Preparing larger portions of food ahead of time, or having family or friends bring you home cooked food, is a great way to minimize how often you have to cook. I often encourage my clients to prepare a larger portion of food and freeze the extra amount for another meal.
That last month of pregnancy can be exhausting and parenting is a full time job! So if you can reduce the amount of time spent on other tasks at home, there’s more time to rest or focus on yourself and baby.
However, safe storage of food is important to prevent anyone from getting food poisoning.
Steps to ensure you are storing your leftovers or extra food safely:
- Portion out and store leftovers in amounts that you or your family will usually eat.
- Place leftovers in shallow containers so it cools quicker so you can put it into the fridge/freezer sooner.
- Once the food has cooled, store it in the refrigerator and eat within 2-4 days.
- Do not leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours at room temperature. During summer months, this time reduces to 1 hour!
- If you don’t plan on eating your leftovers any time soon, freeze it for a later date. Remember to label your food with what it is and the date you made it.
- If using a freezer bag to freeze leftovers, lay it flat so it will both freeze and thaw faster.
- When you’re ready to thaw and/or reheat your leftovers, ensure it’s done in a safe manner.
If you attended any holiday celebrations and brought some food home, remember to practice safe food handling and store the food following the tips above!
