Meal prepping is a beautiful thing! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without it.
So let’s set you up for success.
Get Organized
For me, a crucial aspect of meal prepping is getting organized. This means before I step foot into the grocery store, I want to have all of my containers washed and ready to go.
I recommend using glass storage containers for food prepping and storage. Glass containers last forever, are easy to clean and don’t contain harmful chemicals. Stay away from plastics! As well, look for a variety of sizes.
Also, make sure to invest in enough containers to last you all week.
You also want to make sure your containers are travel-friendly, so you don’t experience any spills along the way.
Once you have your containers, it’s time to start the grocery list.
Make Your List
I love making lists. This way, I don’t forget anything I need. Lists also allow you to group like items together, so you’re not wasting time at the store going back and forth between aisles and departments.
Before you can make your list, you need to know what you’re making.
How to find the recipes is really up to you. Some people like to peruse the internet and apps like Pinterest for tasty recipes throughout the week. Others enjoy looking through cookbooks while having their morning coffee.
While you’re likely to come across a ton of tasty sounding dishes, keep in mind too many recipes can also be overwhelming. To save time, and to go easy on your wallet, look for recipes with similar ingredients for the week.
If you’re new to cooking or meal prepping, there’s nothing wrong with starting with just a couple of recipes to prep for the week to get you going.
How Are You Prepping?
When it comes to how you meal prep, you have many options.
Types of meal prep include:
- Full make-ahead meals: You cook an entire meal and store it in your fridge or freezer.
- Batch cooking or freezing: Make multiple meals, then portion and store them. This approach is useful for recipes you can easily cook in large amounts (like big pots of soup, rice, or mashed sweet potatoes).
- Meals for one: Prepare food and portion it in single-serving containers. (Usually enough to last a few days)
- Ingredient prep: For people who like to cook and serve food all at once, just prep parts of recipes. Chop veggies, mix spices, or marinate meat in advance to save time when you’re ready to cook.
The best part is you don’t have to choose just one option!
While you’re prepping your lunches for the week, let’s say, you know you’ll need chopped onions and carrots for at least one dinner. Prep everything at once and store the dinner ingredients separately.
What a time-saver!
And Here Are Other Benefits To Meal Prepping
When done right, meal prep can save you money. Meal prepping allows you to save money by purchasing items in bulk and freezing for later use. Always stock up on staples like olive oil, spices, and condiments when they’re on sale.
Meal prepping also helps you reduce waste. When you’re portioning out your servings for the week, you know exactly how much to make and how much you have. So, no more forgotten leftovers in the back of the fridge.
Finally, unlike processed meals, this method gives you total control over what goes into your food—perfect for anyone who wants to stay on track with their health goals.
Tips To Top It All Off
When you first start meal prepping, there are some mistakes I want to help you avoid.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many new or complex recipes with a long list of ingredients. It’s easy to get swept away with yummy and exotic-sounding new dishes—start simple, with recipes you already know how to make and know you like.
Make sure to plan meals that will help keep you feeling satisfied throughout the day. Look for recipes that offer you the right balance of your macros and micros.
Lastly, when planning for your prepping, keep your schedule in mind. You’ll need to set aside time to shop and prepare your meals. This might take some reorganizing but it’s worth it!
It just takes a little time and practice but soon you’ll be a happy meal prepper!