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Batch cooking is a great way to have meals already prepared and, in the freezer, so that you always have something to eat.  For people who live alone it allows you to buy regular sized portions of meat etc and not let it go to waste.  

Here are our top tips for meal prepping like a pro the simple way:

• pick dishes that have common ingredients so that your shopping list doesn’t become too long, and choose meals that lend themselves to freezing and cooking in bulk well
• get creative if you are missing something, and identify another ingredient you do have that could offer a similar texture, flavour or nutrition profile
• make sure you have an hour or two free to cook your meal prep
• cheating is OK, frozen vegetables, ready-made pastes and delicious jar sauces can all save you time
• cooking should be fun, put some music or a podcast on to cook to
• mass chop garlic, onions and some other vegetables will feature across each of your dishes
• split the ingredients out for each recipe on a tray or plate ready to cook (it is much easier when you have all the ingredients prepared for when you need them, rather than trying to cook and chop at the same time)
• clean as you go, a big pile of washing up can seem more daunting
• cook in a way that suits you and your abilities, if you can cook two dishes at once, then great, that will save time
• make sure you have enough containers for everything you are going to cook
• make sure you have enough space for your tasty meals in your fridge or freezer, as food in the freezer will keep for much longer

There are tonnes of edible pips, stalks, shoots and roots which go to waste each year. A little know-how can soon turn them into darn right delicious dishes.

Squeezing every last drop out of your food shop will save you money and help the planet. Some even say that eating an apple whole is a pretty cool party trick...We’ll let you be the judge of that one.

Read on for five edible bits that are easy to miss, and how to eat them for maximum enjoyment.

1.  Peel and rind too often get left behind

Melon rind makes a delicious pickle.

Kiwi skins contain triple the amount of fibre than the flesh. Orange peel can be candied, used in a chutney, jam, sauce or marmalade or given a quick twist to release zest into sweets, salad dressings, cocktails and more.

Try making this fruit peel vinegar.

Banana peel can bulk out a smoothie, curry or chutney and be steeped to form a refreshing caffeine free tea.  
When it comes to veg, the peel is often the most fibrous and nutritious part. Wash don’t peel where possible.  And we get it, onion skins are less than appealing. Pop them in a stock along with any other shoots roots and leaves that get left behind.

2.  Core blimey, you didn’t

Just eat the whole apple. We did. Eating the core of fresh apples is one of those things that you’ll try once and never come back from. Pips (seeds!) often have a sweet and nutty taste with the surrounding flesh tasting much like the rest.  

Seeds and cores can also contribute to a simple fruit vinegar or kvass. Try this delicious food waste reducings, using both apple cores and stale rye bread.

3.  Shoot! I binned the good bit 

The number of shoots and leaves that get left behind is one of life’s great mysteries. Beetroot leaves and stalks can be cooked just like spinach. Carrot tops make a tasty pesto or dhal.

Cauliflower and broccoli leaves can be steamed or roasted along with the rest of the vegetable.

Try out this cauliflower sweet piccalilli, a great way to use up leaves and the stem  .

4. Bean there, thrown the pod

If you are lucky enough to have a whole pea or bean pod, think about eating the whole thing. Steam the pea pods and fry the bean pods. Pods can be stir-fried or, if you’re feeling adventurous made into a delicious tempura. You might want to compost the stringy bits.

5.  A seed of an idea

Seeds are the ultimate snack. Save pumpkin, squash and melon seeds from your cooking and roast them see our roasted pumpkin seeds recipe for a nutritious snack.