You see influencers and health coaches on TikTok and Instagram meal prepping each week and planning out what they’ll eat. They make it look so easy! But when you start thinking about meal prepping yourself, you feel overwhelmed by all of the food, the time it takes, and the organization it requires.
Meal prepping is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health, especially if you live a busy life where you don’t have time to make homecooked meals every day. The act of preparing a few days’ worth of food in advance not only will help you eat healthier, but you’ll save money as well.
Don’t be afraid of meal prepping. With these life-changing tips, you’ll find it much easier to prepare your meals and actually enjoy your cooking.
Plan What You Will Eat
Meal prepping is all about planning. To begin, you’ll have to decide what you’re going to eat and when. Pick a few meals you would like to eat for lunch and/or dinner and the days you’re going to have them. It’s important to look at your calendar and see if you have meals planned with friends or family, so you don’t cook for that day. This is essential to ensure your food is fresh and doesn’t go to waste.
Do Your Grocery Shopping Beforehand
One of the biggest mistakes people make is not preparing ahead of meal prepping. They go into their fridge and cabinets to see what food they have to throw a meal together. To ensure you have a successful meal prepping experience, go to the grocery store before you start cooking and buy all of the ingredients you need.
Planning your meals ahead of time will help you make your grocery list more efficient too. It will help you determine how much of an ingredient you’ll need so you don’t under or over-estimate.
Set Time Aside to Cook
If you want to really work meal prepping into your routine, set aside a few hours to cook everything. The best time to do this is on a Sunday afternoon so that you can prepare meals for the upcoming work week.
Make sure you start with a clean kitchen and put some upbeat music on so you have an enjoyable experience cooking and meal prepping.
Get Organized
Staying organized is key to successful meal prepping. From measuring out the right ingredients to having the right amount of containers to cleaning up as you go and scheduling all of your cooking times accordingly, it will be a much easier experience when you take the time to organize yourself and your ingredients.
Hire a Meal Prep Service
If you really want to add meal prepping to your routine, but literally have no time or space in the kitchen to do so, you can hire a meal prep service like Lean Kitchen. They will deliver pre-made meals right to your door for you to throw in the microwave. These meals are also super healthy and tailored to your diet, so it’s a win-win for everyone!
