Leftovers on Purpose

- Batch cooking doesn't have to mean full meal prep. Cooking extra at dinner for the next day's lunch is the simplest version. - Bridgett's Costco chicken method: buy in bulk, cook all of it at once in four different flavors (lime/jalapeño, BBQ, spiced, balsamic/oil) so you're not eating the same thing every day. - Taco meat gets made in a giant pot and used across multiple meals: bowls, salads, omelets, eggs. The ingredients are batched, not the meals. - Portion size matters: chili goes in single-serve containers because only Clayton eats it. Taco bowls go in bigger containers because the whole family will eat them. - Frozen vegetables are picked at peak ripeness and flash frozen. They're likely better than "fresh" produce that was picked early to ripen on the shelf. - If batch cooking isn't realistic (small kitchen, tight budget, limited storage), basic prep still helps: chop veggies ahead, buy a rotisserie chicken, keep your ingredients accessible. - Bridgett's advice: make it boring. Pick the meals you know you'll eat, keep them on rotation, and only add something new once in a while. - Decision fatigue at the end of the day is the real problem. Having something ready, even if it's not exciting, keeps you from defaulting to fast food or skipping meals entirely.