If you’ve spent more than five minutes on the Internet in the last decade, you know you should probably be food prepping. A few hours of work once or twice a week can open up your schedule and save you valuable time and money.
So why isn’t everyone doing it? Well, it’s true that food prepping can be intimidating. Sometimes it seems like such an undertaking that you don’t even know where to start. Don’t worry, though! We’ve broken the process down into simple steps to take some of that pressure off of you. Read on to find out how to start meal prepping like a pro!
1. Consider your goals. Why are you food prepping? Are you trying to lose weight or reach a fitness goal? Are you trying to save money? Reduce food waste? Save time? Whatever your goal is, it will have an impact on the way you food prep, so be clear on what you want this to accomplish!
2. Plan, plan, plan. As the old cliche goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. That doesn’t mean you need to spend hours crafting spreadsheets or budgets. It simply means you shouldn’t go into this process blindly! First, pick your ideal food prep day – most people like to do it twice a week so their meals stay fresh and exciting (maybe Sunday and Wednesday nights?). Set aside a few hours to get everything done. Decide how many meals you want to make. Are you just taking lunch into work, or do you need a healthy, grab-and-go breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each day?
Next, make a list of meals and necessary ingredients. Be smart about your food – choose hardy items that will last for a few days and reheat nicely. Consider making a few base items and mixing them up so that you don’t get bored! If, for instance, you know you love rice and chicken, but you think you’ll get bored, try adding different sauces or vegetables to a couple of your meals so that things don’t get stagnant!
Think about cooking in bulk. This is a great time to break out the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. Curries, stews, soups – they all do well for meal prep. If you’re more into salad than hearty stews, don’t be discouraged. Strategic stacking (google mason jar salads!) and ingredient selection can make even lighter fare a possibility for multi-day storage.
3. Gather your supplies. You can go wild buying new containers, or, if you’re meal-prepping with a financial bent, you can always reuse things you already have around the house. Check to make sure any plastic you’re using is BPA-free, and microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe (assuming you use each of these appliances). Be creative with your containers – all you truly need is an airtight lid, and enough jars, tubs, or Tupperwares to section your food into multiple meals. Some people swear by partitioned containers made specifically for this purpose, while others do just fine with repurposed yogurt tubs. The process is easiest if your containers are all of a similar size, but beyond that, it’s all up to you and what’s best for your particular situation.
Depending on your food prep goals, you may also want a food scale and some form of labeling.
4. Prep! You’ve planned and prepped mentally, now it’s time to prep for real. Try to multitask to save yourself time and dishes – use aluminum foil to partition sheet pans in the oven and bake or roast two things at once, or chop your fruits and veggies while your pasta is boiling. Soon enough, you’ll be ladling meals into your neatly arranged containers like a one-person assembly line.
5. Eat! Here’s the part where all your hard work pays off. Imagine eating a home-cooked meal for lunch at work instead of picking through a sad salad bar. Or maybe you’ve got a super busy evening – normally, you’d pick up some fast food or eat a candy bar. Now, you’ve got a healthy, budget-savvy meal ready to go in minutes! The convenience and benefits of meal prep far outweigh the few hours of planning and cooking it requires, as you’ll discover quickly.
What Shouldn’t I Do? While it’s true that food prep isn’t as daunting as it might seem, there are places where people can go wrong. Here are a few pointers to avoid food prep disaster.
- Don’t overdo it. It can be tempting to dive in head first, but if you try to make a full week’s worth of meals your first time around, odds are you’ll make something you don’t like, or something that can’t withstand that much time in the fridge. Start by prepping twice a week, and experiment until you know what foods you can eat forever, and what foods put you to sleep after two meals.
- Don’t overcook your food. Remember that you’re going to be reheating these meals – nothing will turn you off of prepped food more quickly than overcooked, stringy mush.
- Don’t ignore your freezer. If you’re making a huge casserole or lasagna, you’ll probably have more than enough for your weekly prep – freeze the rest! Even better, freeze it in individual portions. Hey! You’ve done half of your prep for next week already, too!
There you have it! This is just a basic roadmap to food prep, but if you follow these guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to eating healthier, more cost-effective meals!