Here Are 11 Practical And Smart Meal Prep Tips

Save money and eat better with these practical meal prep tricks.

Meal prepping is a great way to save money and time on cooking, and it can also help you eat more wholesome, well-though-out recipes. If you're trying to get better at meal prepping, here are some tips, tricks, and products to help.

1. Get yourself an easy-to-clean sheet pan so you can make lots of no-fuss sheet pan dinners.

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You can make a sheet pan dinner or two on Sunday — a big tray of salmon, chicken, steak, or shrimp with any of your favorite veggies — and eat it throughout the week. This Great Jones "Holy Sheet" is dishwasher safe, and the raised edges keep juices and oils from dirtying your oven.

Get it from Great Jones for $25.

2. And invest in some great Tupperware that makes storing food in the fridge and packing it for work a breeze.

Amazon / Via amazon.com

Bento box containers are a game-changer, because you can pre-portion your food, store it in the fridge, and grab it in the morning before you leave for school or work. There's no washing extra containers or wasting time packing a lunch.

Get a pack of three bento box food containers from Amazon for $19.99.

3. Stock up on grains that you can make in a big batch on Sundays and eat throughout the week.

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Grains are perfect for meal prepping because you can make them on Sunday and they'll stay perfectly good all week in the fridge. Make a big batch of rice, quinoa, faro, or bulgur and use it in different recipes throughout the work week. If you need some inspiration, here are a bunch of easy, versatile, and filling grain bowls.

4. Make hard boiled eggs that you can keep on hand for breakfast all week long. You can buy a rapid egg cooker to make prep even easier.

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Whether you eat a few hard boiled eggs on their own for breakfast or use them to jazz up salads, sandwiches, and bowls, they're a great food to have on hand that stays perfectly fresh for days in the fridge.

Get a Dash rapid egg cooker from Amazon for $19.99.

5. And buy produce savers so your fruits and veggies last you longer.

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Nothing is worse than buying a brand new bag of kale or carton of strawberries only to discover they've gone wrinkly and spoiled after just a few days in the fridge. These produce savers keep your fruits and veggies fresher and crisper for longer.

Read the full review here and buy a two-piece set from Amazon for $15.29.

6. Buy in bulk, and take advantage of your freezer.

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If you live near a Costco, Sam's Club, or similar store, take advantage of low prices on bulk food products and freeze the extras. Everything from berries and pasta to bread and meat will freeze perfectly. Not only will you be saving money, but you'll have a stocked kitchen with diverse foods readily available for meal prep.

7. Try a meal-planning app like Mealime, which helps you source recipes, grocery shop, and cook.

Mealime

One of the hardest parts of meal prepping is planning ahead and actually making a plan for the week. This app generates personalized meal plans that work with your dietary preferences, then organizes grocery lists to make shopping a breeze.

Download it from the Apple Store for free.

8. Or download Flipp, an app that makes it easy to save money on groceries.

Flipp

This handy app organizes the best coupons, sales, and discounts at your local grocery stores so you can be a smart shopper and save lots of cash on food.

Download it from the Apple Store for free.

9. Try using a Crock-Pot or Instant Pot to make big batch meals that can be stored or frozen.

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Rather than spend your Sundays cooking time-intensive meals for the week, try letting a slow cooker or instant pot do the work. A slow cooker cooks food at a low temperature for hours until it is super flavorful and tender, whereas an instant pot rapidly cooks food with steam. Here are some of our favorite slow cooker recipes, and here's another round up of some go-to Instant Pot meals. Choose a recipe, throw your ingredients into the Crock Pot, and let your big batch meal cook itself.

Get a 6-Quart Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker By Instant Pot from Amazon for $79 or a Crock-Pot 6-Quart Slow Cooker from Amazon for $35.47.

10. And invest in a cookbook that will inspire you with fresh and fun recipes perfect for meal prepping.

For many people, the hardest part of meal prepping is simply deciding what to cook. The solution: A new cookbook full of exciting recipes to try week after week.

Order a copy of Damn Delicious Meal Prep from Amazon for $24.73.

11. Freeze herbs in ice cube trays to keep them fresh.

Diethood

A key part of meal prepping is mixing things up during the week so not every lunch or dinner tastes the same. Don't underestimate the power of fresh herbs to elevate a meal and give it a huge flavor kick. Fresh herbs can go badly quickly, but there's a solution: Chop up your fresh herbs and freeze them with olive oil in ice cube trays. Then, toss one of the cubes in the pan with your food when you're heating up dinner. It's simple and totally gourmet. Learn exactly how to do it from food blog, Diethood.