How to Batch Cook on a Budget when you’re a Complete Beginner

Two of my big (but easy) resolutions this year:

1.       Spend less money than I make
2.       Eat more veggies

The first seems simple enough. I’ve been pretty lazy about following a budget this past year, turns out when you don’t budget it’s easy to spend more than you actually have…oops!

The second, is something we can all get better at, right? I’ve already been eating a plant-based and gluten-free diet for a few years now, so plants and I are best buds.  I love it and want to take it further; by cutting back on snackie foods, that are heavy on corn; like chips, crackers, gluten-free bread and replace it with less processed things, like veggies.

Easy enough, right?
Turns out many of the things I was already doing can help me out with both goals:
Minimalist meal planning + batch cooking

If you eat dinner at home five nights a week, spending 15 minutes doing a little planning can save you at least five hours a week – no joke.  Meal planning takes a few minutes of thought, and roughly 2-3 hours in the kitchen on a weekend.  Split it up over two days at an hour or so each, easy right?  The results are well worth it, saving time, money and energy.

Now, you might be thinking, I don’t eat a plant based diet. If you want to, this is not a guide on how to go plant-based, there’s many resources out there for that.  And even if you don’t want to eat a plant-based (aka ‘vegan’) diet, you can follow this simple guide to eat more veggies + add in all the animal products you like.
Cool?

Let’s roll…here’s how to do it and keep your head from spinning:

1.  A pantry stocked with the basics

Check out my minimalist pantry list, nothing weird. Well, except nutritional yeast. If you’re already a fan of dairy-free milk, this’ll be your friend to replace anything you would have used Parmesan cheese on.

2.  Map out your meals

This is a map, not a plan. If you like prescribed meal plans that tell you precisely what to eat; half a cup of rice, 6 almonds, 8 leaves of lettuce, then spin in a circle 6 times and pat yourself on the head, stop reading this guide right now. This is a loose, easy, but effective way to get more home-cooked food (with less fuss) into your belly.


Start with dinner, how many dinners will you be home for this week? Survey the fridge and pantry for items you need to use up or restock. Dust off your favorite cookbooks, think about what’s in season, what you’ve been craving, or browse my barefoot kitchen to pick your dinners for the week then make a list of the dinners you want to eat. Check out the meal mapping template to keep you organized. Once you decide on dinner, the rest falls into place. Dinner turns into mix + match leftovers for happy lunches.

The best way to avoid veggies going bad is to eat them.

3. Get Inspired.

Inspiration starts with fresh + local produce. My plan begins with my weekly produce delivery, which when I lived in Milton came from Plan B Organics.  A few days in advance, I’m notified of what’s included in my order. I work every item of fresh local organic goodness into healthy meals for the week. Because I paid for it, I refuse to waste it!  Ordering a produce box will save money because the food stays fresher, longer. No joke. Kale will last 10 days in the fridge. Here are 16 more reasons to order a produce box.

4.  The pre-game

• Soak beans if using dried
• Make (free) veggie stock if making your own
• wash + dry leafy greens + herbs (a salad spinner is your best friend), wrap in towels
• peel carrots, chop or shred them for easy use to throw into salads, stir fry’s, sauces or smoothies
• freeze bananas (peel, break into chunks, put into a baggie +  freeze) for smoothies
• leave the following alone until you’re ready to use: beets, onions, tomatoes, fruit

5.  The Big Cook This is where the fun begins. When you get home from the store, crank some tunes, put on a movie, meditate…whatever floats your boat + get to work.

• roast veggies like chopped carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, potatoes, root veggies
• rice and/or quinoa – cook a big batch for the week (2-3 cups dry) – use for curries, rice bowls, soup, burritos, salads
• soup – make a big batch of soup; squash, potato leek, stew, are all easy and keep well in the fridge
• dips – bean dip, hummus, nut cheese
• sauces – tomato sauce, pesto

6. Ready, set, assemble!

Once these cooked + ready-to-go foods are in your fridge; your kitchen becomes a healthy fast food restaurant. Mix + match all your prepped items – hummus goes on pasta, as a snack for chopped veggies, or in a sandwich or wrap. You can even mix it with roasted potatoes; add some chopped kale + you’ve got a satiating lunch. Rice can be a base for a quick stir fry or stirred into soups to make them more filling. This is where you’ll tap into your creativity; even if you thought you weren’t the creative type.

meal map inspiration

breakfast

• spinach, blueberries, banana, chia, cinnamon, water, cocoa powder, peanut butter
• kale, cucumber, kiwi, mango, flax, water
• spinach, broccoli stems, banana, apple,  water, hemp seeds
• romaine, pear, parsley, mango, hemp seeds, water
• overnight oats – quick cooking oats stirred with water or plant-based milk, nut/seed butter, chia/flax, honey, nuts – refrigerate overnight and it’s ready to eat in the morning – heat it up if you like.
• banana burrito breakfast

dinner

I realize dinner is listed before lunch. This is because I start with dinner, cook more than you need and you will always have easy + healthy lunch options

·         5-minute black bean soup with salad or a burrito

·         go-to marinara over pasta

·         spiced red lentil shepherds pie

·         BBQ harvest bowl

·         potato kale hummus bowl

·         hummus rice stuffed portobellos

·         spicy black bean burgers with salad + sweet potato fries

·         bean, veggie + sundried tomato chili – over rice, with bread, or on top of a salad

·         winter roasted root veggie red curry

·         Mexican casserole with dairy-free cheese shreds

·         'hungry man' steak + potatoes salad

·         roasted cauliflower soup with truffle croutons

·         fajita salad – beans, greens, tomato, avocado, cilantro, lime, peppers, onions

·         portobellos with roasted carrots and mashed potatoes

lunch

leftovers rule – improvise leftovers from dinner to mix + match for lunch

·         curried squash over salad

·         kale, pesto, chickpea, hemp seed salad

·         salad with shredded carrots, beets, walnuts, avocado

·         black bean and rice soup

·         bean burgers,  avocado and tomato over mixed greens

·         portobellos in lettuce or collard wraps

·         pureed cauliflower or broccoli soup

more time for things you love – 8 reasons to become a batch cooking mama

1.       only have to clean bulky things like the food processor once a week

2.       no roasting pans to wash

3.       little to no pots and pans to wash, only use them during the week for making pasta or       reheating

4.       less cleanup – cutting board is cleaner, knives stay clean

5.       leftovers are easily assembled for lunches

6.       easy to customize all meals to each family members tastes or needs

7.       oven is only used once a week, saves energy

8.       less cooking splatters on your clothes means less laundry

The prep and cook usually takes me 2-3 hours on a weekend for a hungry plant-strong family of four. The satisfaction when I’m done and have a fridge full of ready-to-eat food is HUGE. So is coming home from work hungry, and being able to assemble + heat dinner in 5 minutes.

About Jacqueline Fisch

Jacq would love to live in a world where green juice flows from taps, going barefoot is totally cool, + homes downsize instead of up-size.

Plant-based cook + urban-minimalist, her un-fussy food and minimalist musings have been featured on Kris Carr, Happy Herbivore + Mint.com to name a few.

When she's not simplifying busy people’s plates + getting more fresh whole foods people, you can find her devouring books on food +  culture, flipping tractor tires like a boss (and whining about it later) + indulging in red wine with a hunk of raw chocolate.

She'll show you how to re-connect with food + un-fuss everything about your cooking + home, so you can have a more experience-rich life.