How To Master Meal Prep
Whether you are an avid meal prepper or just dabbling in the meal prep arts, here are some tips to help you prep like a pro!
For those of you who have found the joys of meal prepping—congratulations! I myself have recently stumbled into it. And as an avid “cook-as-you-go” person, I was very adamant that meal prepping wasn’t worth its salt.
Boy was I wrong.
Meal prepping is a great way to make the time during the week that I so desperately need to do the activities that I never felt I had the time or energy to do after work. Whether it is taking night school classes, doing extra chores that are piling up on me over the weekend (cough *dishes* cough), giving my neglected art supplies some attention, or even just relaxing with a movie, having my meals pre-portioned and ready to go takes so much stress off of my plate.
And before you say it, I get it—getting started meal prepping is hard. It’s as much a mental battle as it is a financial investment. And, as with most any new hobby, the easiest way to start is to make a plan and stick to it.
Your plan:
Everybody and every body is unique which means that your plan won’t be the same as Jane Doe next door. And that’s okay. Meal prepping should be as personal as possible or it won’t be sustainable. Use these tips to make a plan that you can stick to long-term.
Reasonable: Make sure this is an activity that you can reasonably do every week. You want something that won’t be too hard and something that you will actually be excited to follow.
Affordable: This is something that only you can decide for yourself. Are you just starting out and on a budget? Your meal prep might be different from someone who is eating on $150/day.
Achievable: Start with one meal. For me, it was lunch. I would pack myself a week of pb&j’s on Sunday and then started to get more creative. As I became more consistent, I started realizing the benefits of meal prepping and found myself packing breakfast, and sometimes dinner too if I knew the week was going to be a busy one.
Fun!: Meal prepping should not be the bane of your existence. Find ways to make it fun! I like to give myself challenges and goals that lead me to nutritious and filling meals that I can’t wait to make and eat.
Remember, a good meal prep plan is not a set in stone road map of recipes on repeat. It is the principles that you apply to your meal prep philosophy that will keep you interested and engaged in what you’re making.
Tips for a better meal prep experience:
Meal prepping is what you make of it (pun intended), so make sure you put yourself in the best position to succeed.
Get the right containers: I know it sounds stupid but it makes all the difference. If you are a salad eater, get a container with space for the salad and a small cup for the dressing—no one likes a soggy salad. If you are more of a hot meal and a side person, I recommend these from Amazon. They are microwavable, dishwasher safe, and stackable which makes them perfect for Sunday meal prep!
Make time: Meal prepping takes time. And not just for the actual cooking. Make sure you set aside time to decide what you are going to eat, find recipes if you need them, grocery shop, and make space in your kitchen because yes, it will take over your counter space. If you leave it all until the last minute, meal prepping will cease to be fun and you will be less inclined to do it. I usually do the planning and shopping on Saturday and the actual cooking on Sunday.
Have a plan B: Something no one told me when I started is that even with the best intentions that I may have, after all of the work that I put in, there may be days that I would not be interested in eating the meals I had prepared. And that is okay. Change is hard and most of us are not ready to go cold turkey with meal prepping. So try to have some basics (pasta, etc.) in your kitchen so if that does happen to you on a Thursday night, you don’t have to make a trip to the grocery store or resort to take-out.
When you are just starting, sometimes meal prepping can be stressful but as you get your footing, it gets easier. As with all new hobbies, making this part of your routine involves a bit of trial and error so give yourself some space to find what’s right for you!
How I mix-up meal preps:
I’m not gonna lie—I have a short attention span. As someone who grew up not eating leftovers or meal preps, I was very hesitant about changing eating habits because I knew I would get bored. So when I started to get the hang of meal prepping, I also started to make little challenges for myself to keep things interesting and fresh. Maybe some of them will work for you too!
The Globe Eater: Make a new recipe from somewhere new in the world once a week. For this one I take inspiration from my global friends and the New York Times, where I find and make a recipe from somewhere in the world that I have never made before. I have found a lot of my favorite meals this way!
Alphabet Mania: Do you know your ABC’s? The goal of this challenge is to see how many letters of the alphabet you can include in your meal prep this week. Something to note is that this only applies to the first letters of foods—for example, an apple would cover A, a Zucchini would cover Z. For me I usually stretch this challenge to include breakfast and dinner.
The Artist’s Lunch: Add a little color to your day! In this challenge, the goal is to make an artistic meal prep. Whether it is making a colorful meal with purple cauliflower and green peas or going all out on a creative bento box (the latter is especially great if you are meal prepping for kiddos), let your creative sparkle shine!
How Low Can You Go?: This one is for all of us budget eaters! ‘How low can you go?’ is a great challenge for making healthy and creative dishes that won’t break the bank. The challenge is simple: can you beat your own low score? This is especially fun if you are tracking your spending, trying to save for something, or playing with a friend. Embrace your competitive nature but remember: the goal is for a balanced and nutritious meal so don’t skimp on the veggies!
The point I am trying to make is that meal prep does not have to be boring. You can use these tools and tips to up your game and create food that is fun to make and you are actually excited to eat.
Happy Prepping!
