Meal Prep Tips for Beginners
Meal prepping can save you time and stress, especially for busy schedules. When it comes to meal prepping, I have found that if not managed well, can seem stressful and overwhelming. Luckily, I have some wonderful tips that will make meal prepping a breeze!
My younger brother keeps a busy schedule between college, frat leadership, and the gym. With his busy schedule, he has made meal prepping a science. Just to paint a picture for you of how much my brother preps for himself, he had to purchase a full-sized fridge just to make space for his food! I reached out to him to get some of his best tips to share with you all alongside my own.
I hope that you find these tips and tricks helpful so that you can begin meal prepping effectively and efficiently. If you like this content, subscribe to Emy’s Kitchen for more useful cooking tips and recipes to make your life easier. There is something for everyone in Emy’s Kitchen!
1. Pick a day to prep
Meal prepping can be hectic if you don’t know how to make it easy for yourself. One of the best ways to make meal prepping work for you, is to schedule a day where you can take the time to make sure everything is prepared effectively. Pick a day and mark it on your calendar. You realistically need a little more time than it would normally take you to cook a meal, but I recommend penciling out a little extra time to give yourself the space to prep without feeling overwhelmed.
2. Invest in good containers
Good storage containers are critical for meal prepping! When you are prepping multiple meals at once, easy and organized storage can make the entire process feel less overwhelming. I know that looking for the perfect container and then realizing that you haven’t seen the lid in a year can be so frustrating. I will always recommend investing is durable, glass storage containers like the Pyrex Glass Storage Containers. These containers are incredibly durable and this 12-pack set includes 4 different sizes with lids for optimal storage.
I recommend using glass storage containers because not only are you avoiding micro-plastics, but I honestly find them so much easier to clean. They are also amazing for storage in the freezer or refrigerator and can be used directly in the oven or microwave when it’s time without worrying about micro-plastics in your food.
*Please note that while I do recommend this product, glass products should always be used with caution and never heated immediately from the freezer without first being brought to room temperature.
3. Know what stores well
When I asked my brother what his best tip was for meal prepping, he told me that the most important part of meal prepping, is knowing what you can store, and what is best fresh. There are some items that are great for meal prepping and make it worth doing, and then other products that you heat up and just ruins your mood because it didn’t store as well as you thought it did.
If you didn’t already know, casseroles are great for meal-prep. A casserole is great because you can cook all at once, divide into portions and freeze for ready meals. There are so many options for casseroles that make meal prepping with them not only enjoyable, but easy! If you want to learn more about casseroles and some great recipes, subscribe to Emy’s Kitchen for exclusive posts and recipes!
So what stores well and what does not? Well a good rule of thumb is if it gets soggy, it’s probably not a great option. High-moisture product such as leafy greens, fried or crispy food, and pre-cut high-moisture veggies such as cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. These items are generally not great meal-prep items.
Items that store well include proteins (ground beef, chicken breast, turkey, etc.), dense veggies, legumes, and sturdy grains. These items store well in the fridge or refrigerator for multiple days due to their low free-moisture content keeping them from getting soggy due to producing extra water, dense cell structure, and they are more resistant to rapid bacteria growth!
4. Plan your meals for the week
When you have a busy or hectic schedule, finding the time to plan your meals can seem impossible. I recommend carving out 30 minutes to an hour of your time before your prep day to plan your meals for the week and take inventory of what ingredients you have and what you need to buy.
While it can seem overwhelming to plan everything all at once, it doesn’t have to be. Put on some music, grab a healthy snack and focus on what meals make you happy while meeting all of your needs. These meals to do not need to be complicated, they just need to be balanced and something that you like to eat. If you run out of ideas, dont worry because I’ve got you covered in my post, meal-prep meals.
5. Cook in bulk
While this seems like an obvious tip, it really is so much easier than cooking individual meals and store them. I know that it can be slightly exhausting to have the same meal regularly, but it really helps so much to cook and store in bulk. If you’re a person who absolutely cannot have the same meal everyday, I recommend prepping 2 types of meals and storing them in the freezer so that you can mix it up as you like.
Thank you for reading!
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