Cook One Meal, Eat for a Week

Through an arrangement known as “cooperative cooking,” a group of 5 people each prepare a single, large meal that will feed everyone and package it up. One share goes into their own refrigerators, and they meet on a set day at the home of the host/ hostess to share their packaged food. So in exchange for cooking one meal, each person gets 5 meals—which, with leftovers, is often enough to provide dinner for the whole week.

From college campuses to apartment buildings, and from suburban neighborhoods to cohousing communities, many busy people have found that cooking cooperatively, especially for the after-work dinners on weeknights, can save time and money, and deepen connections with family and community—all while supporting healthy, green food choices. Though cooking co-op arrangements vary, they all take advantage of the fact that cooking one meal for a crowd, once a week is a "win-win" situation for all who are involved. All you have to do is to cook one big meal and portion it into 5 microwave-safe containers, keep one portion for yourself, then exchange your meal with others who do the same.

Modified from: http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/realmoney/articles/cooperativemeals.cfm

Ingrid Cheng
Healthy Cook
http://holistichealthco-op.org/