HOW TO MEAL PREP: TIPS & TRICKS
Meal prepping is my favorite time of the week. Prepping my meals for the week ahead has led me to be most successful in my health in wellness journey. Healthy eating starts at home! It encourages me to cook more during the week and eat out less. I get a lot of questions on how to meal prep, so I put together my top 5 meal prep tips and tricks to make meal prepping for beginners easy.
1. Get organized
Think about your favorite foods and which foods you would be willing to eat for a couple days in a row; think, leftovers. When I first started meal prepping, I chose to have a sweet potato every single day for every single meal, and needless to say, I really started hating sweet potatoes after a few days. Also consider your favorite cooking methods and if you are willing to try new ones. Do you have food storage containers to store your meals in? Storing food in an airtight container will keep your meals fresh.
2. Play your week
Meal planning always starts with having an eating plan. Think about what your week ahead will look like. Consider when you have a busy day or what situations arise that you choose to eat out instead, and prep for those times. You don’t need to prep for every single meal. Start small. Gather recipes that you like or are interested in trying. Search websites like Pintrest or Yummly. Be sure to bookmark or print the recipe so that you have access them when it’s time to cook.
3. Make a list
Go through your meal schedule and make a shopping list. Be sure to also consider storage times and the freshness of your food. This minimizes food waste and avoids spending money on food that doesn’t get eaten. Arrange your shopping list by categories so that it is easy to navigate the store. This limits the amount of time you have to shop: dry pantry goods in one column, fresh veggies and fruits in another column, meat in another, etc.
4. Go shopping
Never shop on an empty stomach. This may cause you to buy unnecessary items that were not originally on your list, or cause you to rush home to cook and forget something on the way. If you want to keep your shopping trips budget friendly, always check for sales. You can always organize your meals by what is on sale that week. Be sure to check out your paper for coupons and adjust your shopping list / meal plan if needed.
5. Prep and cook
Get some meal prep containers. I prefer these or these. They’re pretty cheap and they are easy to pack away for on the go situations. Clean produce at the beginning of the week. Placing vegetables in a water bath with some vinegar will help them stay fresh. Let dry before refrigerating. Cut or peel vegetables and store them in food storage containers. Doing this ahead of time will help cut down evening meal prep and will also give you options for a quick snack. I always prep breakfasts and lunches ahead of time, and cook dinners the night of. You can also prepare lunches from leftovers from the night before so that you can just grab and go the next day.
Meal prepping can be overwhelming at first, but I promise don’t give up! It may take a few times to figure out what works for you. Eventually, you’ll learn what recipes you prefer and how long they take, and which cooking method you prefer with your recipes.
Do you meal prep each week? What are some of your favorite items that you prep ahead of time? //
To a life in full,
♡Amanda