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12 Tips to Master Meal Prepping
Meal prepping is an easy and efficient way to have healthy meals ready to fit your busy schedule. Meal prepping allows you to have meals prepared that you can take on-the-go, when you need to heat up a quick meal in-between work and meeting with friends, or simply prep to help you stick to a clean diet.
Taking the time to plan and prep your meals can save you time, money, and energy throughout your week. One study found that individuals who meal prepped were more likely to eat well-balanced, nutritious meals.1
Here are 12 simple meal prep ideas to help you get started on how to meal prep.
Start small
If you’ve never meal prepped or planned a menu for the entire week, try to start small at first. Start by planning a couple of meals and snacks for the week to help get you into the habit.
As you get more comfortable with meal prepping and have an idea of what days you need a meal ready, you can slowly add more meals and snacks into your prep.
Organize
Organization is key when it comes to planning anything, especially when it comes to healthy meal prep ideas.
Organizing your grocery list, pantry, and fridge can make meal prepping much easier. Make sure you know where to find ingredients when you need them, and keep storage containers in an easy-to-reach spot.
Once you’ve made your meals, label everything with what the meal is and the date you prepped it. This will allow you to easily grab a meal you want and also know when it’s time to toss expired food.
Invest in high-quality storage
Storage containers are essential when it comes to meal prepping, and this goes hand-in-hand with organization as well. If you can’t find a lid to match your container, it can create some frustration.
Invest in high-quality storage containers and keep them organized in your cabinets. You’ll want to have a variety of sizes for separate food items.
Glass containers are a great option because they’re eco-friendly, microwave safe, and dishwasher safe. Make sure whatever containers you’re purchasing fit your needs: whether that is microwave safe, dishwasher safe, or freezer safe.
Think of each food group
When meal prepping, you want to consider each food group and how prepping your meals can help you meet your daily recommended needs.
A healthy meal will usually include whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, and healthy fats. When developing your meal plan, try to avoid refined grains, sugars, and unnecessary salt.2
Plan out your grocery trip
Planning your grocery trip ahead of time can save you time and money. Create a list of the meals you’re making and exactly which ingredients you need. This can save you from spending additional time and money in the grocery store on unnecessary food items.
Designate a time to prep
Meal prepping can be a process depending on how much food you’re making. It’s important to find a time that works best for you that you can designate to meal prep.
For example, if you’re free on Sunday evenings and want to meal prep for the work week ahead, make that your designated time to cook and prepare your meals. Most people will choose a day of the week that works for them and plan to prep on that day.
Search and save recipes
There are many recipes online, some specifically for meal preppers, that you can try each week. If you find a recipe you have tried and like, save it into your phone or in a cookbook so you can make it again!
Meal redundancy is a common complaint when it comes to meal prep for beginners. However, there are many online resources that can help you avoid this occurrence. If you want to vary your food choices throughout the week, you have endless options when it comes to choosing what foods to make.
Buy in bulk
If you’re able to, buy certain groceries in bulk. Oftentimes, buying in bulk or large quantities can save you money and an extra trip to the grocery store.
If you go to a farmer’s market or grocery store and have the option to stock up on protein and vegetables that can be stored in the freezer, buy in bulk and save some for later.
Prep fruits and vegetables
Preparing your fruits and vegetables is a big step in meal prepping. Once you get home from the grocery store, go ahead and prep your fruits and vegetables so you don’t have to do it all at once when you’re cooking your meals.
Wash your produce, cut it how you like, and store in the fridge until you’re ready to prep your meals. Another meal prep tip is to “blanch” your veggies to make them last longer when freezing them. You can do this by quickly dipping them in boiling water and then cool them.3
Use your freezer
Your freezer is a great way to store produce or prepped meals for use at a later time.
Some food items that can be stored in the freezer include protein, produce, sauces, and bread. A few meals that can be stored in the freezer and thawed later include lasagna, soup, chili, enchiladas, and muffins.
Use portion control
Another great benefit to meal prepping is you can better control your portions. Sometimes when you’re hungry and making a meal, it can be difficult to limit yourself to a healthy portion.
If you prep your meals ahead of time, you can go ahead and portion out each food group to the proper serving to ensure you’re eating a healthy, balanced meal. Some people will weigh their food or use pre-portioned storage containers that show how much of each food item they’re eating.
Make meals you enjoy
Most importantly, make meals you truly enjoy! This is the best part about meal prepping. You don’t have to stick to one recipe every week or include the same vegetables in every meal.
For example, if you love your family’s homemade pasta recipe, prep the pasta and store it in the freezer for when you crave some comfort food.
Try Meal Prep Today
Now that you’ve learned new meal prep ideas and tips on how to meal prep, try it today! There are many benefits to meal prepping if you’re someone who is on-the-go or likes quick, healthy meals.
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