Whether you are a homemaker who takes care of kids, a career-driven individual living alone in the big city or anything in between, you can always benefit from having your meals ready ahead of time instead of scrambling through a 16-step recipe every mealtime. According to an article published by the Harvard School of Public Health, meal prepping is a helpful healthy eating strategy that can help you save money and time, aid in weight control, contribute to an overall more nutritionally balanced diet, and reduce stress by allowing you to avoid last-minute decisions about what to eat or prepare. A lot of people think that one of the downsides to meal prepping is eating meals that are not fresh. But in reality, with the right tools and cooking methods, meal prepping can keep food fresh even if it is stored for long periods of time.
Some kitchen equipment for easier meal prep
The key to keeping food fresh, especially when you are meal prepping, is making sure that it stays clean and free of contaminants. While using clean and tightly sealed containers can be one to go about this, a more effective and efficient method is by using highly advanced tools such as the Oliso Smart Vacuum Sealer. Vacuum sealing your food with devices that utilize the patented dual-seal Freshkeeper technology will not only ensure that your food remains free of any contaminants but will also prevent the formulation of crystals that cause freezer burn, maximizing the freshness of your stored food.
Other equally kitchen devices that will make your meal prepping a whole lot easier are rice cookers and mason jars. If you are the kind of person who likes to eat and cook a variety of grains, a rice cooker will definitely be a good investment. Check out the rice cookers on http://www.weknowrice.com, which features guides and reviews that give you a breakdown of each model’s benefits. Rice is the foundation of many dishes making it a great food prep ingredient. On the other hand, click on https://www.popsugar.com/food/What-Jar-Method-44825562 to see the different ways people use glass mason jars to keep food fresh for meal prep. With an airtight lid, they help keep nasty smells out and are relatively easy to transport.
How to get started with vacuum sealing for meal prep
With a reliable vacuum sealer, there are only a few things left to do before vacuum sealing your food. If you plan on storing meat or fish, it would be a good idea to rinse it first and then pat it dry before vacuum sealing it. For different kinds of fresh produce, our article ‘Vacuum Sealing Tips To Save Summer Produce’ highly suggests rinsing, peeling and cutting up fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces first before storing them in zip-top bags that can be vacuumed again and again. These steps will not only help you save time when cooking but will also help preserve the freshness of your produce.
Benefits of vacuum sealing
Aside from locking in freshness, vacuum sealing your food comes with a lot of other benefits. Since this process creates an air-tight environment for your food, it prevents bacteria and mold from forming, thereby preserving your food for up to two years and reducing food waste. Vacuum sealing your way towards a better meal prep will also enable you to buy more food products in bulk without having to worry about storage and preservation. After all, vacuum sealing your food can prevent freezer burn and meat dehydration. With a vacuum sealer, you can also try sous vide cooking which Modern Restaurant Management defines as a cooking method that retains the nutrients, vitamins and natural juices of the food, resulting in better tasting meals.
While buying a vacuum sealer can seem a little pricey upfront, the benefits it offers -ranging from fresher food to more organized food storing and better-tasting dishes- will surely make it an investment you will never regret.
Written exclusively for Oliso by Jennifer Birch
1 comment
This looks very good. I have another brand & I am curious if your bags are reusable and how thick.