Pre-cooking is healthy, cheap and saves on packaging waste - the food trend with the fancy name "Meal Prep" is on everyone's lips. But how do you manage to spend hours in the kitchen when you're short of time and stressed? The good news is that all you need is a little planning and a maximum of one or two hours at the weekend.

There are no artificial flavors, colorings, additives or unnecessary sugar in your pot. Intolerances in particular can easily be kept in check with home-cooked food. It is also environmentally friendly, as you save a lot of packaging waste, at least with snacks. Targeted shopping also prevents food waste.

How do you go about it?

You need a weekly plan in which all meals from Monday to Friday are entered. The time spent in the kitchen can be reduced by using a basic ingredient twice, such as pasta or rice. If you don't mind, you can also eat the same dish on two days, for example Monday and Wednesday.

Once you have your weekly plan, write your shopping list and check what you have left at home before you go shopping. Back at home with your shopping, you can then start cooking. To ensure that all your meals stay nice and fresh, you will need tightly sealed lunch boxes, screw-top or swing-top jars in which to store the portioned food. If you are cooking for more than three days in advance, you should freeze the meals for the following days. This will ensure that they are still edible. Particularly suitable: Soups, curries and stews.

Foods suitable for Meal Prep:

Rice and pasta keep cooked for several days in the fridge and can be combined with steamed vegetables. Can also be served cold as a salad in summer.

Pulses are filling and rich in nutrients - chickpeas or kidney beans from the jar can be prepared in no time at all.

Seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables provide variety - it's best to wash, cut and portion them straight after shopping. Frozen vegetables with their good nutritional balance are an acceptable alternative.

Parmesan, mozzarella and fresh herbs from the pot, for example, provide variety.

A supplement beyond the edge of the plate is of course our varied product portfolio.

Reading tip: "Meal Prep - Prepare healthy meals, take them with you and save time: Over 70 recipes and 10 weekly plans" by Veronika Pichl, Riva Verlag, Munich 2017.