Meal Prep Cookbook For Dummies. Wendy Jo Peterson

www.vitamix.com).

      Food vacuum sealer

      A food vacuum sealer removes air and vacuum seals food in plastic bags for long-term storage, whether freezing or in the pantry. Vacuum sealers are also useful for resealing cereal bags or cracker bags to keep them from going stale. My family buys our meats in bulk, and we use a vacuum sealer to help store them in our deep freezer.

      If you have the space, a vacuum sealer can be useful. You can find a good one for less than $100.

      Beeswax wraps

      If you love to take sandwiches to go, pick up beeswax wraps or make your own! This is a great way to ditch single-use plastics.

      

To make your own beeswax wraps, you need 100 percent cotton fabric, scissors, beeswax pellets, a baking sheet, parchment paper, and a spatula. Then follow these steps:

      1 Cut the fabric to your preferred size.

      2 Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

      3 Place the fabric on the parchment paper, and sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons beeswax pellets.

      4 Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the beeswax pellets.

      5 Place the baking sheet into the oven for 3 to 4 minutes or until the pellets have melted.

      6 Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, with the parchment paper still on top, use a spatula to spread the beeswax.

      7 After the beeswax has cooled, remove it from the parchment paper.

      You can wash the towels in cold water up to 50 times before you need to toss them.

      Multicooker

      A multicooker utilizes pressure to quickly cook food. It’s a useful tool to get your typical slow-cooked foods on the table in a fraction of the time. If you’re cooking for two people, a mini 3-quart pot can be sufficient; if you’re cooking for a larger family, you may want to invest in an 8-quart multicooker.

      

For most of the recipes in this book, I used a 6-quart Instant Pot. Even if budget isn’t an issue, I still recommend the basic Duo Instant Pot over the newer, more expensive models.

      

When using a multicooker be sure to read the user manual that comes with your appliance. Pressure cookers take time to come to pressure and time for the pot to depressurize after cooking. This time varies based on the temperature of the food you’re cooking and your altitude.

Chapter 3

      Going Shopping

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

Discovering a variety of markets for food shopping

      

Stocking your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry with meal-prep goods

      

Modifying your shopping based on the season

      Navigating a grocery store has changed a lot over the past couple decades, and even more during the pandemic. In this chapter, you explore different avenues for shopping. I also give you tips for shopping on a budget. After you’ve figured out where to shop, you’re ready to stock your kitchen!

Navigating the Grocery Store

      In this section, I dive into the variety of grocery stores available in the United States. Of course, this information will vary if you live in a more a rural setting versus a major metropolitan area, so keep those differences in mind.

      Standard grocery stores

      Your neighborhood market is close and ready to serve you. Standard grocery chains often highlight their deals with bins, placement in the markets, or with weekly ads. You can also save a lot of money by becoming a free member, if it’s offered. Taking the time to compare prices and plan meals based on what’s on sale is a great way to keep your grocery budget in check.

      SHOPPING FOR BARGAINS

      You can bargain-shop at almost any grocery store, as long as you pay attention. If you happen to have a bargain grocery store near you, such as a warehouse market or a discount grocery chain, be sure to watch their weekly advertisements for the best buys. These markets may require you to become a member.

      Be sure to check the unit price of an item. Sometimes those big cans can look like they’re a better price, but if you check the unit price, it could be more expensive. Most markets list unit price under the price of the item on the shelf.

      The unit price is often printed on the price tag on the store shelf, but if it isn’t, you can calculate it yourself. To do so, divide the total price by the quantity. For example, if a 28-ounce jar is $1.29 the unit price would be $1.69 ÷ 28 = $0.06 per ounce. If the 14.5-ounce jar is $1.19, then the unit price would be $1.19 ÷ 14.5 = $0.08 per ounce. So, in this example, the larger can is the better price.

      Store brands are often a great way to get a bargain buy, but check the nutrition labels to make sure the product has the same ingredients as your favorite brand.

      Be sure to check expiration dates! If you overlook the expiration date, you may get home and realize your package of meat needs to be frozen or used by tomorrow.

      Bulk food stores

      Some major retailers, such as Costco, are known for bulk buying. Shopping at these stores is a great way to save money if you have the space to store bulk items and you have a lot of hungry mouths to feed. Look for store brands for the best deals and the greatest savings.

      Costco’s much-loved rotisserie chicken deal is actually a loss financially for the chain, but they know it gets you in the door and that you’re (most likely) going to shop for other items while you’re there.

      These chains have really stepped up their quality and offerings in the past decade, with more organic items and expanded frozen and packaged goods. From a bargain perspective, they can save you a ton of money.

      

If you don’t have the space to store all that food, bulk buying isn’t a good idea. A cluttered home or kitchen will most likely hinder you from wanting to meal-prep or cook. Plus, if you bulk buy a lot of food, you may not have the room in your refrigerator or freezer to store prepped meals. Consider your space before bulk buying.

      Grocery delivery services

      With the pandemic, many people wanted to avoid grocery stores entirely. Meal delivery services — such as from Amazon and Instacart — may be limited to bigger cities and may include an annual fee. Although they’re handy, they aren’t for the savvy bargain shopper.

      I’ve used Instacart when I needed