​A Beginner's Guide To Meal Prep
Most of us are pretty busy in our day-to-day lives. I typically do recipe testing during the week and then prepping for our own household meals on Sundays. First and foremost, when starting out, don't try and make ahead your entire weekly menu plan. Pick a separate time other than your cook day to get the shopping done if you need to. If you keep a well-stocked pantry , it easier to focus on shopping for vegetables, meats and other perishables.
Now let's talk a little bit more about these meal prep recipes - I've included options for breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner all inspired by some of my fave magazines in Texture The focus here is on tasty, healthy food that will power you through the work week and inspire you to get creative in the kitchen, as well as use up leftovers and be financially savvy.
Homemade trail mix) but then vary our lunch and dinner options and prep a few ingredients for those recipes ahead. We continued talking and her and I got into the benefits of meal-prep and talked about just how easy it was. Personally, I like to do just lunches, or sometimes breakfast and lunch, leaving my dinner to be my variety for the day.
By preparing five to ten different foods in bulk, you can easily mix and match meals that can last you for a week (or less) depending on your schedule. Taking a few minutes to figure out what the week ahead looks like is crucial to successful meal planning.
It's worth blocking out time on the weekend to get your ingredients ready for weekday meal assembly. This way you'll know how many ingredients to prepare in Intro to Meal Prep order to get a week's worth of meals and also how many portions you need to make. If you have aspirations of getting home from work and not having to worry about what you're going to eat, or cooking real food instead of spending way too much money on unhealthy takeout, then it's definitely worth giving meal prepping a shot.
Cooking up a whole week of meals is a big task and even the best of us can struggle with that. Just as exercise is unique to each person, meal prepping can be different for each individual and their routine. Snacks like Shakeology and foods that don't require cooking (like salads and overnight oats) can help save time in the prep process.
Most people meal prep on Sundays, but you should choose the day and time that works best for you. Prepping all, or at least most your meals, ahead of time makes cooking and eating healthy, nutritious food easier and quicker than ordering take out or grabbing some fast food on the go.
To freeze, place the turkey meatballs and tomato sauce (without the Zucchini Noodles with Lemon Vinaigrette) in freezer-safe containers in the freezer for up to 2 months. One time when I did grocery shopping, I forgot my meal prep's list and try to shop with what's left on my thoughts and it ended with forgetting the most important thing.
OPTION #2 SHREDDED: In a silicone lunch bag ( like this one ) add in your chicken and drizzle olive oil, lemon juice, add season with garlic, chives, salt and pepper. The following will serve as the foundation for easy meal combinations throughout the week.
Pro Tip: If you're new to meal prepping, start small. Into each of 4 containers, scoop about 2 cups of chicken and vegetables. It is nice to have a separate cutting board for vegetables and meat or multiple skillets to cook more than one thing at once but it is not mandatory.