Is minic a bhíonn droch-nósanna na bliana seo caite ag gabháil le tús na bliana nua. Mar
mhic léinn bímid ag plé le staidéar, obair agus ár saol sóisialta arna spreagadh ag pasta trátaí agus tósta im; déanann sé an obair ach ní i gcónaí a fhágann sé go mothaímid ár ndícheall. Is minic go mbíonn baint ag ullmhú béilí le francaigh giomnáisiam a chónaíonn ó ríse sicín agus brocailí, ach is do gach duine a bhíonn ag ullmhú béilí! Ní hamháin go dtugann pleanáil agus ullmhú do bhéilí ó do chistin deis duit roghanna dlúth cothaitheacha agus blasta a dhéanamh, ach sábhálfaidh tú ádh mór trí chomhábhair fhadtéarmacha a cheannach agus a ullmhú. Is ionann ullmhú béilí agus lón a phacáil don scoil ach is féidir leat é a chur i bhfeidhm ar gach béile agus ní gá duit é a dhéanamh ach uair nó dhó sa tseachtain i gcomparáid le gach maidin.
Mar sin, conas a thosaíonn tú?
1) Roghnaigh cén lá a dhéanfaidh tú bia a ullmhú (gearradh, cócaireacht agus roinnt)
2) socraigh biachlár duit féin
3) stocáil comhábhair
4) déan do bhéilí agus stóráil i gcoimeádáin oiriúnacha.
1) Ní hamháin go gcabhraíonn ullmhú béilí linn roghanna níos sláintiúla a dhéanamh trí
na rudaí a dhéanaimid a phleanáil ach laghdaíonn sé an strus a bhaineann le
hiarracht a dhéanamh oideas a tharraingt le chéile ag an nóiméad deireanach nuair a
thagann tú abhaile ón leabharlann nó ón obair. Sábhálann tú am ar maidin trí
scuaine in Pret le haghaidh rolla ispíní agus latte ró-phraghas agus sábhálfaidh tú ádh
mór ar mhargaí béilí Tesco a théann i dteagmháil leis an eorna. Trí uair an chloig a
chur ar leataobh oíche Dé Céadaoin agus Dé Domhnaigh, sábhálfaidh tú an oiread sin
ama duit féin i rith na seachtaine gur féidir leat a chaitheamh ar thascanna nó ar
ghníomhaíochtaí eile nó díreach tar éis an deis a thapú chun scíth a ligean beagán
níos faide.
2) Socraigh biachlár duit féin nó infheistigh i bpleanálaí béile Ní stórálann gach bia go maith
mar sin caithfidh tú a bheith oirbheartaíochta maidir leis an gcineál béilí a dhéanann tú.
Soláthraíonn go leor suíomhanna Gréasáin agus aipeanna smaointe ullmhúcháin bia a
oireann do do roghanna pearsanta agus do riachtanais chothaithe, seo cuid de na cinn is
fearr liom:
Inspioráid bricfeasta:
– coirce thar oíche
-burritos bricfeasta cairdiúil don reoiteoir
– smoothie próitéin
– parfait iógart granola
-flapjacks nó arán banana.
Inspioráid lóin:
Sailéad le comhábhair bhlasta cosúil le próitéiní, anlainn, síolta agus cnónna
pesto pasta
-wrap avocado turcaí
-sailéad noodle
-anraith folláin agus sourdough.
Inspioráid dinnéar:
– stir-fry
– cúscú glasraí rósta
-babhla poké,
-grán agus glasraí bradán
– bake pasta.
Inspioráidsnack –
Bosca im peanut – aon im cnó / cairéad / úll / scoilteanna / dátaí / pretzels
bosca tuinnín – tuinnín mayo le arbhar milis / brioscaí / piobar amh / cúcamar
bosca cáise – cáis/crackers/caora/cnónna
bosca hummus – pita/ hummus/cairéad/piobar/falafel
Stoc suas ar do chuid comhábhair; Nuair a bheidh na béilí atá uait ar feadh na seachtaine
beartaithe agat déan liosta grósaeireachta agus ceannaigh ar an mórchóir le hullmhú agus le
sciar.
