Meal Prep for the Win

Most of us love eating a delicious meal, but lots of us don’t so much enjoy the meal prep process. It’s true that the time meal prep can take can be a bit trying. Having to deal with cooking a meal after a long day at work can be defeating. It seems much easier to order takeout, right? That’s certainly an easier option, but it also a more expensive; less healthy one; especially if you do it every night. Instead, why not try to find a way to make meal prep enjoyable? It’s possible if you’ll try a few of these tips.

Invest in quality storage containers

The first step in successful meal prep is investing in quality storage containers. If you’re taking your meals on the go, the convenience of meal storage containers is a must. If you are prepping meals for the weak, it’s important to keep items fresh while stored in the refrigerator. Good quality storage containers help guarantee the food you prepare will taste fresh and delicious when it’s time to serve it. 

Don’t allow your hard work go to waste by letting meals go bad in the fridge before you get a chance to eat them. This turns into a huge waste of money spent on spoiled meals and another big waste of your time having prepared them. Quality containers will help keep your meals ready to eat.

Plan recipes in advance

Planning recipes in advance is one of the most crucial aspects of successful meal prep. When you plan your meals in advance it takes the stress lever down several notches. Planning the meal recipes in advance allows you to generate a shopping list with ingredients that can be used across several meals. This saves money over buying ingredients for a meal at a time. 

You may want to try this white bean soup recipe that makes enough for more than just one meal. Consider that when adding meal recipes for your prep day. A meal that is large enough to eat over a couple of meals saves time.

Create a shopping list

The most important thing you’ll do when meal prepping is creating your shopping list. Don’t go to the grocery store without one! You’ll find yourself meandering around the store and likely buying lots of items you don’t need. Then you’ll get home and find you don’t have all of the ingredients for the meals you planned. Even if you’ve made a dish several times and don’t need the recipe, write down the ingredients. Your meal plan should include recipes or a list of ingredients for each dish. You’ll very likely have ingredients that cross multiple recipes. A list will ensure you’re not short on ingredients when it comes time to cook.

Start small

The first time or two you decide to try meal prep ahead of time, start small. Maybe only prep for two meals that week. You won’t feel overwhelmed with multiple recipes and ingredients that way. See how you like it. It may not be right for you or your lifestyle. Don’t waste money on groceries for five meals if you may only want to prep for two. The idea is to make your life a bit easier. Most people meal prep because they are at work until dinner time each day. The idea of having to chop onions and celery and cook a protien after a day at the office makes some people cringe. Prepping ahead helps alleviate that stress.

Make sure you have the time.

The best way to ensure that meal prep is successful is to be sure you have the time for it! If you prep several meals, just know it’s going to be time consuming. Think about using a a rotisserie chicken so it can be used for a couple of meals. Cooking a couple of pounds of ground beef that can be separated over a couple of meals is also helpful.

Even though it will take some time, the payoff will be huge when it’s time to put dinner on the table.