No one likes feeling rushed and overwhelmed in the kitchen. Meal prep is a great way to save time and eat healthier. Whether you are a beginner or a pro, this ultimate guide to meal prep is your one-stop resource to simplify your meals, save yourself time, and nourish your body with healthy food. From finding the right recipes to the perfect meal plans, we have all the tips and tricks to get you started and keep you going.
1. Make Meal Prep Part of Your Weekly Routine
- Plan and Prepare in Advance
In order to maintain a meal plan for the week, it’s important to do some preparation ahead of time. That means taking the time to plan a grocery list and deciding on recipes before heading to the store. With that done, shop for the ingredients you need and plan out what meals to make for each day.
- Find High-Quality, Nutritious Foods
Fill your kitchen with quality ingredients. For cooking, look for whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes. For healthy snacks, opt for options like organic yogurt, protein shakes, oatmeal bars, and nut butters.
- Cook Your Week’s Meals in Batch
Once you have all the necessary ingredients, it’s time to cook your meals for the week. By cooking in batch, it’s easier to save time throughout the week when meal prepping. Give yourself enough time to roast vegetables, cook grains, steam vegetables, bake fish, poach chicken, and prepare salads.
- Invest in Quality Containers
Having the right storage containers is essential if you’re serious about weekly meal prepping. Invest in good-quality containers that keep meals fresh, and come in different sizes and shapes. Containers also make it easier to store cooked and uncooked food, as well as pack meals on the go.
- Divide and Store Meals
Once you’ve cooked all your meals, divide them up and store in the fridge and freezer. To prevent spoilage, store meals properly with the right containers and label them with dates. Pre-prepared meals should keep in the fridge for up to five days.
2. Get Creative and Find New Ideas for Healthy Meals
Ready to make cooking an adventure? Healthy meals don’t need to be boring! Get creative in the kitchen and discover new, delicious recipes. You’ll find healthy eating to be a lot more rewarding than you ever thought it could be.
- Choose a meal type: Start with a meal type that you know and love and give it a healthy twist. For example, you can make veggie-filled tacos using corn tortillas or have a salmon and brown rice bowl. Look up healthy recipes or come up with your own variations!
- Eat globally: What better way to experiment with healthy eating than by trying a variety of international dishes. Research different cultures’ cuisine to discover options like Indian-inspired dal or Thai green curry. A quick online search can turn up tons of recipes for you to try.
- Step out of your comfort zone: Healthy eating gives you the freedom to try new foods and step outside your comfort zone. Take time to experiment with ingredients like quinoa, tempeh, and various superfoods that you’ve never cooked with before. You never know how you’ll like something until you try it – and the same goes for cooking recipes.
Once you find some great ideas for healthy meals, start stocking your kitchen. Buy some fresh produce, get familiar with kitchen appliances, and invest in good quality cookware. This will make it easier to get started when you’re ready to cook.
Remember, healthy eating – when approached the right way – can be exciting, delicious, and a lot of fun. With a bit of experimentation, you can learn to make some great healthy meals that appeal to your taste.
3. Stock Up On healthy Ingredients and Essentials
No matter your cooking skill level, stocking up on healthy ingredients and essentials can cut down on stress and give you a better opportunity to make more nutritious meals.
Keep your fridge full of healthy staples and options like fruits, vegetables, lean meats such as fish and chicken, and yogurt so you can make a nutritious meal quickly.
Whole grains: oats, quinoa, brown and wild rice, and barley are all excellent sources of fiber and provide sustained energy. These can be used in a variety of dishes throughout the week.
Healthy fats: Nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil. These are a great addition to meals and snacks, containing healthy fats and can help you stay fuller longer. You can also look for pre-portioned, individual bags of nuts and seeds.
Herbs & spices: Adding herbs and spices to your meals not only bump up the flavor, but they can also add a wide range of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. Stock up on a variety of spices such as paprika, garlic, cumin, oregano, turmeric, and black pepper.
Finally, make sure you are also stocked up on pantry staples like oil, broth, canned tomatoes, couscous, legumes, and canned tuna. These items are essential for your meals and should be on hand for quick and easy meal preparation.
4. How to Keep Your Meal Prepping Enjoyable and Stress-Free
Meal prepping can be enjoyable, but can also be stressful. Here are a few tips to make your meal prepping journey more enjoyable, and less stressful.
- Plan for meal time: Creating a weekly meal plan and shopping list can help make meal prepping an easier process. Familiarize yourself with different recipes that you can cook up for that week and create a grocery list based off of the items you’ll need. This will help to reduce the overwhelm of having to decide what to make each night.
- Utilize leftovers: If you’re short on time and want to lessen the amount of time you spend in the kitchen, try creating double of what you need and use the leftovers as lunches or dinners throughout the week. Repurposing ingredients helps to make meal prepping more efficient.
- Freeze when you can: Freezing leftovers or single ingredients can be helpful when you’re looking for a quick meal. Throw some frozen veggies into your soups and curries to make the cooking process a bit smoother.
At the end of the day, the purpose of meal prepping is to make feeding yourself and your family easier. Before getting into the kitchen, it helps to have a plan. Once you know what you’re making and the ingredients you’ll need, the whole process will feel much less daunting.
Keep it simple. You don’t need to create a 3-course meal for every lunch or dinner. Making simple dishes with minimal ingredients and preparation can save you time and energy. Grilling up some vegetables, roasting a few potatoes, or even having a salad with some grilled chicken can be a healthy and balanced meal.
Getting organized and making a plan is essential for meal prepping efficiently and happily. The more effort and time you put into planning, the less effort you have to put into cooking! A little effort in making your meal prepping journey more enjoyable and stress-free can go a long way.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be tedious or expensive. With the Ultimate Guide to Meal Prep, you can save time and money while creating delicious and nutritious meals that will help you reach your nutrition goals. Let’s get cooking!