Liosta siopadóireachta le haghaidh ullmhúcháin béilí:
-Frozen torthaí agus glasraí.
– Glasaigh sturdy: Maireann duilleoga láidre cosúil le spionáiste nó cál níos faide sa
chuisneoir ná mar a bhíonn leitís bhog.
-Is gnách go mbíonn coirce, pasta, rís, quinoa agus cúscú níos saoire le ceannach ar an
mórchóir, tá seilfré an-fhada acu agus ráthaítear go mbeidh siad mar bhunús d’fhormhór
d’oidis.
-Tá chickpeas, lintilí, pónairí agus piseanna roghanna áisiúil, plandaí-bhunaithe próitéin .do
aon bhéile
-Le haghaidh próitéin vegetarian molaim uibheacha, iógart Gréagach, cáis teachín, tempeh,
falafel nó tofu.
-Ná ceannaigh an iomarca feola mar ní mhairfidh sé úr i bhfad, ná ceannaigh ach an méid
atá beartaithe agat a chócaráil agus a reo.
-Ciallaíonn torthaí iomlána atá i séasúr, agus iad á gceannach ina n-aonar in ionad
pacáistithe, gur féidir leat do thorthaí a cheannach ag céimeanna éagsúla aibíochta
-Cuireann cnónna agus síolta pléasctha de chothaithigh leo, maireann siad go deo agus tá
siad níos saoire le mórchóir a cheannach.
4) Stoc suas ar choimeádáin oiriúnacha – Má stóráiltear do bhia i gcoimeádáin aerdhíonacha
coinnítear baictéir amach agus ag cosaint blas agus blas do bhéilí agus do shneaiceanna
chomh maith le sruthán reoiteoirí a chosc. Infheistiú i bhfleascáin le haghaidh anraithí,
boscaí lóin tubaware le haghaidh lóin agus dinnéir, seanphrócaí glan le haghaidh coirce
bricfeasta agus parfais, gan trácht ar choimeádáin stíl bhosca bento atá iontach le haghaidh
pacáistí sneaiceanna nó aon bhéilí inar mian leat comhábhair áirithe a scaradh mar sailéid
agus a gcuid feistis.
Má tá na comhábhair féin ag tógáil smután mór go leor as do bhuiséad an chéad uair eile a
ordóidh tú Síneach nó go n-itheann tú i mbialann coinnigh an coimeádán beir leat chun é a
ní agus a athúsáid.
Is é an t-aon titim a fuair mé laistigh den chleachtas a bhaineann le hullmhú béilí ná
monotony. Go minic beidh tú ag ithe an béile céanna nó béilí an-chosúil 2-4 huaire sa
tseachtain ach níor cheart go mbeadh sé seo ina fhadhb má bhaineann tú sult as a bhfuil á
dhéanamh agat agus gur féidir leat béilí mí-aimseartha a sheachaint trí anlainn, taobhanna
éagsúla agus na comhábhair a athrú. béile go meal. Mar shampla b’fhéidir go ndéanfaidh tú
coirce thar oíche ar fiú ceithre maidin é, ach is féidir le blas difriúil a bheith ag gach ceann
díobh. Nó is féidir leat 3 bhaisc de 4 dhinnéar dhifriúla a chócaráil agus na béilí breise a reo
ar feadh na seachtainí dar gcionn ionas go mbeidh spásáil idir na béilí arís agus arís eile. Cé go bhfuil an chuma air go bhfuil níos mó trioblóide ag baint le hullmhú na mbéile ar dtús ná mar is fiú an fhírinne a dhéanamh, is infheistíocht ollmhór é ullmhúchán na mbéile a shábhálfaidh airgead, am agus fuinneamh intinne duit agus beidh tú ag gabháil buíochais duit féin as nuair a bheidh scrúduithe an tsamhraidh ar siúl. Agus tá na trí ní sin go léir i gcontúirt brúidiúil.
