, stews, and casseroles that freeze and reheat easily, so that you’ll have tasty and hearty options for even the chilliest days.
- Store toppings and sides separately: Keep foods like salads, crunchy toppings, or sauces in separate containers and add them to your meal just before you eat it so that they maintain their texture and don’t get soggy when you reheat.
- Pre-portion meals: Split up your meal prep into individual servings. This makes grabbing a meal quick and easy and helps with portion control throughout the week.
Make Winter Meal Prep Work for You with Décor
Meal prepping in winter doesn't need to be a chore. With the right habits and a few helpful tools, staying organised and nourished throughout the colder months can be easy, especially with a little storage and help from Décor!
Explore our full range of food preparation and storage products to simplify your meal prepping journey and make healthy eating a breeze this winter.
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Have you been cooking up a storm? Make sure to share your winter meal prep creations on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok, and tag @DecorAustralia for a chance to be featured or even have your content reshared!
