Eliminate the stress and time of having to cook every single night by meal prepping! It saves you time during the week and helps keep you on track with healthy eating! Wether you are a student, you work full time or are a stay at home mom, it can be hard (I mean seriously impossible) to cook all of your meals at home every single day. This is where "Meal Prep" can quickly become your best friend! Without prepping your meals ahead of time you are most likely to eat junk food if you're too busy or on the go.
The amount of prep you do, depends on how much time you have to dedicate to prepping and your personal preferences.
I prep twice a week, Sundays and Wednesdays. I create a meal calendar depending on our schedule for the week and make a grocery list. I cut up all my fruits and veggies and precook all my meats (except fish and steak) and large meals like Meatloaf or Casseroles.
I prep twice a week, Sundays and Wednesdays. I create a meal calendar depending on our schedule for the week and make a grocery list. I cut up all my fruits and veggies and precook all my meats (except fish and steak) and large meals like Meatloaf or Casseroles.
What the heck is Meal Prep??
It can mean different things to different people. For me it means cooking in bulk and creating grab and go snacks throughout my day. My most important prepped meal is lunch. I am a snacker and if I do not have a prepped ready to eat meal I will raid my pantry, fridge and pretty much munch on anything I can find.
You may choose to prepare only lunches, grab and go snacks or all of your meals if you have the time. Chances are it will be a little bit of trial and error to get settled into a routine that suits your lifestyle and preferences.
If you always find yourself rushing in the morning and your breakfast consists of a cup of coffee and a pop tart then prepping breakfast will help you. Or if you work late hours and have a difficult time cooking dinner on a nightly basis then maybe Dinner is where you start.
There is no right or wrong.
The first thing you need to do is invest in some good quality containers - these can be tupperware or glassware. Make sure they are microwave/oven safe and BPA free if you choose plastic. Also getting the same size containers will help you stack them and prevent having to play fridge Tetris.
I prefer glass containers myself for large quantities and also have special 3 compartment containers for lunch that make it easy to separate and take on the go.
If you have never meal prepped before it is so easy to become overwhelmed! Cooking for an entire week is a pretty big job and even the best of us can struggle with that. My best advice is to take it slow and sticking to a few days at a time to help you get you used to the process. Take a look at your weekly family schedule and plan a food calendar around it.
I like to start with my proteins and create several meals around them.
Chicken Breast for instance can be used for so many different meals and leftovers can be recycled into lunch the next day. Salads, Stir-fry, Tacos, Breakfast Omelets.. Oh the possibilities.
As I mentioned before I like to prep on 2 different days. One of the reasons why I do this is because I don't want to have food spoil. So also keep in mind longevity in the fridge. Fish for instance I cook the day of so it is fresh, but Overnight Oats will stay good for a few days.
Now, how you choose to prep your meals is up to you.
You can:1. Cook enough protein, veggies, starches to eat for the week
(keeping these items basic will make them more versatile to use during the week)
This way you will get larger quantities of food and can put together meals everyday.
OR
2.Cook several meals to generate enough to alternate for the week (five/six days of dinners)
This way you will have pre packaged individual meals.
OR
3. Cook your meals throughout the week based on your schedule and prep your breakfast and lunch the day before. If you know you will have time on Monday to cook dinner but not Tuesday then cook Monday and prep for Tuesday as well.
1. Cut and Prep Fruits and Veggies (I do this while my protein is cooking)
2. Cook as much of your protein that you would like to have for the week
3. Snacks- Separate in baggies and labeling them works best for me.
My boyfriend goes to work when I stay home so I pre-pack his lunch and snacks the evening before and keep in a lunch bag in the fridge so he can just take it with him when he leaves at 6 am. (I am not awake enough to do it then) 4. Don't forget your Freezer! Pre-packing crock pot meals that you can freeze until you need it during the week is a life saver. Imagine having everything you need in a bag that you can just put in a crock pot when you go to work and have a delicious meal when you get home.
If cooking everything at once on Sunday is too much because that's your day to spend time with family, then divide your prep to two days, its what I do!
There is no right or wrong.
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| 3 Days of Lunch |
Before you Start
I prefer glass containers myself for large quantities and also have special 3 compartment containers for lunch that make it easy to separate and take on the go.
Planning
The first thing you need to do is PLAN.
If you have never meal prepped before it is so easy to become overwhelmed! Cooking for an entire week is a pretty big job and even the best of us can struggle with that. My best advice is to take it slow and sticking to a few days at a time to help you get you used to the process. Take a look at your weekly family schedule and plan a food calendar around it.
I like to start with my proteins and create several meals around them.
Chicken Breast for instance can be used for so many different meals and leftovers can be recycled into lunch the next day. Salads, Stir-fry, Tacos, Breakfast Omelets.. Oh the possibilities.
As I mentioned before I like to prep on 2 different days. One of the reasons why I do this is because I don't want to have food spoil. So also keep in mind longevity in the fridge. Fish for instance I cook the day of so it is fresh, but Overnight Oats will stay good for a few days.
Prepping
Grocery shop for the week.
I love going to Farmers Market on the weekend and save on fresh produce.
Now, how you choose to prep your meals is up to you.
You can:1. Cook enough protein, veggies, starches to eat for the week
(keeping these items basic will make them more versatile to use during the week)
This way you will get larger quantities of food and can put together meals everyday.
OR
2.Cook several meals to generate enough to alternate for the week (five/six days of dinners)
This way you will have pre packaged individual meals.
OR
3. Cook your meals throughout the week based on your schedule and prep your breakfast and lunch the day before. If you know you will have time on Monday to cook dinner but not Tuesday then cook Monday and prep for Tuesday as well.
Cooking
1. Cut and Prep Fruits and Veggies (I do this while my protein is cooking)
2. Cook as much of your protein that you would like to have for the week
- Grill chicken in bulk with a variety of seasonings to switch up the flavor during the week
- Use your crockpot! Probably my favorite way or food prep. Meatballs or shredded chicken is a breeze.
- Hard boil enough eggs for the week for a grab and go breakfast snack.
- Roasting or grilling veggies in bulk.
3. Snacks- Separate in baggies and labeling them works best for me.
My boyfriend goes to work when I stay home so I pre-pack his lunch and snacks the evening before and keep in a lunch bag in the fridge so he can just take it with him when he leaves at 6 am. (I am not awake enough to do it then) 4. Don't forget your Freezer! Pre-packing crock pot meals that you can freeze until you need it during the week is a life saver. Imagine having everything you need in a bag that you can just put in a crock pot when you go to work and have a delicious meal when you get home.
Remember, do what works best for you!!!!
If cooking everything at once on Sunday is too much because that's your day to spend time with family, then divide your prep to two days, its what I do!
I had to start somewhere and a little bit of meal prep is still better than none at all. Even if that is just chopping up a few veggies or grouping things in containers, you will feel so much better about cooking your food if you have it organized ready to go!
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