When people think of meal prepping, they may picture bland chicken breast, rice and green beans perfectly portioned into a week’s worth of containers. However, meal prep can be used for a variety of reasons.
It can help people save money by bulk purchasing ingredients, taking advantage of sales and reducing impulse buying. There are various meal-prepping methods, and the one that works best for you depends on your goals, schedule and food preferences.
Plan Your Meals
A well-balanced diet is unique to each person and prepping meals can help you stay energized, meet your nutrition goals and save money. When starting, it’s helpful to identify what your healthy diet looks like and make a list of foods you want to meal prep regularly.
Choose meals that are quick, easy to cook and nutritious. Also take into consideration any arrangements that may mean you won’t be eating at home on certain days, such as child pick-up or a friend’s dinner party.
Consider preparing component meals, which are made up of individual ingredients that can be stored separately. This is a great way to ensure you have access to a range of nutrients and avoid food waste, as unused foods can spoil quickly in the refrigerator or freezer.
Make a Shopping List
While the idea of meal prepping may invoke images of bland chicken, rice and green beans perfectly portioned into containers for a week’s worth of meals, you can also prepare individual foods that can be added to a day-to-day meal or eaten as a snack. Examples include washed greens for a salad, hardboiled eggs or cooked beans.
On your meal prep day, focus on the ingredients that take the longest to cook, such as proteins like chicken and fish; whole grains such as quinoa or brown rice; dried and canned beans; and spices. Watch for sales and coupons to maximize your budget, and make sure you use up foods that will go bad before they spoil.
Write your shopping list at the time you create your meal plan to help avoid forgetting items. It can also help you rationalize your list – for example, if two recipes require similar foods you can shop the same aisle to save time.
Prepare Your Ingredients
Meal prepping can save you time and money, especially if you use foods that have a long shelf life. Avoid food waste by labelling all your prepped items and storing them so that the most perishable foods are at eye-level and easily accessible.
When cooking for a week, focus on making food that can be eaten a few days after it’s cooked: protein (chicken, fish or meat), grains like quinoa and couscous, eggs, beans and pulses, roasted vegetables, salad dressings and sauces.
Alternatively, you can prepare component meals, such as a chicken and sweetcorn soup or a healthy takeaway pizza. These can be reheated to make quick and easy meals throughout the week.
Cook Your Meals
Meal prepping involves dedicating a block of time to cooking ingredients (or even whole meals) for the week ahead. This can feel daunting if you’re new to meal prep, but it doesn’t have to be!
Meal prep can be as simple as washing and chopping veggies, batch-cooking grains and marinating protein. Or it can be as comprehensive as cooking and portioning out a week’s worth of meals. The key is to find recipes and foods that are quick to cook, easy to store and taste good reheated.
If you’re new to meal prepping, try starting small – like preparing two or three days of meals at a time. This will ease you into the process and save you time and energy during the week!
Store Your Food
When meal prepped foods are stored properly, they can remain fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge and 3-4 months in the freezer. Proper storage involves storing food in airtight, opaque containers that lock in moisture and freshness.
It’s also important to label each container and date it. This helps prevent forgotten meals or ingredients from spoiling and eliminates waste. Finally, be sure to rotate perishable foods so the oldest items are used first. This will ensure that your meal prep is always at its peak flavor and freshness. Meal prepping can be a great way to streamline your weekly routine and stick with your healthy eating goals. However, it’s important to be mindful of your meal choices and avoid consuming too many processed foods like fast food.