Why you need to try the '4+2+1 formula': Mums share their simple meal prepping trick - and how it will save you $2,500 per year on food
- Melbourne-based mums Jen and Gaby shared their simple tricks for meal prep
- The 4+2+1 formula means you can will only be cooking four times each week
- You cook four times, have two meals from freezer and have one meal of leftovers
- They said doing this and shopping once a week means you'll save $2,500 a year
While it's well known that the easiest way to save money and time in the kitchen is to meal plan, it's often far easier said than done.
This is why two Melbourne-based mothers and friends have come up with a simple weekly '4+2+1' formula which will help you to structure your meals each week and save you more money.
'The 4+2+1 formula means you cook four meals each week, take two from the freezer and make one simple meal using leftovers,' former chef Jen Petrovic and her friend Gaby Chapman told Daily Mail Australia.
'By only having to cook four meals from scratch, you can save so much time and also have tasty, healthy home-cooked meals without the daily "what's for dinner?" stress.'
Two Melbourne-based mothers and friends have come up with a simple weekly formula which will help you to structure and save valuable cash each week (pictured)
Jen Petrovic and her friend Gaby Chapman told FEMAIL you only need to be cooking four times a week with the 4+2+1 formula (stock image)
Double up on portions and freeze some dishes to save valuable time and money in the kitchen (pictured)
How does the 4+2+1 formula work?
To try the 4+2+1 formula for yourself, you first need to think about what will work best and freeze well.
'The four meals you are cooking each week should include two double-up meals for the freezer,' Jen said.
'You should choose meals that freeze well for these meals, like chicken and lemon tagine or Italian meatballs.'
Then, the Melbourne-based mums said you should focus on making 'two fast and fresh meals', which take less than an hour from start to serving.
Good examples of a 'fast and fresh' meal include Thai pork stir fry and Tex-Mex rice and corn.
'The two meals you take from the freezer during the week are "foodbanked" meals that are ready to eat,' Gaby said.
'All you need is a speedy side to add to them like rice, pasta, veggies or salad.'
The final meal in the week - the 'super simple meal' - should be very easy; something like a toasted sandwich, sausage and mash and leftovers or omelette.
'The bonus of this is that anyone in the house can cook it,' Jen said.
You should aim to take two meals from the 'foodbank' of foods from the freezer each week (pictured)
Since the pair introduced the 4+2+12 formula in their own busy families, they said they have had to spend far less time in the kitchen and no longer have the surrounding stress of the 'what is for dinner' question.
'We shouldn't be overwhelmed by the evening meal,' Jen said.
'It doesn't need to complicated or use hard-to-find ingredients.'
You should only shop once per week, as the average Australian family visits the supermarket three times a week, giving you more opportunity to save money (stock image)
Two of your meals from the week should be 'fast and fresh' meals which take less than an hour from start to finish to make (pictured)
How can you save $2,500 per year on food?
Everyone wants to slash their grocery bill in half, and Jen and Gaby believe that by both embracing the 4+2+1 formula and getting a plan in action you can save a lot of money on food.
'Make sure you shop just once a week to save both time and money,' Jen said.
'The average Australian family shops three times a week or more, and this not only takes up so much time, but it also gives you more opportunities to buy things you don't need.'
The pair said that you should only visit the supermarket once with a list in hand and you should never go to the supermarket hungry.
'If you plan your meals and only buy what you need for the week without impulse buying, you will save around $2,500 per year,' they said.
'It's easy to be tempted at the end of the aisle or at the checkout, or by those lovely eggplants which look great. But if you haven't got a plan to use any of this, they will go to waste.'
The Plan Buy Cook Book is available at all good bookstores, in Kmart, Target and Big W, or online from Booktopia in Australia or internationally through Amazon.
The Plan Buy Cook Book is available at all good bookstores, in Kmart, Target and Big W, or online from Booktopia in Australia or internationally through Amazon (pictured)