As Bearla/ In English
The beginning of a new year is too often accompanied by the repetition of last year’s poor habits. As students, we juggle study, work and our social lives fuelled by tomato pasta and buttered toast; it does the job but doesn’t always leave us feeling our best. Meal prepping is often associated with gym rats who live off chicken, rice and broccoli, but meal prepping can be for everyone! Not only does planning and preparing your meals from your kitchen give you an opportunity to make nutrient-dense and tasty choices but you will save a fortune by bulk buying and preparing long-lasting ingredients. Meal prepping is like packing a lunch for school except you can apply it to every meal and you only have to do it once or twice a week as opposed to every morning.
So how do you begin? 1) Pick what day you will meal prep (cutting, cooking and portioning), 2) set yourself a menu, 3) stock up on ingredients, 4) make your meals and store in suitable containers.
- Meal prepping not only helps us to make healthier choices by planning what we’ll eat throughout the week in advance, but it also reduces the stress of trying to pull together a recipe last minute when you come home from the library or work. You save time in the morning by avoiding queuing in Pret for an overpriced latte and sausage roll and you will save a fortune on Tesco meal deals which barely touch the sides. By putting aside an hour on a Wednesday and Sunday night you will save yourself so much time during the week that you can spend on other tasks or activities or simply take the opportunity to rest a bit longer.
- Set yourself a menu or invest in a meal planner. Not all foods store well so you have to be tactical about what type of meals you make. Loads of websites and apps provide meal prep ideas suited to your personal preferences and dietary requirements, here are some of my go-to favourites:
Breakfast: overnight oats, freezer-friendly breakfast burritos, protein smoothie, granola yoghurt parfait, flapjacks, banana bread.
Lunch: Salad with yummy ingredients such as proteins, sauces, seeds and nuts, pesto pasta, turkey avocado wrap, noodle salad, wholesome soup and sourdough.
Dinner: stir fry, roasted veg couscous, poké bowl, salmon grains and veg, pasta bake.
Snacks: Peanut butter box (any nut butter/carrot/apple/crackers/dates/pretzels), tuna box (tuna mayo with sweetcorn/ crackers/raw pepper/cucumber), cheesy box (cheese/crackers/berries/nuts) or hummus box (pita/ hummus/ carrot/pepper/falafel).
- Stock up on your ingredients; once you have planned what meals you want for the week make a grocery list and bulk buy to prep and portion.
Shopping list for meal prep:
Frozen fruit and vegetables.
Sturdy greens — strong leaves like spinach or kale survive longer in the fridge than the likes of soft lettuces.
Oats, pasta, rice, quinoa, and couscous are generally cheaper to buy in bulk, have a very long shelf life and are guaranteed to form the basis of the majority of your recipes.
Chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas are convenient, plant-based protein options .for any meal
For vegetarian protein, I recommend eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, tempeh, falafel or tofu.
Don’t buy too much meat as it won’t last long fresh, buy only how much you plan to cook and freeze.
Whole fruits that are in season, buying individually instead of packaged means that you can buy your fruit at varying degrees of ripeness
Nuts and seeds add a burst of nutrients, last forever and are cheaper to bulk buy.
- Stock up on suitable containers. Storing your food in airtight containers keeps bacteria out while preserving the taste and flavours of your meals and snacks as well as preventing freezer burn. Invest in flasks for soups, Tupperware lunch boxes for lunches and dinners, clean old jars for breakfast oats and parfait, not to mention bento box style containers are great for snack packs or any meals where you want certain ingredients separated such as salads and their dressings. If the ingredients themselves are taking a large enough chunk out of your budget next time you order a Chinese or eat in a restaurant keep the takeaway container to wash and reuse.
The only downfall I found within the practice of meal prepping is monotony. Oftentimes you will end up eating the same meal or very similar meals 2-4 times per week however this shouldn’t be a problem if you enjoy what you are making and you can avoid mundane meals by adding different sauces, sides and varying the ingredients meal to meal. For example maybe you make four mornings worth of overnight oats, but each one can be a different flavour. Alternatively you can cook three batches of four different dinners and freeze the extra meals for the following weeks so the repetition of the meals is spaced apart. While forming the habit of meal prepping initially may seem like more trouble than what it is worth, the reality is that meal prepping is a massive investment that will save you money, time and mental energy which you will be thanking yourself for when summer exams roll around and those three things are all brutally compromised.
Happy munching!
