Easy Meal Prepping Tips: Save Time and Eat Better
Written by Lori Bumbaco, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN, Oncology Dietitian
Are you someone who struggles to decide what to eat for dinner? Do you find yourself resorting to ordering take-out because you haven’t planned dinner? Meal prep may be a great solution for you.
Not only does meal prepping save us time, but it also may save us money and precious energy. It is the ideal approach for someone who feels that cooking every single day is out of the question. It is also helpful for those who prefer convenience and efficiency over variety.
What is meal prep?
Meal prep is up-front work to save yourself time later. Like meal planning, meal prep means you’re doing your future self a favor.
There are two ways to think about the term “meal prep”. One way of meal prepping is to prepare full meals ahead of time and portion them for quick, grab-and-go meals. Another way of meal prepping is to prepare the ingredients to be used as components for meals for the week ahead. If you are new to meal prepping, it is best to start small to build a system to grow from.
How does meal planning help with meal prep?
The first step of meal prep is to create a meal plan. This gives us an overview of the week ahead so that we can shop using a complete list and buy everything we need. There is no right or wrong way to meal plan or meal prep, it is all based on what works best for us and our circumstances.
Meal prep practices
After deciding what the meal plan will be, the next step is to carve out time to do the work. Some people find that Sunday is their preferred day because they already have free time or are thinking about the week ahead. Allow yourself ample time based on the prep you are doing.
To begin, have your meal plan with the necessary ingredients and think about the equipment you will need.
To prep ready-made meals, think about how the amounts you make will turn into leftovers. Multiple meals are done at one time with the same effort that it would take to make a single meal. You will simply scale up the number of serving sizes that you desire for the week. You will make the entire recipe and then put the portion into servings for storage. You might also want to consider which recipes are freezer-friendly for future planning.
Weekly Pre-Prep
Using this approach, you will pre-cook ingredients that take the most time in recipes, such as proteins, root vegetables, or legumes. You can cook or roast large batches and then store them for quick assembly during the week. While these items are cooking, you can take the time to wash and chop produce for the week. This is also a good chance to prep some fruits and veggies for grab-and-go snacks or as part of lunches for the week.
Sometimes people prefer to use a template rather than a recipe. For example, you might want to have a protein plus a grain or starch plus a veggie for dinner. Roasted chicken and sweet potatoes plus a garden salad could be easily pre-prepared so that dinner is made quickly.
Examples of ingredients to prep ahead are boiled eggs, chopped veggies or fruit, beans and legumes, quinoa, oats, salads, slow-cooked meat, ground turkey burgers or meatballs, and roasted vegetables.
Summary
Meal prep is not for everyone. You might not have the time to devote to prepping food or recipes. You (or someone you live with) may not like eating leftovers or similar foods multiple days in a row. This method of cooking doesn’t have to be the solution for everyone. However, if convenience and time-saving are at the top of your priority list, meal prep is one way to accomplish both. Included in this month’s edition of the newsletter, you’ll find some helpful suggestions if you are ready to get started.
