Five Meal Prep Tips for Beginners

Between work, school, kids, family, appointments — all of the things we juggle day in and day out, making meals is just another stress factor. Meal prep is a growing fad and for good reason. Preparing a week’s worth of meals ahead of time not only saves you time, but ensures you have access to healthy, quick meals and stay away from the junk. And if you do it right, it can save you some cash. What’s not to like?

We understand that undertaking a project like this can be overwhelming. That’s why we have collected our top five tips to help get you meal prepping like a pro.

1.) Meal Planner:

Search online and find a template you like or create your own, but you will need an easy-to-use meal planner. This will let you properly plan and shop for the meals you want to make. Once you start planning, you can make a grocery list for the things you need. This is the most important step. It is hard to continue successfully prepping if you do not have the supplies you need, and as a result are either not making enough food to last you the time you need or are finding yourself returning to the store and cooking throughout the week.

2.) Recipes:

Sit down and make a list of all the meals you already make and love. While prepping is important to save time, you want to ensure the meals you are making are something you will actually eat. If you don’t like the recipes you choose, you are more likely to ignore the food in the fridge and order out or just stop prepping all together.

Use the internet, too. There are millions of recipes out there. Find some that you like.

Now take these two lists and try to fit your recipes into categories. This is an easier way to plan. You do not have to stick to strict recipes every day, but make the staple items and have them available. A little wiggle room will allow you to still be creative and satisfy any cravings you have without falling off course.

Keep variation in mind, too. You won’t be looking forward to three nights of pasta. Or maybe some of your will. Do what works for you!

• Easy meals for prepping: Pastas, soups, stews, stir fries and Mexican (i.e. tacos, enchiladas, burritos). For breakfast, think things you can make in bulk: individual quiche, muffins, protein bars, cold oats.

3.) Gadgets:

For the actual cooking, stock your kitchen with the right tools. We recommend having:

• A veggie slicer or mandolin: Cut veggies properly for steaming, sauteing or roasting. Having veggies at the ready will help you make better choices when you’re hungry.
• Salad spinner: Keeping a bowl of clean salad greens in the kitchen and use your prepped meats and veggies to create a salad.
• A good cutting board: Keep your meat and veggie boards separate.

4.) Food storage:

Cooking ahead of time is great, but you want to make sure you are storing foods correctly so they do not spoil.

Things like soups and stews lend themselves to freezing. The easiest way to store them is pouring them in plastic freezer bags. Make it easy on yourself and use a counter-top storage bag holder. This life-changing gadget will make it easier for you to store your food in disposable bags and not worry about cleaning out your Tupperware.

For meats and veggies, go for glass over plastic. The less porous material will lock out air, will not absorb odors and will keep your foods fresher for longer.

5.) Don’t forget dessert:

Give yourself something sweet to eat and you will not be tempted to cheat. Fresh fruit keeps well and is a great go-to snack. Either keep fresh fruit cut up and stored in the fridge or add a fruit bowl to your counter.

Get prepping!