Batch cooking a week of lunches in about two hours
One base, three sauces and a tray of vegetables make five different lunches. The method, the containers and the food safety rules.
Batch cooking gets a reputation for five identical boxes of chicken and rice. It doesn't have to be that. The trick is to cook components, not meals.
Cook components#
Pick one grain or starch, one protein, one tray of roasted vegetables and two or three sauces. Combine them differently each day.
A sample: a big pot of rice or quinoa, a tray of roasted peppers, courgettes and onions, a tray of chickpeas roasted with spices or chicken thighs, a lemon-tahini sauce, a tomato sauce and a herb yoghurt.
A sensible order#
Heat the oven and start the vegetables and protein roasting.
Start the grain on the hob.
While those cook, make the sauces and chop raw items such as cucumber, cabbage and herbs.
Cool everything quickly, then pack.
This usually takes about two hours including washing up, though your pace will vary.
Five lunches from one cook#
Grain bowl with roasted vegetables and tahini sauce.
Wrap with chickpeas, cabbage and yoghurt.
Tomato sauce stirred through grains with vegetables, topped with cheese.
Salad with the protein, cucumber and herbs.
Soup made from vegetables blended with stock.
Food safety#
Cool cooked food quickly, within about an hour or two, then refrigerate. Rice should not sit at room temperature for long, because bacteria that can survive cooking may produce toxins. Keep your fridge at 5°C or below. Most guidance says cooked food keeps for around three to four days in the fridge. For the later days, freeze portions on day one.
Containers#
Use containers that go in the microwave and dishwasher, with tight lids. Glass lasts longer and doesn't stain. Plastic is lighter to carry. Keep sauces separate to avoid sogginess.
Is it cheaper?#
Usually, yes, because you buy staple ingredients in bulk and avoid buying lunch. The savings depend on what you would otherwise spend, and on whether you eat what you cook. A cheap pot of lentils eaten is cheaper than a bag of salad wasted.
Start with one batch this week, keep notes on what you didn't finish, and adjust.