The Ultimate Guide to Meal Prepping: Time-Saving Tips and Tricks
The Benefits of Meal Prepping
As a self-proclaimed meal prep aficionado, I can attest to the life-changing powers of this organizational strategy. When I first started meal prepping in college, I was drowning in a sea of brain-fog, limited time, and an even tighter budget. But meal prep quickly became my saving grace – a habit that I still religiously apply to my weekly dinner routine.
Meal prep has saved me countless hours, kept me organized in the kitchen, and helped me stick to my grocery budget. The beauty of doing tasks in bulk is that it’s a time-saver no matter what, and bulk food prep allows me to coordinate recipe ingredients over multiple days. This means I can reuse ingredients and save money on groceries – win-win!
At Plan to Eat, we frequently get questions on how to meal prep successfully, so I’m hoping this guide will be the definitive resource for the meal-prepping curious. But before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let me give you a quick crash course on the world of meal prep.
Meal Prep 101
For some, meal prep involves preparing full meals ahead of time and portioning them out for quick grab-and-go meals. But many people also use the term “meal prep” to refer to weekly food prep of recipe ingredients. In this guide, I’ll cover both practices, but with more emphasis on food prep since that’s where most of our questions revolve around.
The first step for successful meal prep is creating a meal plan. Making a plan gives you an overview of the week ahead so you can go grocery shopping with a complete list and buy everything you need. If you’re meal-prepping full recipes, you’ll want to increase the serving size to match the number of days you want to prep for. And for food prep, meal planning can help you coordinate recipes so you buy similar ingredients and don’t have to prep a bunch of different things.
Each household meal plans differently based on their needs, so meal prep will also be individualized and customized to your household. There’s no right or wrong way to do it – it’s all about what works best for you and your circumstances.
Gear Up for Meal Prep Success
Now that you have the basics down, let’s talk about the essential tools and supplies you’ll need to set yourself up for meal prep success.
First and foremost, you’re going to need some high-quality containers. Tupperware, Pyrex, bento boxes, stasher bags – whatever works best for your budget and storage needs. The key is finding vessels that will protect your food and make it easy to grab-and-go.
Next, you’ll want to make sure you have a sharp knife and multiple cutting boards. Chopping, dicing, and mincing your ingredients is a huge part of meal prep, so having the right tools makes all the difference. And using separate cutting boards prevents cross-contamination of pungent flavors like onions and garlic.
Don’t forget about storage containers for your prepped ingredients. Whether it’s small bowls, jars, or resealable bags, having a place to neatly tuck away all your chopped veggies, cooked proteins, and prepped sauces is essential.
And lastly, you might want to invest in some specialty tools like a salad spinner, instant pot, or food processor, depending on the types of recipes you plan to tackle. The more you can automate or streamline the prep work, the better!
Start Small and Build Your Confidence
If you’re new to the world of meal prepping, my advice is to start small. You don’t have to go from zero to hero and batch cook for the entire week right off the bat. Start by prepping the ingredients for tomorrow’s dinner or whipping up a simple salad for lunch. Find a system that works for you, and then build on it.
As you get more comfortable, you can start tackling full meal prep. The key here is to increase the serving size of your recipes to match the number of portions you want to prep. That way, you’re making the recipe once but getting multiple meals out of it. One of our customers says she meal preps four total servings, eats three that week, and freezes the fourth for a pre-made freezer meal. Genius, right?
Another smart strategy is to focus on prep-heavy ingredients like proteins, root veggies, and legumes. Cook or roast a big batch of these time-consuming items, and then you can quickly assemble your recipes later in the week. Slow cookers and instant pots are great for hands-off grain prep, too.
And don’t forget about sauces and dressings! Prepping a couple of these flavor-boosting elements can make it so much easier to throw together a delicious meal on the fly.
Batch Cooking Hacks
Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to level up your meal prep game with some batch cooking hacks. These tips and tricks will help you maximize your time and minimize food waste.
One of my favorite strategies is to cook extra portions without a specific recipe in mind. For example, if I know I have three recipes that call for chopped onions, I’ll chop all the onions at once and store them in the fridge. That way, I can quickly pull from my stash when I need them.
I also like to have a protein + grain/starch + veggie combo prepped and ready to go. Maybe it’s baked chicken thighs, roasted sweet potatoes, and a simple salad. Having those building blocks ready to reheat and assemble makes dinner a breeze.
And speaking of veggies, don’t be afraid to prep more than you think you need. It’s better to have extra chopped produce on hand than to run out mid-recipe. Just remember to adjust your shopping list accordingly – buying less and making adjustments week-to-week can help you avoid food waste.
When it comes to full meal prep, my advice is to decrease the serving size of recipes, especially for soups and casseroles. Those tend to make huge quantities, and you don’t want to get stuck eating the same thing all week long. Cutting the recipes in half will still give you plenty for a few meals without the dreaded meal prep burnout.
Food Safety and Storage Tips
As with any cooking endeavor, food safety is paramount when it comes to meal prep. Here are a few key guidelines to keep in mind:
- Cool food quickly: Let your cooked dishes come down to room temperature before sticking them in the freezer. This helps prevent bacteria growth and keeps the rest of your freezer contents safe.
- Use airtight containers: Limiting your food’s exposure to air is crucial for maintaining quality and preventing freezer burn.
- Freeze in portioned sizes: It’s much easier to thaw and reheat the exact amount you need when your meals are frozen in individual servings.
- Label everything: Keep a running inventory of what’s in your freezer by labeling each container with the contents and date.
And don’t stress too much about freezer burn. While it may affect the taste and texture of your food, it’s not a food safety issue. Just trim off any affected areas and you’re good to go.
The Endless Potential of Meal Prep
One of the best things about meal prep is that there’s no “right” way to do it. It’s all about finding what works best for your lifestyle, preferences, and cooking habits. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find your own groove.
And who says meal prep has to be limited to just your own meals? Why not extend the benefits to your furry friends as well? Freeze leftover rice, broth, or even pumpkin puree to have on hand for quick pet food boosters. Your four-legged family members will thank you!
At the end of the day, meal prep is all about doing your future self a favor. It may require some upfront work, but the time and stress it saves you in the long run is priceless. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get your fridge and freezer stocked and ready to make mealtimes a breeze!
Saint Marc USA offers a wide range of high-quality kitchen tools and storage solutions to streamline your meal prep process. Check out their selection today and take the first step towards a more organized, efficient, and delicious cooking routine.
