The ingredients

Unless you work in a hotel, a restaurant or a big company with its own canteen, you are used to organizing your own lunch. Either you go to the bakery every lunchtime and get a sandwich or you cook something delicious the night before, which you can then heat up. And that's where the "Meal Prep" trend comes in. Cook as simply as possible, as quickly as possible, and as deliciously as possible. The time required should be small and the result a delight for the palate.

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For this to succeed, ingredients are selected that can be pre-cooked in large quantities and then, however, conjured up individually into different dishes. Suitable for this purpose are, for example:

• Rice
• Couscous
• Pasta
• Lentils
• Potatoes

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All of these ingredients can be stored in the refrigerator for several days, making them perfect for Meal Prep.

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Preparation methods

Rice in particular is a product that can be prepared in large quantities. A small rice stove does not take up much space, does not need to be cleaned and your rice is ready in no time. You can then either pimp it with your favorite ingredients or fry it.

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You can also cook pasta, lentils and couscous quickly and easily in the pan. The same goes for potatoes. With potatoes, the preparation methods are limitless. Fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, or even rösti? The very brave even make their own french fries! However, this is only possible if there is enough time.

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Let's assume you want to cook for four days. Then you calculate, for example, the amount of rice you need, portion it into four parts and then you're ready to go.

• Day 1: Cantonese rice with egg, turnip and peas
• Day 2: Rice with vegetables, whatever you like
• Day 3: Rice with savoy cabbage and mushrooms, served with crème fraîche
• Day 4: With cutlets or fried tofu

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The principle is quite simple and can be implemented with various basic ingredients. There are no limits to your creativity. You can store the finished dishes in an airtight container in the refrigerator and pack and enjoy them on one day of the week.

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The right container

The tried and true Tuperware are losing some of their popularity due to the sustainable trend. It has long been known that microplastics dissolve and end up in our food and thus in our bodies. That's why you don't have to throw away all your plastic containers right away. But if you need a new one soon, then get yourself a glass container. These are suitable for microwaves and are less harmful to you and the environment. Depending on what you're pre-cooking, you may already have the right container at home. For example, old jam or Nutella jars are suitable for pre-cooking soup and then taking it with you.

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Seasonality and regionality

When choosing your products, it's best to pay attention to what's in season. This will keep your meal plan varied throughout the year and nature will thank you for it. Here you will find an overview. Save the seasonal calendar or hang it on your refrigerator. One look at it before you go shopping and seasonal shopping is no longer magic.

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Paying attention to the country of origin is also not a bad idea. In Swiss supermarkets, you can buy almost anything all year round. That's a luxury that we shouldn't necessarily treat ourselves to all the time. Many products circumnavigate the globe before they end up on our plates. So inform yourself about the origin. For example, it is better to buy a tomato that is still in season in Italy in November than a tomato that is definitely no longer in season in Switzerland and was grown in a heated greenhouse.