A terrific cooking hack for seniors (in fact, for anyone)

It’s true that home-cooked meals tend to be healthier – and more affordable – than their store-bought counterparts, but having to prepare food daily can feel like an off-putting chore. And it may be simply impossible when you’re unwell.

One solution is to batch cook: in other words, to prepare all your meals for the next week or two in advance and then freeze them until needed. Another option is to “cook once and eat twice (or thrice)” by doubling (or trebling) the quantities in a favourite recipe and saving the leftovers for other days. Both approaches will save you time and hassle and set you on the path to eating wholesome, nutritious meals every day.

Besides the convenience of having ready-cooked meals on hand, batch cooking can reduce meal costs if you buy ingredients in bulk – although the initial outlay might seem like a lot if you’re used to doing small weekly shops.

It can also help to minimise food waste as ingredients are less likely to go off before you use them and meals are pre-portioned. In addition, you might find you’re more inspired to get creative with what’s left – meat bones and chicken carcasses make wonderful broth and stock, while spare veggies can easily be turned into a simple, yet delicious soup.

If you need recipe ideas, there are many on the internet, some aimed specifically at seniors – just search “batch cooking” or “meals to make ahead of time”. Ideas that pop up often include cottage pie, spaghetti bolognaise, pasta bakes, soups, stews and curries. Freezable breakfast options include muffins (think egg and bacon or cheese and herb), banana bread, oatmeal pancakes, quiches and frittata.