5 Meal Prepping Tips for Beginners
Meal prepping, if done right can be a game changer. It can save you money, it can save you tons of time and stress during the week and can help you maintain a healthy diet. To be realistic though, it can also be a little overwhelming, especially if you are a beginner.
That’s why I put a list of my top tips to begin your meal prepping journey. I’ve been meal prepping for a few years now and I can assure you that following the below tips will set you up for success. And don’t forget, it’s also very important to have fun along the way!
1. Start Slow
When you are a beginner, there’s no need to go all in. There’s no need to prep 10, 20 containers at a time. Start with something simple like just meal prepping your lunches or dinners. Whatever you decide, you will still get the benefits of meal prepping. Think of how much time you will save if you only prep 5 meals a week. Think of how much healthier you will get if you are not tempted to eat out 5 times a week. See? Even baby steps can have a big impact.
2. Have a Meal Planner
Plan your meals for the week. Doesn’t have to be fancy, you can use your everyday planner, a simple sheet of paper, a meal plan printable or your phone notes.
Plan your breakfasts, lunches, dinners and easy grab-and-go snacks per day. If you have everything laid out, your grocery shopping will go smoothly, and your energy will be preserved as your meals are already scheduled. Trust me on this one, it’s extremely convenient to open the fridge and reach for your already prepped dinner after a looong day at work. Life savior.
Also, when planning your meals don’t forget to include any commitments you might have such as work lunches or dinner dates.
3. Schedule Your Shopping and Meal Prepping
Once you are finished with your meal planning, it’s time to make your grocery list and schedule your shopping and meal prepping. From experience, I can tell you that it’s important to put it in your calendar. This will ensure that you get it done. Personally, I like to go grocery shopping on Fridays after work, this way I have all my ingredients ready for my meal prep on Sundays. I also find that grocery stores are less crowded on a Friday evening. But you do you.
4. Have Your Containers Ready
Before you start your meal prep make sure your container game is on point. Make sure you have plenty of containers to store all your food.
I highly recommend getting glass containers, especially if reheating in a microwave. Amazon has great options and are reasonably priced. Feel free to get creative, for example you can get different lid colors to color code your lunches and dinners, how fun would that be? Easy grab and go.
5. Include Grab and Go Meals
To make your meal prep a little less overwhelming, make sure to plan for grab-and-go meals. I like to plan for snacks that include fruit, nuts, veggies, jerky, and protein bars.
6. Break Your Meal Prep
You might think that when it comes to meal prepping, you need to get it all done in one day. But that’s not always how I roll, if time does not allow, I like to break my meal prep in two. I prep a few meals on Sunday and then typically on Wednesday I prep for the rest of the week. I always go for easy meals such as taco meat, one pan meals such as One Pan Cilantro Lime Chicken or any crockpot recipe such as Mojo Pork Tacos. These do not need a lot of preparation and require little clean up afterward. Because let’s face it, who likes to do dishes. Not me.
7. Have Fun!
Finally, remember to have fun! Get excited for your meal prep by browsing Pinterest and looking for new delicious recipes to try. Get family members involved in your meal prep day, cook with your other half and your kiddos as well. You’ll get better at it with practice, I promise.
Good luck on your meal prep journey 😊!
Meal Prepping Recipes You Might Like
Easy Spaghetti Squash Bowls Meal Prep