Your Guide to Successful Meal Prep: Simplifying Your Path to Healthy Eating

Meal prep is a game-changer for anyone looking to eat healthier, save time, and reduce stress during the week. By planning and preparing your meals in advance, you can ensure a balanced diet, avoid the temptation of unhealthy choices, and make your week run smoother. In this blog post, we'll explore effective meal prep strategies to bring ease to your week. Whether you're a busy professional, a student, or a parent, these tips will help you streamline your meal planning process and set you up for nutritional success. Let's dive into meal prep strategies and discover how it can change your approach to eating!

Steps to Successful Meal Prep

Step 1: Designate a day (or two) as your meal prep day.

Many people opt for Saturday or Sunday but do what works best for your schedule. Try to commit to your chosen day(s) on a weekly basis. You may find that you prefer to meal prep smaller quantities of food twice per week instead of one. Find a solution that works best for you to reduce overwhelm. 

Step 2: Check your calendar.

What does your upcoming week look like? How many meals will you need to prepare? Make a list of the meals you need to prep. Do you need breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks? Or will you be eating any of these meals out? 

Step 3: Find inspiration. 

Cookbooks, recipe blogs, Pinterest, and Instagram are all sources of recipe inspiration. Find recipes you would like to make based on the meals you know you need to prepare for the upcoming week. 

Step 4: Take inventory and make a list. 

Take a look at the ingredients lists for the recipes you want to make. What do you already have on hand in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry? Make a list of ingredients you need to buy from the store. Or, if you are a more advanced cook and you want to use up what you already have, how can you incorporate existing ingredients into your meals for the week? What else do you need? Sticking to your list as much as possible will reduce food waste and save money. 

Step 5: Shop and prep.

If you can, consider shopping first thing in the morning when the supermarket opens and the shelves are fully stocked and there are fewer other shoppers, making check-out quicker. Once you purchase all of the ingredients you need, you can begin preparing them (i.e., washing and chopping vegetables, washing and drying leafy greens, cooking grains and proteins). Put on some music, a podcast, or an audiobook and enjoy the process! 

Prepping Produce

Before putting fresh fruits and vegetables away, wash them in a cleaned and sanitized sink first. Dry leafy greens thoroughly using a salad spinner. 

Utilize Your Freezer

Peel, chop, and freeze bananas, zucchini, spinach, kale, ginger, and berries in Ziploc, freezer-safe glass, or BPA-free containers. Label your preferred containers with the date. Learn how to freeze herbs here.

Dips, Dressings, Sauces

Making your own saves money and gives you the peace of mind of knowing the quality of ingredients you've used. You can make larger batches of hummus and freeze the surplus for up to 4 months. Learn how here. Learn how to freeze salad dressings here. 

Money Saving Tips 

Sign up for email newsletters for local grocery stores and co-ops. Is anyone having a sale? What sale items can you incorporate into your upcoming meals? 

Buy frozen fruits like berries and veggies.

Buy extra protein when it is on sale and store it in the freezer. You can defrost your protein the day before meal prep day. Use this link to learn about safe defrosting methods. 

Buy seasonally. Seasonal produce is tastier, more nutrient dense, and often more affordable than out of season items. 

Swap soft or silken tofu for protein powder in smoothies. 

Buy items in bulk and only purchase as much as you will use. 

Choose generic instead of name brands. 

Don’t go shopping when you are hungry.

Maximize flavor with dried herbs and spices.

Load up on leafy greens. Kale, spinach, collards, and other greens are nutrient- and fiber-rich, affordable, and add bulk to your meals. 

Visit your farmer's markets. The produce sold here is seasonal, local, and sometimes more affordable than what you can find at the grocery store. Plus you have the added bonuses of supporting your local economy and spending some time outside while you shop.