There are a few reasons why you fail at batch cooking. Before you call it quits and think that you’re just ‘not good at it’ – read the below.

1. You’re making a day out of it

Sure, you could have a meal planning day, but don’t think it’s easy. If you’re starting out, I would not recommend this. It takes a lot of stamina to go through hours of batch cooking, and you could very quickly get overwhelmed and decide it’s not for you. I like to these once in a while, but every single week? No thanks. Forfeiting family time and down time for a day spent in the kitchen is exactly something I like to do on repeat (in a normal week).
SOLUTION: Plan to double one or two meals a week. You’ll get at least 4-8 meals a month. Doable? YES! Stressful? NOPE!

2. You have a small freezer

Trying to squeeze in all your food into your tiny freezer only to find out that your food does not fit can be pretty heart-wrenching. This should not put you off the whole batch cooking process however.
SOLUTION: Use freezer bags. They take up the least space and are reusable. Want another one? Use your fridge for batch cooked meals, or even batch cooked single ingredients (think shredded chicken, boiled eggs and so on). Most foods last a minimum of 2-3 days.

3. You’re batch cooking the wrong foods

This one’s a common reason why most people fail at batch cooking.

It might sound wonderful to have fancy dinners stashed away in your freezer, but the truth is, fancy = complex (most of the time, anyway).
Your batch cooking session is bound to be exhausting if you have a recipe that’s already taxing enough to cook once, let alone twice.
SOLUTION: Stick to simple. SUPER simple. Think pulled pork or pulled chicken, taco meats, stir frys, veggie soups, and all kinds of wonderful recipes that have few ingredients, and a few steps to get to the finish line.

4. You’re not happy with the meal after it’s been defrosted and served

Soggy vegetables, watery tortilla wrap, bland tastes, weird textures, change in colour…I’ve been there, and done them all. Yes, it’s off putting to eat a food that doesn’t look, or taste all that great. Putting in the extra work on only to be presented with a result that’s not as promising can feel like a slap in the face.
SOLUTION: It’s in the choice of food you freeze and they way you freeze it, (and sometimes even the way you defrost it or the way you reheat/cook it). This is possibly the most complex part of it, but I’ll give you a few tips to help you get ahead. Avoid freezing foods with a high water content. These tend to become very mushy when defrosted. Freeze well – air is the freezer’s worst enemy. Make sure you pack your food properly so it won’t have direct contact with air. This will make freezer burn less likely to happen. Freezer burn = change in taste, colour and texture. Be careful with this one!

5. You don’t meal plan

Batch cooking sessions will be few and far in between if you don’t plan for them. Consistent meal planning will give you the prep work you need to pick the day you shall be batch cooking, and have all the necessary ingredients at hand. You can very quickly fail at batch cooking if you’re not set up to do so, amiright? 🤓
SOLUTION: Meal plan! Set a reminder to do this weekly, or every 2 weeks. Make conscious decisions about which simple recipes you shall be batch cooking and when.
If you are in my meal planning challenge you’ve got this all figured out, or will by end of day today!

If not, learning how to implement a simple meal planning routine that will take you minutes, and save you so much time & stress every single day, is part of our online course that has just opened it’s doors today!

DINNER IN A FLASH: LESS TIME IN THE KITCHEN, MORE FOOD YOUR FAMILY LOVES

Meal planning is just the beginning of what you will be able to learn inside of Dinner in a Flash. We’ve just opened up the program for enrolment for the next few days (this happens just twice a year!)

I will teach you how to win at mealtimes.

Dinner in a Flash takes the overwhelmed mum from not knowing what to cook, and last-minute frantic meals which take forever to be prepared, to being in control with a system that takes away the guesswork and saves HOURS of time a week – without needing to cook everyday.

Don’t take my word for it – go read what other mums who’ve signed up for Dinner in a Flash have to say!

>> more info about Dinner in a Flash
>> read the testimonials

If you’ve been participating in the challenge, have had fantastic results, and are ready and eager to take your time-saving meal routine to the next level – then Dinner in a Flash is just what you’re looking for!

PS: We launch timely bonuses which you get for free in addition to the online course. Depending how quickly you join, you’ll get fab bonuses coming your way! If you’re curious, drop me an email on nakita@themamamanual.com, or reach out to me on Facebook or Instagram.

If this is for you — I cannot WAIT to meet you! ❤️

Love,

Nakita xxx