How To Meal Prep

The fine art of meal prepping. How to do it as told in GIFs, food porn pictures and 7 steps.

Ah, meal prepping.

Via @lr_bombshell

Beautiful, perfectly portioned out, ready to eat little Tupperware of food.

Via @aksongco

You think:

It’s so beautiful you could cry:

You're just like:

But you don’t even know where to begin:

You think you can’t do this:

Well, I’m here to tell you that YOU CAN DO IT!

But, yes you can! And I’m here to show you how.

What the heck is meal prepping anyway? Simply preparing your meals in advance! Usually prepping several days worth of entire meals so that you can just "grab and go"!

Why meal prep? That old adage "fail to plan, plan to fail" has never been truer. Whether you're always on the go, taking care of a big family, trying to lose weight or just hate cooking – meal prepping is a solution to all of those things! Spending a few hours one or two days a week will save you a lot more time during the week and money since you won't be eating out. It leaves for time for you to kick back, relax, put your feet up and drink a bott…glass of wine at the end of a long workday since dinner is already made!

It takes some planning but after the first time, you'll realize it's actually pretty easy. I'm going to walk you through step by step, okay?

You ready?!?

Make sure you have the following items:

Measuring cups and spoons

Good Tupperware and lots of it

Clear counterspace or table

1. Look at your schedule.

How many times a day do you plan to eat or do you have time to eat? What does your week look like? Do you have a lunch meeting at work or a birthday dinner? Then you won't need to make those meals.

2. Plan meals to serve those goals and fit your schedule.

If you're always on the go, you might not be able to celebrate Taco Tuesday for lunch while at work, amirite? They generally don't pack well and involve a lot of different components so even if you do make the ingredients for tacos in one Tupperware, you'll still need the taco shells in a separate baggie, condiments, toppings…you get the idea. Food should be delicious but practical.

3. Make a shopping list. (And stick to it.)

Via @itsnotadietthanks

Literally write down all of the ingredients for your meals from the most basic spice to the main ingredients. You’d be surprised what you forget when you’re power walking through the store. I know this is a lot of peoples’ least favorite thing but I have tips for this too: go to a store you are familiar with so you know where everything is, carry a list so you stay focused and go on a Friday or Tuesday late at night. The list is REALLY important though.

4. Shop.

Via @francescamiani

Follow the list. Want to save even more time? I’m completely obsessed with precut veggies like this from Trader Joe’s. More affordable options are frozen veggies.

Via @nutritionnut

5. Cook.

Set up all of your Tupperware with matching lids. I'd suggest making your starches first because they take a little longer, generally. Things like potatoes, rice, etc.

skinnyminniemoves.com / Via skinnyminniemoves.com

6. Plate.

Put everything in its Tupperware. Make sure nothing has been left in the oven or there isn't still a pot of boiling rice on the stove. Make sure everything is seasoned, spiced, has dressing, etc. Make sure baggies are securely zipped.

Aaaand you're done!

7. Look you did it!

Let's indulge in some #mealprepmondays foodporn now....

Via @gravitygirl1

Via @inesl

Other Tips

--Buy enough ingredients. I know this seems silly but, really.

--Once you find something that you like, play around with it, too. Chili and stir fry are my "Omg, I don't know what to make this week" dishes because I can generally just dump a bunch of stuff in a pot or wok, add a protein and occasionally a grain and done! Let's not get crazy reinventing the wheel, folks.

--If you make super big batches of soup or chili and have prepped for more than 4-5 days, freeze the rest. Those kinds of things freeze fantastically. They're great "emergency" meals in case you, let's say, don't get to prep on Sunday and will have to do it Monday night but what will you eat then on Monday?! Nope, not fast food. Because you are smart and you got this, and you prepared and have food in the freezer.

--Make foods that will stay good for longer periods of time. Most foods will stay in the fridge 3-4 days, cooked. Some foods (like oatmeal or chia pudding) can make it to a 5th day. Some foods you can make on Sunday, freeze and pull out to thaw in the fridge Wednesday or Thursday. You'll learn what works and what doesn't based on your preferences.

--Do things that are easy to clean up! Once you're actually done COOKING, comes the CLEANING. Ugh, my least favorite. Bake or roast as much as possible (and line with foil) for easy clean up.

Use a crockpot!

--Foundation foods: certain spices, oils, grains and beans, you'll start using so frequently you won't need to buy them every single week. If you are able to buy items in bulk, that's helpful too! Just be sure to take note of when you run out so you can add to the list.

Questions?????????