Megan’s Meal Prep Basics for Beginners
1) Do what works for YOU!
Some people prefer to shop and prep all in one day for a week, while others prefer to the prep the night before for the next day! Do what works for you, not for someone else.
I actually plan ahead keeping track of what I need on my grocery list during the week, and order my groceries online and pick them up from the store over the weekend. <— No, I am not lazy, but when you have a toddler it is well WORTH the $4.95 (and the first time where I live it is FREE - yippee)! You will understand why this is such a blessing to have as an option when you have children, and if you haven’t tried it out (kids or not) I highly recommend you do! I also try to hit up Trader Joe’s at LEAST every other week. I have some goodies my daughter and I love from there, and their produce is very reasonably priced (as well as great quality) compared to the major supermarket!
I am a big fan of the KEEP IT SIMPLE approach. I use a couple recipes regularly, but keep things pretty basic week to week. I typically try one new recipes per week for my clients (and D, of course!) so I can share new and tasty things with them. BUT me personally, I am a BIG FAN of cook once, eat 2-3x approach! I try to overlap ingredients. I religiously DO prepare certain things EVERY week and they are the following: shredded chicken in my crockpot, hard-boiled eggs, whole wheat noodles, fresh fruit and vegetables washed, cut, and ready-to-eat (or bake in regard to the sweet potato)!
I prep on Sundays during D's nap time and at night, as well as on Wednesday nights. Make sure you think ahead and set aside some time (a couple hours) depending how much you are going to prepare. Remember, if you are prepping for a week, it is going to take more than 20 minutes!
2) Start small.
Don’t overwhelm yourself! Start out prepping just one series of meals. As you get the hang of it, you will develop habits and systems with what you are doing, and before you know it your meal prepping will become like second nature!
I am a creature of habit, so I eat A LOT of the same things during the week. Chicken, sweet potato, and broccoli are an example of a great, simple clean eating meal to start with. Cook and portion into tupperware containers, store in the fridge, heat in the microwave 1-2 minutes, and voila - food is served! Some other SIMPLE things you could start prep with would be salad fixings and breakfast egg muffins for the week, or a slow cooker meal (eat 1/2 and freeze 1/2) and a chicken salad (lunch for work).
3) Cook in bulk.
Cook a bunch of "foods" at once for those of you who want to just get right down to it.
Protein: plan to grill or use the oven, prepare some chicken, lean flank steak, and fish in foil packets so you can cook together or at least simultaneously (depending which method you use). Hard-boil a dozen eggs at once.
Carbs: For sweet potatoes, don't heat two in the microwave at a time. Bake a batch on a baking sheet in the oven altogether! Cook brown rice and quinoa in a large pot on the stove and refrigerate for meals throughout the week.
Vegetables: Prepare in large batches as well. Watch how long you cook the though! Veggies start to lose their nutrients if they are overcooked/steamed!
I prefer to only cook my veggies in bulk IF I am portioning them into tupperware with protein (and possibly a carb) for easy access heat-and-go meals during the week. Otherwise, I like to have a lot of frozen veggies on hand that I just throw in the microwave (steam bags) or cook on the stove at the time of the meal. When I do slow cooker recipes (which I do weekly), I always freeze at least half of what I make for later in the week or the following week. Think about it - you are cooking more than one meal at once and for more than one week - WIN!!!
4) Prep BEFORE putting your groceries away!
Seems like common sense, right? Well, distraction happen and so does “mommy brain.” For my friends who shop on the same day you prep, why make more work for yourself?
5) Have your meal plan and recipes within arms reach.
Another one that seems like comment sense, but you would be surprised...
6) Have storage containers and bags within arms reach.
Have your storage containers and bags ready and within reach!
Clear is best for tupperware so you can see what you have in the fridge. For my bags, I buy FREEZER-friendly bags for storage and sandwich bags for smaller things, such as portioning out almonds, fresh cut veggies (carrot sticks, cucumbers, etc), fruit, and so on. Having things available - grab'n'go is a sure-fire way to make sure you are going to grab the healthy option that is ready and available and NOT opt for a handful of junk food or stop at the drive-thru. <- Plus, why would you do that after all the work you put into your meal prep!
7) DON’T stress! This isn’t ALL or nothing, DO or die!
Don’t sweat the small stuff and don’t think you have to DO IT ALL! Prep and portion for cooking later or even for ONE week night meal is better than nothing at all! Do NOT throw clean eating to the wind just because meal prep doesn’t happen because something else comes up. <— that is simply an excuse, my friends.
Wash, chop, pre-cook what you can and the rest will take care of itself one day at a time as long as you have a meal plan in place and some sort of accountability and REASON to stay on track!
I have had plenty of times where my meal planning and prep 'time' has gone 'out the window,' BUT I definitely don't use that as an excuse to not eat healthy or not readjust my priorities and figure out another way! My health and fitness is a priority in my life because it allows me to be the BEST mom possible for my daughter and person for everyone else in my life! If I fuel my body with processed foods (aka crap) I will feel like crap. When I eat better, I feel better, sleep better, think clearer, and my body runs at it's most optimal levels. Why would I cheat myself out of that?
Exactly... I wouldn't. ;)
My TOP 10 Staple Foods for Weekly Meal Prep
1. Chicken
2. Hard-boiled Eggs
3. Sweet Potato
4. Fresh Cut Veggies (Cucumbers, Baby carrots)
5. Fresh & Frozen GREEN Veggies (Broccoli, Green Beans, Spinach, Asparagus)
7. Fresh & Frozen Organic Berries (Straw, Blue, Rasp)
8. Whole Wheat Noodles
9. Hummus
10. Shakeology
Top 10 Staple Foods for My Toddler's Weekly Meal Prep
{ * items above are included in above list }
1. Chicken*
2. Organic Cheese (& she LOVES Annie's Homegrown products)
3. Edamame
4. Green Veggies*(she refuses asparagus though!), Peas, & Sliced Grape Tomatoes
5. Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread
6. Frozen Organic Berries* for her DAILY whole milk smoothie & Fresh Berries*
7. Whole Wheat Noodles*
8. Sliced Grapes & Bananas
10. Shakeology* (we either share mine or if she won't 'share' I make her 'her own' with a half scoop - evidence below!)
What are some of your basic meal prep tips you use?
Please let me know if any of this is helpful for you or if you have any questions!
