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!

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.

Meal Prep Recipes:

• Healthy Granola

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.

• Chia Oatmeal

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.

• Microwave Miso Noodle Soup

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 Salad

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.  

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 Fresh Seal Clips range is perfect for meal prep as they have an airtight seal which makes the range leak resistant 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.
• 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.
  
  

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!