What is Meal Prepping
Meal prepping is the concept of preparing whole meals or dishes ahead of schedule. It’s particularly popular amongst busy people because it can save a lot of time and not only that it really does help you control how much you eat.
I have been food prepping for years, it’s a Sunday morning ritual, and its one of my favourite things to do in the week. Having pre-prepared meals on hand can also reduce portion size and help you reach your nutrition goals. This way, you’ll avoid unhealthy options like TV dinners or takeout, especially when you’re overwhelmed or exhausted. Since it requires you to determine what to eat ahead of time, meal prepping can lead to more nutritious meal choices over the long term.
Despite what people may think, there are various ways to meal prep — not all of which involve spending a whole Sunday afternoon cooking dishes for the week to come. You can choose methods that work best for you.
Meal prepping can also help reduce the stress that comes with trying to eat healthier. Dieting, especially cutting calories, can cause you to think about food all day long. And not knowing what your next meal will be, or whether or not it’s going to help your dietary goals, can get overwhelming day after day.
Picking the Right Number and Variety of Meals
It is important to avoid picking only one recipe for the whole week. This lack of variety can lead to boredom and won’t provide your body with the nutrients it needs.
Instead, try picking meals that contain different vegetables and protein-rich foods, as well as varied complex carbs such as brown rice, quinoa or sweet potatoes. Integrating a vegetarian or vegan meal into the mix is another way to add variety.
Step 1. Buy meal prep containers
Make sure you invest in some good quality containers — these can be Tupperware containers or the glass variety. Keep in mind that if you are going to be reheating your food in these you want to choose ones that are BPA-free and won’t fall apart in the microwave/oven. If you are going to be meal prepping for a few days in a row, it can be a good idea to buy containers in the same size so they can be easily stacked.
Step 2. Decide on your meal prep recipes
Next, you need to PLAN your meal recipes. Having a meal plan is super important — there is no use going to the grocery store, chucking random things in your cart and hoping for the best when you come out. In order for your meal prep to work you need to know what you are cooking and when.
Step 3. Allocate time to prep
As I mentioned before, if you are new to the meal prep concept I would recommend preparing a few days’ meals at a time. How much time you dedicate to this is completely up to you!
Step 4. Start your meal prep!
Even if you’re preparing meals for your whole week, it doesn’t mean that you need to completely prepare every single part of every single meal!
The most popular ways to meal-prep include:
- Make-ahead meals:Full meals cooked in advance which can be refrigerated and reheated at mealtimes. This is particularly handy for dinnertime meals.
- Batch cooking:Making large batches of a specific recipe, then splitting it into individual portions to be frozen and eaten over the next few months. These make for popular warm lunch or dinner options.
- Individually portioned meals:Preparing fresh meals and portioning them into individual grab-and-go portions to be refrigerated and eaten over the next few days. This is particularly handy for quick lunches.
- Ready-to-cook ingredients:Prepping the ingredients required for specific meals ahead of time as a way to cut down on cooking time in the kitchen.
