Cooking once and eating several times is one of the easiest ways to eat healthily, save money and avoid last-minute takeaways.

Meals that freeze brilliantly

• Chilli, bolognese and curries.
• Soups and stews.
• Lasagne, cottage pie and fish pie.
• Meatballs and burgers (raw or cooked).
• Cooked grains like rice (cool quickly first).
• Porridge portions and pancakes.
• Muffins and banana bread.

Freeze with care

Salad leaves, cucumber, cooked eggs and creamy sauces don't freeze well. Pasta is best slightly undercooked before freezing.

Food safety rules

1. Cool food quickly — within about 1–2 hours — then refrigerate or freeze.
2. Divide into shallow containers to cool faster.
3. Label with the name and date.
4. Defrost in the fridge or microwave, not on the worktop.
5. Reheat until steaming hot throughout.
6. Only reheat once.

How long does it last?

Frozen food stays safe indefinitely at -18°C, but quality declines. Most cooked meals are best eaten within about three months.

Make logging effortless

Log a batch-cooked recipe once in Mealify, then use "log again" each time you eat a portion.