Meal prep can save families time and money, and during the pandemic it means less time shopping in the store. (Photo by Catherine Sasso)

Since New York State has been put on pause, families and individuals are having to find new ways to cope with staying home. Although grocery stores are open, it is best practice to limit the number of trips to the store. Meal planning and prepping can help map out meals for the week and allow for a more productive trip to the grocery store.

According to Good House Keeping there are three types of meal prepping. The first is batch cooking, which involves making large meals ahead of time and freezing them for later time. The second is individually portioned meals, where meals are portioned for one person and ready to grab and go. The last is prepping ingredients, which is all the chopping, peeling, slicing, or roasting beforehand to use later on in recipes.

Pick a day for prep. Choose one day that can be dedicated to planning meals, creating a shopping list, and doing a bulk of the prep. According to the blog Meal Prep Haven, it's helpful to pick a second day later in the week to also commit an hour or two to meal prep. This allows you to expand the choices for meals and keep them fresher throughout the week.