Haley Hughes

Top 5 Tips for Meal Prep

5 Tips To Make Meal Prep A Breeze

As a dietitian, I am always encouraging my clients to meal prep. However, meal prepping can seem very daunting and overwhelming. The key is deciding what meal prepping means to you and assessing what works with your schedule and lifestyle. You do NOT need to prep for all 7 days. You can start with prepping one meal or some snacks. It is important to have flexibility and do what works for YOU. Prepping for days that are busier may be the first step. This way you have nourishing foods available to you which will make it easier to make healthy choices. These are my top 5 tips to make meal prep easier!

Take this quiz to find out your Meal Prep Personality – Meal Prep Personality Quiz

5 Reasons You Should Meal Prep:

1. Reduces stress during the week because food is ready and prepared to eat.
2. Helps you avoid junk food and eating out
3. Saves your budget and
4. Helps with portion control
5. It is an investment in your health

5 Tips To Make Meal Prep Easier:

1.) Plan Out Planning!

Pick a day and find time in your schedule to plan, prep and cook. Wednesdays are busy? Don’t do Wednesdays! Have an open Saturday? Plan for Saturday! Do the cooking in advance, because no one wants to cook on busy nights. I personally like Sunday mornings, I turn on some music and get preppin’

Check out this meal planner!

2.)Take Inventory

Look through the pantry and your refrigerator to avoid buying something you already own. This will also help you see what foods you already have to incorporate into recipes. This way your shopping list is smaller!

3.) Pick Your Recipes and Plan For Leftovers.

I personally like to cook 2 crockpot recipes a week and pack up the leftovers for lunches and busy nights. For breakfast I choose two different recipes and alternate throughout the week.

Find meal prep recipes ideas here and scroll to the end of the blog to see some of my favorite recipes.

Also check out my blog on Top 10 Recipe Websites for Meal Planning.

4.) Make A Grocery List And Get Your Groceries

Be organized and do your research to make a complete list. I’m sure you already know this but have strategy that makes making a list easy. Maybe it’s a shared google doc with your family or a list on the fridge. Don’t forget to plan for snacks and easy back up meals! If you don’t like shopping use instacart or a meal delivery service.

On a budget? Check out my blog on How To Eat Healthy On A Budget

5.) Make Balanced Meals

Feel full, satisfied and balanced by including lean protein, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats into each meal. Use search terms like “balanced recipes” “healthy recipes” “nutritious recipes” and “MyPlate Recipes”. Save the diagram below and use it as a reference when planning and plating your meals.