Like most of us, I have been working from home for months now, and probably have months of it ahead of me as well. Whilst this does add some time back in to my day, and increased my access to my kitchen, I decided not to change my normal cooking routine. It may seem strange to still be meal prepping while working from home, but it’s had a lot of benefits for me, so I thought I’d share some of them!
My normal routine is to do a whole lot of prep on a Sunday afternoon (while listening to podcasts or watching the footy – it’s pretty great). Oftentimes this includes whole meals (especially lunches when I was in the office) but also bits and pieces that I can throw together for meals – roast veggies, batches of pesto, pre-cooked grains and the like. This is the basic meal prepping routine I have kept to over the last couple of months.
It helps me eat more healthy food
One of the downsides of having access to my pantry all day is how easy it can be to just grab snacks, especially if I find myself short on time. Ensuring I have healthy options on hand in my fridge has been particularly important come lunchtime and meal prepping has been the answer to that. Planning out healthy options that I can just heat up or throw together has made a world of difference to the type of food I am eating while working from home.
Saves me time during the week
Sure, working from home (and not being able to do anything else at the moment!) has definitely added some time to my week. However, most of that time hasn’t been added around meal times! Meetings and work commitments tend to mean I’m short on time around lunchtime, and often not logging off my computer until I’m well and truly ready for dinner. Having food ready, or at least partially prepared, has saved me so much time during the working week and only takes a little bit of my weekend to make it happen.
I’m able to use my veggie box properly
Meal planning and then meal prepping is one of the absolute best ways to make sure I am using every item in my veggie box delivery. This is the same whether I’m going to the office or working from home! Sitting down and working through what to cook and in what order is one of my favourite things to do once my order arrives every fortnight.
Frees up my mental energy
One of the biggest benefits of meal prepping while working from home has been the mental energy it has saved me. Like most of us here in Melbourne, my resilience has taken a bit of a beating during this second lockdown, so anything that removes decision making from my day is welcome. Not having to think about what I might have for lunch or dinner each day is a key part of that.
Less visits to the shops
Given we are meant to be staying at home as much as possible right now, limiting the number of times I need to pick up supplies is super important. Meal prepping is a super easy way to help ensure this, especially when combined with getting my fruit & veggies delivered. I am able to limit my visits to the shops to once a week maximum, and it’s a super quick one at that!
Do you meal prep? Have you continued with meal prepping while working from home?
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I Spy Plum Pie is Liz, an early 30s kiwi-born, Melbourne raised girl who is passionate about the environment and sustainability, food, exploring and learning new things. Join me on my journey to a happy, sustainable life!