Three ways to meal prep like a pro
Do you ever feel like finding time to cook healthy and delicious meals is an uphill battle? Despite our best intentions, the last thing we want to do at 6:00 pm on a Thursday is spend 45 minutes over the stove.
Enter meal prep. Having homemade meals on hand not only saves you time and money, but it helps manage your portion sizes too.
Meal prep might feel like a lot of boring work. But did you know there’s more than one way to do it? Here are three of my personal favourite ways to meal prep so you never get bored and you can reach your nutrition goals a whole lot easier.
Batch Cooking
A popular method of meal prep is batch cooking. It involves doubling up on a specific recipe (think chili, stews, and curries) and then freezing large batches in containers. This method is great for preparing food that will last you an extended period. That way, you’ll always have a nutritious meal on hand. Here’s an added bonus—you’ll never have to worry about what to eat which means you’ll be less likely to spend on takeout. (Win-win!)
Individually-Portioned Meals
This method involves preparing a single recipe and dividing it into individually portioned-meals for the week ahead. Perfect for a grab-and-go or quick lunches, all you have to do is get the meal from your fridge to your plate and heat as you wish. It’ll also help take the guesswork out of tracking food.
Prep and Cook
Wash, peel, and slice a bunch of ingredients so they’re ready to go in any dish. Salads, stirfrys, grain bowls—you name it. Check your supermarket, too. You can purchase ingredients that are prepped and ready to cook, saving you even more time.
Remember—meal prepping is varied.
It’s not about spending a whole weekend in the kitchen cooking meals for the coming week. You just have to find what works best for you. Make it fun! Blast some music, get in the groove, and start prepping. You’ll dodge unhealthy options, save money, and best of all, your body will thank you.
