If you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle, meal prepping will help you reach your goal. But, if you’re not careful, the process can take up half of your Sunday. These tools help me go from cutting board to completed meals in less than two hours, and they can help you too. Plus, if you pick them up through Ebates, you’ll be earning Cash Back while shopping for all the best products.
One Pot to Rule Them All
My Lodge enamel dutch oven is one of the best investments I’ve made in the meal prep arena. It’s huge, so I can fit enough ingredients in it to make enough food for half the week, and it’s easy to clean. Plus, since I’m only using one pot, I save a lot of time cleaning up. If you’re in need of an easy meal prep idea, try sweet potato and turkey hash. I use a couple packages of ground turkey, four or five medium sweet potatoes, garlic, onion, poblano peppers, jalapeños and whatever spices I’m into at the moment.
Lodge EC6D43 Color Enamel Dutch Oven, Red, 6 Quart
from Overstock
Garlic Game-Changer
I love garlic, but I hate peeling it. This little piece of silicone changed my garlic game forever. It’ll do the same for you. Simply toss in a clove or two and roll it back and forth with your hand on a flat surface like your cutting board. The papery skin will fall right off. It helps me peel garlic in literally half the time. And my hands don’t reek for the rest of the day.
Scroll Garlic Peeler
from GILT
Lettuce On the Fly
A lettuce spinner is one of the kitchen tools you never knew you needed until you own one. No more waiting for lettuce to dry between stacks of paper towels or attempting to shake off the water. A few presses on the pump and you’ve got dry greens. It even has a built-in brake so you don’t have to wait for the internal basket to stop spinning.
OXO
Salad Spinner 4.0
from Macy’s
Instant Food Gratification
I can’t write about meal prep tools without mentioning the legendary Instant Pot. It really is worth the hype — even if you only use it for one function. I typically use it to make foods that would normally take upwards of an hour to cook, like rice or beans. They’re always done in half the time without losing any flavor or moisture.
Instant Pot Ultra
from Sur La Table
A Full Week of Meals in a Snap
I love these meal prep containers because they’re just big enough to hold a decent-size serving and stack really well in the fridge. I’ll set them all out on the kitchen table while I cook and portion my food in as I go. That allows me to offload each batch of finished food and clean up while I’m waiting for other things in the oven or on the stove. It’s time management at its finest, and these containers help me get the job done.
Snapware Airtight Plastic 4.5-Cup Rectangle Food Storage Container
from Jet.com
