The festive season is around the corner and the planning has begun!
Eating during this time of the year is a full-time job. These food planning tips will make it easy to know what to get and when.
Buy some frozen nibbles, just in case
With the shops reducing their opening times, avoid having unexpected guests turn up during the ‘inbetweeners week’ and not being able to offer them any nibbles.
Supermarkets often have some great packs that you can keep in the freezer and simply pop in the oven when needed. I find sausage rolls, spring rolls, and samoosas always go down a treat, so stock up.
Prepare as much food as you can ahead of time
Think like a chef and get all your ingredients washed, chopped, and ready to go. Some dishes may have the same ingredients and you can double up when prepping.
For root vegetables like carrots, turnips, and potatoes, you can chop them ahead of time and store them in cold water until you are ready to cook them.
Be friends with cookbooks
Cookbooks are a great way to get ready for the busy weeks ahead and will refresh your cooking with plenty of new ideas.
For every cookbook you try, you will find a few ‘keeper’ recipes that can become part of your weekly meal plans. So it is worth going through your old cookbooks, buying new ones, or borrowing from friends.
Remember portion control
Portion control will be your best friend throughout the festive season. Eat small snacks during the day, and have three medium meals instead of three extra-large ones.
This will improve your digestion and reduce the amount you are eating, both during meal times and overall. If you are worried about portion control, you can use smaller plates or reduce the number of dishes you serve at each meal.
Share the load in the kitchen
Even if you enjoy cooking and do not mind spending time in the kitchen cooking up a treat, try to share the load so you can enjoy the holiday too.
If you have talented cooks in your midst, allocate chef duties to them one night or delegate small tasks to others to make things easier for yourself.
Cooking can be fun if everyone pitches in, and it is a great time to socialise with friends or bond with the kids as you create a delicious, healthy festive meal.
Have you checked out the latest IOL Food & Drinks digital magazine? Read it here.