Want to know how to meal prep like a master for the week or even a month ahead and enjoy more feet-up and family time on those busy weeknights? We’ve packed a lot of aha! moments into this short guide that’ll save you time and money, reduce food waste and keep your food fresher for longer.
Our secret is in TheMix Shop’s Vac-U-Seal containers and jars. These innovative vacuum-seal containers not only help you stay organised when storing your meal prep, but also protect and preserve your food, keeping it fresh in your fridge or pantry for three to five times longer than your average storage containers.
Whether you’re a busy parent, a meal planning devotee or want to spend less time in your kitchen (that’s pretty much everyone, right?) here’s how to meal prep with four of our favourite recipe ideas that’ll save you every day.
Meal Prep Recipe 1: Chicken Tikka Enchiladas
Curry night and Mexican night, that’s two family favourites in one! Prep the recipe ahead of time and store in the 1.3L Vac-U-Seal containers ready to bake, or pop in the freezer.
Please your cheese lovers. Grate a little extra when you prep your enchiladas. Pop it in the small 650ml Vac-U-Seal container and you’ll have a sprinkle ready for pasta, salad, soup, toasties and sandwiches throughout the week.
Store your cooked enchilada leftovers in the 1.3L Vac-U-Seal and enjoy for lunch!
TIP: Vac-U-Seal glass containers are heat resistant to 300°C, so you can use them in the oven instead of transferring them to a baking dish and save on washing up. Vac-U-Seal containers are also freezer-friendly and dishwasher-safe (the lid and drip tray are hand wash only).
Meal Prep Recipe 2: Buttermilk and jalapeno chicken
Here’s how to take your meal prep to next level. Make the buttermilk and jalapeno marinade ahead and store in a 1L Vac-U-Seal Jar.
You can then coat your chicken (or other meat) and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge, or for a quick turn-around, place chicken in a 1.3L Vac-U-Seal Container and it’ll be ready to grill on the barbecue in just one hour!
A lush green leafy side salad goes beautifully with the sauce too. You can prep a day or so before and store in the 1.3L Vac-U-Seal.
TIP: Vac-U-Seal takes hours off the marinating process. When you remove the oxygen, your meats, fish and vegetables soak up all the flavours much faster. In just one hour, you’ll have tasty, fresh food ready to cook.
Meal Prep Recipe 3: Rise and shine cereal clusters
Make a healthy breakfast-on-the-go easy to grab and go with homemade granola, muesli or cereal made in your Thermomix®. These clusters are our go-to meal prep recipe. You can make up to 12 portions in one batch and protect them from going soft or stale by storing them in a 2L Vac-U-Seal Jar.
And don’t let one soft and squishy or mouldy berry ever ruin your breakfast! Prep and store all your fresh berries and fruits for breakfast yoghurt pots in our set of three 650ml Vac-U-Seal containers to keep them fresher for longer.
TIP: Vac-U-Seal keeps food fresher, crisper and tastier for longer. It’s simple but clever science. Removing the oxygen slows the spoilage process, so food stays naturally fresh (and free from bacteria and mould) for three to five times longer in vacuum-seal containers compared to standard storage containers.
Meal Prep Recipe 4: Basil Pesto
Your Thermomix® can whip up 520g of the tastiest basil pesto in as little as 10 minutes. That’s enough for 10 servings of quick pesto pasta for a busy school night and leftovers for an easy lunch. Oh, and remember your grated cheese from recipe 1? It'll still be nice and fresh to sprinkle on your pesto pasta.
Thermomix®-made pesto will keep for up to a month in a Vac-U-Seal jar or container, so you can keep dipping in and adding a pop of fresh flavour to your salads and dressings, scrambled eggs or fish.
TIP: Our reusable vacuum seal containers are the easiest way to avoid single-use plastic freezer bags and reduce waste. They’re made of high-quality borosilicate glass for extra durability and versatility. So, you can use them in your fridge, freezer and oven, time and again.
We've got you prepped for all meal prep ideas
Our Vac-U-Seal range keeps on growing!
There's the original 1.3L Vac-U-Seal container and the scaled down version - a neat, petite 650ml smaller size for your salads, snacks and leftovers.
Then there’s the new Vac-U-Seal Jar range with sizes ranging from 300ml to 2L and all coming in sets of 3!
So, our family of vacuum seal containers and jars have got you and your family covered, locking in all the flavours of your favourite meal prep recipes and keeping everything fresher for longer.