Meal Prep Like a Pro

When it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, saving time and staying on track with your nutrition goals, then meal prepping is a game changer. Whether you’re a busy professional, a student, a busy mum or a fitness enthusiast, mastering the art of meal prep can set you up for success throughout the week. This blog covers how to meal prep, from planning and prepping to storage, accomplishment and enjoyment.

Why should I meal prep?

Before going into how to meal plan and prep, here’s why it’s such a valuable thing to do.

Saves time. Meal prepping saves time, allowing you to cook and portion out meals in advance, saving you time during busy weekdays when you might otherwise resort to unhealthy or expensive takeout options.
Promotes healthy eating. You can decide ahead of time what you are going to prepare, giving you greater control over the ingredients and portions, making it easier to stick to a nutritious diet to avoid impulsive food choices.
Reduces stress. Knowing that you have healthy meals ready to eat can reduce mealtime stress and the anxiety of decision making.
Saves money. Planning and prepping meals at home costs less than eating out and buying regular takeaways and there is less waste as you use the ingredients and food that you buy, helping to save money in the long run.
Supports fitness goals. Whatever your fitness goal is, whether you’re trying to improve your health, lose weight, gain muscle or improve your overall fitness, meal prepping ensures that you have the right balance of nutrients to support your goals.

How do I plan my meals?

Successful meal prepping starts with careful planning. Here’s how to plan like a pro.

Set goals. Determine your fitness goals, losing weight, building muscle or simply eating healthier, and tailor your meal plan to those goals.
Choose recipes. Choose recipes that are nutritious, delicious and easy to prepare in batches. Finding recipes that use similar ingredients can help to streamline your grocery shopping and meal prep process.
Consider macronutrients. Pay attention to the balance of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) in your meals to make sure that they provide the energy and nutrients that your body needs.
Write a shopping list. Once you’ve decided which meals you want to eat for the week, write a comprehensive list of all the ingredients that you’ll need. A handy tip that I always do is to write my shopping list in the order that the food is in the supermarket to make shopping more efficient 😊
Batch cooking. Plan to cook in batches preparing larger quantities of staple ingredients like grains, proteins and vegetables that can be used in multiple meals throughout the week.

How do I prepare my meals?

Once you have your meal plan and ingredients ready, it’s time to start cooking. Here are the best ways to help you prepare your meals like a pro.

Plan your meal prepping time. Set aside a specific day or time each week dedicated to meal prepping. Treat it as a non-negotiable appointment, as you would any other, to keep you consistent.
Invest in containers. Make sure that you have enough good quality containers in various sizes to store all your prepared meals. Glass containers are durable, microwave safe and environmentally friendly.
Start with protein. Cook your protein sources first, such as chicken, beef, fish, tofu, or beans. Season and prepare them in different ways to add variety to your meals.
Batch cook grains and vegetables. Prepare large batches of grains like rice, quinoa, or pasta, as well as roasted or steamed vegetables. These can serve as the base for many different meals throughout the week.
Portion control. Use measuring cups or kitchen scales to ensure that your meals are properly portioned according to your nutritional needs.

How do I organise and store my meals?

Proper storage and organisation are essential for maintaining the freshness and quality of your prepped meals. Here’s how to do it like a pro:

Label everything. Clearly label your containers with the name of the dish and the date that it was prepared. This makes it easier to identify meals and ensures that you use them before they expire – this is quite often how I decide which meal I’m going to eat lol 😊
Store properly. Refrigerate or freeze your prepped meals immediately to prevent spoilage. Divide larger batches into individual portions for easy grab-and-go meals.
Use freezer-friendly recipes. Your freezer is your friend so choose recipes that freeze well, such as soups, stews, casseroles, stir-fries and curries. These can be stored in the freezer for longer periods and reheated as needed.
Store in order. Put newer meals behind older ones to ensure that nothing gets forgotten or wasted.
Keep essential ingredients in the house. Make sure to keep a good stock of pantry staples such as olive oil, spices, herbs and condiments to add flavour and variety to your meals.

Enjoyment

With your meals prepped and stored, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Here’s how to stay on track and make the most of your prepped meals.

Stick to your schedule wherever you can to ensure that you are eating balanced meals throughout the week. Set reminders to help you stay on track. Obviously, life throws us a curve ball now and again and plans change and that’s fine. That’s why we love our freezer – just get back to it as soon as you can. You can fit eating out and having a takeaway around your meal prepped meals. This will leave you feeling more in control of your eating, whilst still allowing you to enjoy the pleasure of eating out/having a takeaway. Who doesn’t like having a meal cooked for them lol? 😊
Be creative with your prepped ingredients by mixing and matching them to create new meals. You could add leftover roasted vegetables to salads or put them in a wrap for lunch.
Make sure to reheat your meals properly by using the microwave, stove top or oven to ensure even heating. Add a little water, if needed, to prevent dryness.
Add fresh ingredients such as herbs, greens, avocado or lemons to liven up prepped meals and add a burst of flavour and added nutrition.
Enjoy the convenience of having prepped healthy meals readily available throughout the week whenever you need them, leaving you plenty of extra time and energy to do the things that you want or need to, or simply put your feet up and relax.

Meal prepping like a pro requires careful planning, preparation and organisation but the benefits are well worth the time and, like anything that you do regularly it will become easier as it becomes a habit, and will fit easily into your daily lifestyle. Prep for the chaos of the new school term and by the time the kids go back to school, you’ll be in a great routine to make things easier, so you’re able to fit in all the after-school clubs without worrying about what to cook when you get in. By planning and prepping your meals, you can save time, reduce stress and stay on track with your nutrition goals 😊

Much Love,

Caroline & Hannah xx