8 Tips To Make Meal Prep Easier

Let's be honest. How many times have you finished work and thought, “I’m too tired to cook and there’s nothing in the fridge. I just I’ll hit a chipper”? By planning and prepping you can stop yourself from reaching for phone and hitting the 'Just Eat' app.  And, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be amazed how much time and money you might save. Not only this but you'll see better results because you're only indulging on planned 'treat nights', not every single night.

 

1. Make a Plan

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Make a list of your favorite healthy foods, choose simple recipes that can be made quickly or in bulk, and decide what you’ll eat for every snack and meal. This step will get easier and faster with practice.

Save your plan for a future week. Once you have a few meal prep menus at your disposal, you can rotate them to keep things interesting.

 

2. Stick to Your Shopping List

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Don’t let junk food sneak into your trolley. Not having it in the house means not having to use your willpower to avoid it. Want to make an impulse purchase? If you can find a way to fit it into your eating plan for the week, go for it. Just keep these to a minimum so nothing goes to waste. By sticking to your list and by minimizing the impulse buys, you’ll help yourself save money.

One of the best ways to avoid this is by avoiding shopping on an empty stomach. When you're hungry you'll have a much greater tendency to reach for the chocolate croissants.

 

3. Keep Snacks Simple

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When you’re cooking everything for the week at once, it’s important to keep things simple. Save time by choosing snacks that don’t require a lot of time to put together. Fresh fruit, hard-boiled eggs, and pre-cut veggies with prepared hummus are great choices. You could also by macro friendly protein bars and snacks. 

4. Cook Foods All At Once

Meal Prep by @onehungrymami

Roasting vegetables, sweet potatoes, and even chicken breasts all at once will save you time, and cut down on your utility bill. Imagine…all of your side dishes for the week…ready in about 30 minutes!

 

5. Look for Shortcuts

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Using pre-cut veg is a serious time saver. Buying things like cooked rotisserie chickens is also a great way to add quality, tasty protein to your meals. The less time it takes you to prep the more likely you'll be to do it every week. Also check out our Clean Ready Meals which will make things even easier.

 

6. Mix Things Up

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It can be tempting to just eat the same meals every day, but you’ll eventually get bored. We recommend at least two lunch options and two dinner options. This can be as simple as choosing different proteins for your salads each day, or eating chicken with vegetables three nights of the week, and fish  with vegetables the other two. Once you get the hang of it you can get more creative with your recipes.

 

7. Invest in Food Storage Containers

Meal prep by michaela_brittany
A small investment in food containers of various sizes to suit your needs will make a world of difference. It’s a good idea to choose one container type and buy several that stack and store neatly. If you choose plastic containers, make sure they are BPA-free and that they won’t melt in the microwave or dishwasher. Sturdy Pyrex dishes with lids are also great as are Mason jars. If you decide to go all-in on the meal prep lifestyle, you might want to think about getting an insulated bag to carry your meals everywhere you go.

8. Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

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All of this meal prep is for a purpose…to help you reach your health and fitness goals. When clean eating is as simple as reaching into the fridge for your lunch or dinner, you’ll be less tempted to stop for fast food or throw a frozen pizza in the oven. Whether you do your meal prep for the week all at once or just a few days at a time, doing so will help you stick to your meal plan and give you even more time to do the things you love. Good luck!

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