I don’t have time to batch cook.

True, most of us do not have the time for the things that we need to do to take care of our health.  That is a fact.  I, in no way, doubt that you do not have the time.  It is a significant determinant of health for many families:  not enough time to sleep, not enough time to play (physical activity), not enough time for oneself to manage stress, and not enough time to eat well. Helping patients work through creative solutions is what I do every day.  And that doesn’t mean it’s easy.  It doesn’t always work.

But, for some of you, you might be able borrow some time from yourself.

Today, I spent 2 hours cooking.  Wait, 2 hours cooking?! 

Yes, — but I borrowed that time from myself for the next 5 days.   And I made it enjoyable:  put on music, let the boys help me chop veggies, chatted to them while they played outside the kitchen window.  Other things I multi-task while cooking including catching up by phone with people or listening to my children’s reading homework.

Sound like a lot?  How much time does it take you to make a healthy dinner every night?  Now, multiply by 5.  Is it less than 2 hours?

Batch cooking can be an important tool because while many people know what to eat, it is hard to motivate yourself to prepare healthy food day after day when you are hungry, tired, and under time pressure. The result is that many people increasingly rely on processed foods, which can be problematic for our health.

What’s a batch cook look like? Here’s mine from today:

1. Chickpea tacos for Monday and Tuesday night. They are very fast to make, but having that job done is time-saver in busy evenings.  Those evenings, meal prep will be warming a portion over the hob (5 minutes) and chopping some salad for everyone to build and wrap their own for dinner.

2. Black Bean burgers for Wednesday – just squish, form, and freeze ahead

3. Vegetable ragu to serve over pasta Thursday and Friday.

4. Large compote to serve with plain yogurt or porridge.

Some weeks,  it might looking like courgette muffins for the lunch boxes or baked oatmeal for breakfast.

Batch cooking isn’t the only way.  Meal Planning or Meal prepping are other steps that families take to look after their nutrition and their health.  Along with the batch cooking, I already know what everyone is eating for breakfast, lunch, and what snacks options are available for the rest of the week.    Boring – definitely.  Time-saving – always. Stress-reducing?  Try it for a week and see how it works for you!

It’s always really important to point out that this applies to families for whom time is a factor.  For families with food insecurity or lack of access to a well-stocked kitchen or for those who have never learned to cook, there are further barriers. Nutrition is more than knowing what to eat.

**Compote Recipe:

This saves time and money as well as reducing sugar.  I use frozen fruit (cheaper) and don’t add sugar.

Ingredients:

1-2 bags of frozen berries.  All berries work well for this:  blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, mixed.

Chia seeds

Method:

Add the entire contents of frozen berry bags into a pot on the hob.  Add generous splash of water and a couple of tablespoons of chia seeds.   Heat until comes to boil.  Use potato masher to genrly mash berries (texture to taste).  Allow to cool and put in covered container.  Store in fridge.