Hey Everyone!!!
So....this is my first blog that is not a recipe. Here we go......
I have been asked a lot about my meal prepping. What kind of foods do I buy? How long does it take me to meal prep? What does my weekly grocery bill look like?
Well let me just start by saying the answers to these questions vary from week to week. But hopefully these 10 tips will help you with meal prepping. Whether you are trying to learn how to meal prep, trying to cut back on time in the kitchen, or even trying to learn how to eat better but not have the same foods everyday.
10 TIPS FOR EASY MEAL PREP
1. Invest in Proper Tools
No one wants to be in the kitchen all day chopping, dicing, mixing, shredding, etc. Invest in tools that can help you cut down on time in the kitchen. What kind of tools you ask? Well I will go ahead and list my top kitchen tools that have saved me a great deal of time.
-Potato Peeler(yes that simple)
-NutriNinja Plus: This device chops, dices, grates, blends, kneads, purees, and much more. This is a HUGE time saver. I cannot honestly say the last time I actually chopped an onion with a knife.
-Tupperware: If you are going to spend a few hours prepping your foods you want them to stay fresh. Invest in good Tupperware that will keep the food as contained as possible while storing it in he fridge.
-Electric Mixer: This is so much easier than using a whisk!
2. Don't Prep Your Meals
What?? You are meal prepping but not meal prepping? YES!! I don't know about you but I won't be eating chicken and rice for 5-7 days straight for lunch. I prep foods I like and then make my meals the night before based on what my goals are for the next day. Every week I select my carb sources, protein sources, and fat sources. From their I prep my foods and store them in bulk. If I make chicken, rice, beef, broccoli.....maybe one day I want beef and rice instead of chicken and rice. This prevents me from getting extremely bored with a "MEAL PLAN." Our bodies strive for variety. If you continue to give it chicken and rice when it wants beef and rice, you are just going to end up with unnecessary cravings. More than likely you will throw away the chicken and rice out of boredom, and get the Double Bacon Cheeseburger from the work Cafe.
3. Don't Over Season Your Food
Just like my last comment about boredom. If you are going to eat chicken everyday you may not want the Garlic & Herb flavor every time you eat it. I lightly salt and pepper my meats and veggies when cooking them and then season them when I am ready to eat them. I use salt free seasons since I already lightly salt & peppered the food when I was preparing them. Mrs. Dash Salt Free and Flavor God seasonings are at the TOP of my list for great seasonings to use.
4. Keep it Simple
I wouldn't put too much thought into preparing full out recipes when meal prepping. I rarely make recipes when meal prepping. If you want to, that is great! Maybe just cut it down to one. And leave the other meals basic. Example: Baked Sweet Potato, Green Beans, Grilled Chicken
5. Catch the Sales
I may put ground turkey on my list when I go to the store, but if the lean ground beef is on sale I am going to go with that. Eating healthy does not have to be expensive. I great place to look for deals is the clearance meat. They will often have meats at a discount if they are trying to sale them that day because they are approaching an expiration. If you are going to cook it, then the expiration date is null. The best part about the clearance too is they will have the all natural/no hormones/grass fed meats.
6. Work Smarter NOT Harder
Find cooking pans that you can fit multiples of in your stove. I have 3 Pyrex pans and 2 cookie sheets that I use to meal prep every week. I am usually able to cook multiple foods at once. Example: 3 pans of veggies a once, and two cookie sheets with meats. This cuts down on cooking time and time in the kitchen. I don't know about you but I would much rather be kicking my feet up on a Sunday then working over the stove all day.
7. Enjoy the Process
I know....I know.....How does anyone really enjoy meal prepping?? Well, if it is 75 degrees outside and the kids are outside playing on the swing set in the back you don't have to be cooking in the house. Try grilling your meat on the grill while the veggies are in the oven. You can catch some sun and get to see your little ones play. All while getting your meal prepping done at the same time!
8. Set a Goal
What are you trying to accomplish with meal prepping? Are you trying to shed some weight? Are you trying to save on time? Are you trying to eat healthier? What meals are you prepping for? My personal goal in meal prepping is for my snacks and lunch at work. So that is 3 meals I need to cook food for in advance to last me at least 5 days. When it comes to breakfast and dinner I tend to explore my options a little more. I am not as rushed for time in the mornings and evening as I am during the work day. Whatever your goal is for doing meal prepping I am sure it is well worth it. So don't view it so much as a task than a goal your are setting for your self. What will you benefit? My benefit is time saving and eating healthier meals. When they are planned, I do not find myself taking advantage of the office donuts left in the break room.
9. Find a Friend
You would be surprised how many people want to start meal prepping for various reasons but do not know where to start. Find a friend who is also wanting to step into the meal prep direction. You can use them as accountability. You can share recipes and food ideas. You can talk about what works and what doesn't. Everyone has their own way doing things. Their way may be an option to try. Example: It only takes them 1 hour to meal prep, but you are standing over the stove for 4 hours. What are they doing that you are not? What are they making that may help save you time?
10. Stay Consistent
Don't get discouraged your first week of meal prepping. It may very well take you 4 hours to get it done. But I promise, it won't be that way forever. You will find faster ways to prep your foods. You will find the foods you love to eat and are a healthier option than the $1 menu at McD's.
Meal prepping does not have to be as horrible as it may sound. There are ways to get it done faster, better, smoother, more interesting, not so boring....
Once it is done you will feel accomplished and that deserves a nice glass of wine.
