Spend less time cooking with the 4+2+1 meal prepping formula
Two Melbourne mums have come up with a foolproof plan for feeding your family dinner every.single.night.
Friends Jen Petrovic and Gaby Chapman came up with the 4+2+1 formula to help other parents cut back on how much time they spend cooking each week. Their idea is so great, they’ve turned it into a book: Plan, Buy, Cook Book.
How does the 4+2+1 formula work?
“The 4+2+1 formula means you cook four meals each week, take two from the freezer and make one simple meal using leftovers,” Jen and Gaby told Daily Mail Australia.
“By only having to cook four meals from scratch, you can save so much time and also have tasty, healthy home-cooked meals without the daily ‘what’s for dinner?’ stress.”
Your week in a nutshell
Planning
Plan four meals that you want to make during the week. Two of those meals shouldn’t take you any more than an hour, including prep time and serving. The other two meals need to be freezer friendly.
Monday and Tuesday
Think simple yet delicious meals like a stir fry or tacos. If it’s going to take longer than 60 minutes, forget about it.
Wednesday and Thursday
These meals require a bit more time, but the pay is worth it. Choose a recipe from our freezer-friendly meal ideas article, make double, eat half and freeze the rest for next week.
Friday and Saturday
This is where all of your planning pays off. Defrost something from the freezer and serve with a simple side.
Sunday
On the last day you rest. Make something easy like eggs or a cheese toastie. Better yet, get takeaway.
A huge savings
As well as saving you time and energy, Jen and Gaby say this plan will also save you money.
“If you plan your meals and only buy what you need for the week without impulse buying, you will save around $2,500 per year,” they said.
“It’s easy to be tempted at the end of the aisle or at the checkout, or by those lovely eggplants which look great. But if you haven’t got a plan to use any of this, they will go to waste.”
Sounds pretty good to us!
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