Working from home (WFH) has two sides – on one hand, it’s a blessing, saving you transport costs and time for other aspects of your daily life, but on the other hand, it can lead to overworking and irregular eating. Both negatively affect your nutrition, focus, and emotional well-being.
This is where meal planning comes in handy. Having meals and snacks prepped for the week can lead to less stress, decision fatigue, and more towards better nutrition and stronger focus.
How to realistically meal plan with a WFH schedule
WFH can seem like whipping up a lunch or afternoon snack is easy and quick, but in reality, it can take a big chunk out of your day, not to mention the added dishes to do, especially after dinner. Here are a few practical tips on how to make meal prepping easier, and a few alternatives to consider:
- Slice and dice over the weekend: Prepping fruits for breakfast and snacks, and pre-chopping vegetables for lunches and dinners makes the time it takes to actually cook minimal
- Pre-cook rice and grains: These often take the longest to wash, soak and cook, so what better way to save time than to prep an extra portion over the weekend
- Time your Instant Pot or slow cookers: Prep these before work and time them to be ready around lunchtime, that way you won’t have to do more than chuck a few (already) prepped ingredients into a pot and dish up when your stomach starts to rumble
- Meal plan one-pot dishes, or minimal-cook meals, to save time
- Wash dishes once a day: It might feel odd leaving dishes to pile up during the day, but it saves time in the long run
- Cook extra portions: Whether it’s a breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, making one or two extra portions means less prepping and cooking for a few days. Consider freezer-friendly meals that you can cook in bulk over the weekend and thaw during the week
- Most importantly, meal prep foods and dishes you love to eat. The usual sandwiches, wraps, boiled eggs and cheese sticks might be convenient, but it might also not be your first choice
- If all else fails, or you’re not big on cooking, look for businesses that supply ready-made, healthy meals, or ones that do all the prep work for you
Our favourite meals to prep in advance
- Scrambled tofu wraps
- Four-ingredient chicken and cheese egg muffins
- Chicken potato stir fry
- Chicken chorizo, fennel roasted tomato risoni
- Sesame-crusted chicken with “quickled” slaw
- Tuna burgers
- Easy green couscous salad
- Asparagus fritters with herb salad
- Chicken Ceaser salad pasta bowl
Also See: How to freeze cooked meals to save your meal prep
