How to Begin Meal Prepping
Set Yourself Up for Success by Carefully Choosing Your Recipes, Containers and Prepping Day.
If your plan to create healthy homemade dinners all week falls by the wayside by Thursday, you're not alone.
Meal prepping is an amazing technique that many healthy eaters swear by to save time and keep them on track.
“Meal prepping is a great way to save yourself both time and money, and it goes a long ways towards reducing the stress of not knowing what to eat,” says registered dietitian Elyse Homann MS, RD, LD.
Healthy benefits of meal prepping
Meal preppings means preparing or batch-cooking meals in large batches, snacks, or ingredients ahead of time comma to make healthy eating easier during your busier days.
You can quickly make multiple days’ worth of food and then not worry about meals the rest of the week. Plus, knowing you have something waiting in the fridge might make you less likely to swing through a drive through or order takeout.
Meal prepping also saves time, saves money and leads to more thoughtful meals…making meal time more enjoyable and less stressful. It may even help you lose weight, if that's one of your health goals.
Meal prepping can include:
Making individual portions. Dividing them up into their own containers so you can easily grab one out of the fridge.
Cooking in batches. Making one big dish that you can eat throughout the week, like a pot of chili or a big casserole.
Ingredient prepping. When you do 1 or 2 big things in advance, like roasting a Squash that you will use for many meals throughout the week or chopping up all of your veggies to put in your lunch time salads later.
Creating freezer meals. An offshoot of meal prepping, allowing you to store ready-made ingredients or entire meals to be used at a later date.
Step 1: Think about storage
Think about how will you keep everything fresh and organized.
Good choices might include: BPA-Free, microwave-safe containers for lunches, have some small containers for sauces and dressing, and freezer friendly containers…I really like Mason jars and glass tupperware containers.
Step two: Decide on a prep day
You want meal prep to become a habit, so you want to identify a day when you can be consistent. Meal prep takes time, so pick a day when you have time for it.
Step three: Make a game plan
Now that you've picked a day and time comma you'll want to ask yourself these questions:
“What meals will I prep?” Start off slow. Choose one meal that you struggle to eat healthy the most, then add on.
“How much food do I need to prep?” Again, start slow. Begin by prepping two to three meals a week, giving your self time to get used to the process. Sync your meal prep with your daily life, only meal prep for the meals that you will be home for.
“ What recipes am I going to make?” Glad you asked! Let's get into it…
Step 4: Choose your recipes
Pick simple recipes. Begin with meals that are easy to prepare and don't contain a lot of ingredients. Slow cooker meals are good as well.
Consider recipes that re-use ingredients. Prepping and including items that can be used in many different meals will save you time.
Vary your ingredients. Use a variety of colors and textures, and provide a mix of micronutrients. Include a balance of protein, produce and complex carbohydrates.
Step 5: Make your grocery list
Make a grocery list before you head to the grocery store. Remember, not everything needs to be made personally. Buying items in bulk, such as trail mix and Hummus, and then portioning these things out yourself, will save time and money and keep you eating healthy.
Step 6: Get to work!
Make it fun! Listen to music or an audiobook or podcast.
Step 7: Don't forget the freezer
If a recipe yields more food than you can eat in a week, pop it in the freezer. Creating meals to be frozen is my favorite. will be a great option for a day when you don't feel like cooking.
How to meal prep without getting bored
Choose foods that you like to eat, don't eat the same food repeatedly, and challenge yourself when you're ready to try new and exciting recipes.
Finally, although meal prep is a great way to eat healthier, don't feel like you have to deprive yourself of little treats - especially if the meals you are making are otherwise healthy and well-balanced. You can still add a few chocolate chips to a greek yogurt and berry parfait, or pack a snack portion-sized bag of pretzels to go with your healthy meal.
Remember: Meal prep isn't an all-or-nothing, and there's no right or wrong way to do it. Experiment a little and find out what works for you, and don't worry about being perfect. Doing just a few steps in advance can go a long way!
Mason Jar Meal Swap Happenings:
Monday, November 4th, 2024 our Mason Jar Meal Swap will be taking place at:
Tagine In Beverly Hills
ABOUT THE RESTAURANT:
Chef Ben of Tagine's earliest memories, growing up in Morocco, took place in the kitchen, clinging to his mother’s apron strings. He watched as she lovingly prepared meals from her daily finds at the market.
It was those kitchen-side memories that evoked his passion for cooking. With his mother’s recipes in tow, Chef Ben perfected his own modern take on the centuries-old cuisine.
A catering opportunity in Hollywood put his dishes in front of, then-rising star, Ryan Gosling. A few empty plates later, Ryan inquired about the caterer insisting it was “food he would eat everyday for the rest of his life.” The two became instant friends and after some time talking, they agreed there was something missing in L.A-the kind of place that made you feel warm and satisfied; a place where the food is made with love.
Unable to find it, they created TAGINE.
Upon returning from Morocco, I became obsessed with finding the most authentic, yummiest Moroccan restaurant. So far...Tagine is it!! The tagine meals here are to die for. Their Mezza (small plates) are made with love and delicious. Vegetarians and Vegans will leave satisfied, as well.