Thalia Dale didn’t plan on becoming a one-batch cooking expert. It started out of necessity—between long shifts at the community center and caring for her younger sister, cooking daily just wasn’t realistic. “I needed food that worked with my life, not against it,” she says.
At first, she dreaded meal prepping. “I thought it meant spending hours on Sunday boiling chicken and portioning it into identical containers,” she laughs. “That’s not me.”
But Thalia discovered another rhythm: making one big, versatile batch that could be repurposed throughout the week. A pot of spiced lentils on Monday could become tacos on Tuesday, soup on Wednesday, and a grain bowl on Thursday. Suddenly, the pressure was off. “It’s not about eating the same thing—it’s about building on a foundation,” she explains.
She got creative with sauces, pickled toppings, fresh herbs—little add-ons that transformed leftovers into something new. “It felt like playing, not planning,” she says.
Even her sister, a notoriously picky eater, started asking for “that thing you made the other day, but with more crunch.”
Now, Thalia shares her batch-cooking tips with friends and neighbors, helping busy families find more ease at the table. “Food isn’t just about efficiency,” she says. “It’s about nourishment, creativity, and making space for life.”
