Make your own meal kits – simple meals the whole family can pull off.

So, with this in mind, we put together a DIY meal kits guide to help you to achieve the same level of convenience and inspiration for your family without the cost.

Pick your meals

Start with family favourites like pizza or pasta, for example. Select recipes that your whole family can get involved with to give you a break from some of the cooking duties. Plan the week according to what ingredients need to be used earlier in the week and what will keep until later. If you have a fresh salad, for instance, try to make that part of an earlier meal and frozen and more robust ingredients can be used later in the week.

Break it into portions

By breaking each meal into portion, you can get bulk ingredients and freeze what you don’t need immediately. Break down your meal into a helping for as many people as you typically have around your dinner table.

Think about the details

When selecting a recipe, stick to things that contain staple ingredients typically found in your pantry and fridge. If your recipe requires fresh ingredients, ensure that you head to the shop before you do your meal prep. Don’t forget to write your recipe down or get it from a book or website – this way, if it’s a hit you will be able to replicate it.

Opt for ready-made

If one of your meals is going to be pizza for example, you can buy ready-made dough to save yourself time and effort. If there are things that are budget-friendly but convenient, it’s a good idea to opt for them to keep life simple.

Do the meal preparation

To stick with the pizza analogy, use a day to prepare as many meal kits as you will need for the week ahead. Grate your cheese, slice your toppings, cook and measure out your tomato sauce and portion out any sides or extras such as salads. Weigh and portion out each ingredient for your recipe so that when it comes to assembling the meal, it’s simple and straightforward.

Seek inspiration

Have a look online or in cookbooks and other sources for recipes that appeal to you. Take a look at menus from meal kit companies to help you put together your own. The only key to great meal kits is a clear recipe and the rest is about trial and error. Try to stick to quick, easy to prepare dishes to save you prep time and keep it simple when it comes to the cooking.

Store it conveniently

This is the clincher when it comes to meal kits because this is what makes them so accessible. Each meal is stored within two parts – what goes into the fridge is the fresh ingredients that have been prepared and portioned while anything that doesn’t go into the fridge is kept in a separate container, also premeasured along with the recipe page or card for ease Once you have experimented with meal kits and you are satisfied with how they have turned out, you can make them a consistent part of your menu. Once you have a few weeks of different meal kits under your belt, you can start to mix and match your recipes to keep things interesting.

Save money and enjoy the ease and convenience that meal kits have to offer by making your own. With coupons and discounts, you can also ensure that you get quality groceries at an affordable price. And in the end, everyone wins.