The Benefits of Meal Prep for Busy Families (and How Octave Will Soon Make It Even Easier!)

26 July, 2024

Dear Overexcited Parents,

Juggling work, kids’ activities, and household chores can sometimes seem impossible. That’s why today we want to tell you about a solution that could change your life: meal prep. And surprise! We have an exciting announcement at the end of this article about how Octave is going to make meal prep even easier.

What is meal prep?

Meal prep, or meal preparation in advance, is the practice of planning, preparing, and sometimes cooking your meals in advance. It's a strategy that can save you valuable time during the week.

The benefits of meal prep for busy families:

  1. Huge time saving: Imagine coming home from work and having your meal ready or almost ready. No more spending an hour in the kitchen every night!
  2. Stress Reduction: No more daily headache of “What’s for dinner?” With meal prep, you always have a plan.
  3. Healthier Eating: By planning ahead, you're less likely to give in to the temptation of fast food or convenience foods.
  4. Budget savings: Meal prep helps you reduce food waste and impulse purchases at the supermarket.
  5. Less washing up: By preparing several meals at once, you reduce the amount of washing up you do each day.
  6. Involve the whole family: Meal prep can become a fun family activity, teaching children valuable kitchen skills.

Example of Sunday meal prep:

  1. Preparation of vegetables:
    • Dice 2 onions
    • Cut 2 carrots into slices
    • Store cut vegetables in airtight containers in the refrigerator
  2. Cooking rice:
    • Cook 2 cups of rice
    • Let cool and divide into containers for the week
  3. Chicken preparation:
    • Pre-cook 3 cups chicken strips
    • Let cool and store in a container in the refrigerator

How to start meal prep?

  1. Start small: Prepare meals for 2-3 days first, not for the whole week.
  2. Choose simple and versatile recipes.
  3. Invest in good storage containers.
  4. Use your freezer: many dishes freeze very well.
  5. Take advantage of the weekend to prepare your meals for the week.

An exciting announcement!

We are excited to announce that Octave is currently working on a revolutionary new feature: Octave AI for meal planning! In the coming months, we will develop an intelligent assistant that will help you:

  • Generate personalized meal plans
  • Create optimized shopping lists
  • Suggest meal prep ideas that suit your family

Imagine being able to plan your meal prep in just a few clicks, with recipes tailored to your family’s tastes and your schedule. That’s what we’re aiming for with Octave AI!

Stay tuned for more information on this exciting feature. In the meantime, we hope these meal prep tips help simplify your family life.

Happy cooking!

The Octave Team