The whole idea of meal prepping revolves around the second word in that phrase; prepping! To be able to prepare your meals for later consumption, you have to PREPARE to do it too. The simple fact of the matter is, making meals for multiple days requires a lot of time.
Since you have to create super big portions, everything you do has to be multiplied a few times depending on your requirements. What it all boils down to is whether or not you are a good planner in general.
If you like to keep things organized and planned in your life, then this task will actually feel like a really fun activity.
However, it can turn into a real nightmare if you are not used to working like that.
We are sharing some very important tips that can really save you from falling into such a situation and turn meal preparation into something that you can look forward to.
Start with a Meal Plan
This is pretty obvious, but it still needs to be said because as it turns out, a lot of people actually skip this step and go about winging the whole thing.
That can be very problematic because sooner or later you will get stuck, one way or another. But more important than that is the fact that you need to create a diet that is healthy and has a certain level of diversity to it as well.
This will ensure that you are eating foods of different kinds and also getting all the nutrients that your body requires.
No one will ever tell you they live healthy just by living off sandwiches or rice or some other staple food.
The most effective way of doing this is by making a theme for the whole week. You can start off with a meat-free Monday, then move to turkey Tuesday, and keep going until you have a theme set for each day.
Of course, these themes can also be changed after some time or on each new meal prep batch. You can make your life easy through these healthy recipes for meal prepping.
▶ Also Read: 10 Hacks To Monthly Meal Planner Success
Make an Appointment
You must give meal preparation the importance it deserves, especially since it requires so much time. The easiest way to make your plan fall through and fail is if you do not allocate time for it.
And once you do allocate time, stick to it as you would stick to a doctor’s appointment.
If you find yourself overlooking your plan and giving in to some other temptation like the new episodes of your favorite show or hanging out with friends, you will most certainly end up not doing it at all.
So, make that commitment and fulfil it at its time. You can make this even firm by telling your friends and family in advance that you will not be available during the time you set for meal preparation.
Buy lots of Containers
When you are preparing so much food, the next step in the process is to store it of course. To do that, you need to have containers, lots and lots of containers.
Ok do not take that exaggeration literally but if you are making meals for say 4 days in advance you should have 12 containers for it, one for each meal of the day.
You must incorporate different food items in your meal to make it more nutritionally diverse and fun to eat. To do that, you will need containers with compartments built into them.
This would help you a lot in terms of segregation and ensuring that each item has its own taste instead of melding together to create something weird and unappetizing.
You should make sure that the containers you buy are sturdy, microwave safe and have a good airtight seal on them. These containers are some of the best options when it comes to meal prepping.
Buy in Bulk
Since you are making food in large quantities, you will definitely need a larger quantity of raw materials as well. For items such as grains, flour, pulses, etc. you should definitely consider buying in bulk. These items have a long shelf life and will cost much cheaper as compared to small sealed packs.
You can find a lot of different items in bulk when you go to a grocery store like Whole Foods such as beans, nuts, all kinds of grains and seeds as well. It is also a good option for items that only come in large quantities and are expected to be consumed by a lot of people. This way they will not go bad while in your storage as you will buy exactly the amount you need.
Employ Shortcuts if Needed
While no one can deny the wholesome flavour of making everything from scratch, it is not important at all that you do so as well. If you feel like you are unable to do meal prepping because of the time it requires to prepare everything, you can definitely go for a shortcut if required. Stuff like cauliflower rice, brown rice, chickpeas, chicken, etc. often come prepared and you can definitely opt for those to reduce your meal prep time.
While you are doing this, however, you should keep a keen eye on the processed foods that you are consuming. While meal prepping is often used by a lot of people on diets, it can quickly become the reason for gaining weight if you use unhealthy ingredients.
▶ Know the 10 Reasons Why Your Monthly Meal Planner Fails and how to avoid them
Never Skip Breakfast
Of all the meals that you can prep, always make sure you give breakfast a special preference. It is the most important meal of the day and you have to make sure that you consume it every single day. In fact, it might be very much possible for a lot of people to prepare lunch and dinner fresh but a lack of time in the morning can often cause people to skip out on breakfast. You can find a lot of quick, easy and delicious recipes for meal prep breakfasts online.
▶ Take advantage of our Nutiro Ultimate Guide on How to Meal Plan that gives you the flexibility to enjoy other meal planning options such as keto, paleo, vegan, gluten-free, etc.
