10 Tips for a Fast and Efficient Meal Prep
It’s no secret that meal prep can be a lifesaver when it comes to staying on top of your diet and healthy habits. However, it can also quickly become overwhelming if you don’t take the right steps to prepare for your plan.
If you’re ready to take your health and fitness goals to a whole new level this year, it’s important to prepare for the long term. Meal prep is the best way to stay on track during the busy weekdays where healthy eating tends to get overlooked or ignored.
Ready? Let’s get started!
- Make a list: Making a list will help you in staying organized. If you have a grocery list, you can use it as a reference to see what each ingredient is.
- Stick to the same foods: Sometimes if you mix and match different things, it can be overwhelming, so it’s best if you just keep using the same items over and over again during each week of prepping your meals. This will help make planning much easier and, in turn, save time in the long run.
- Plan for leftovers: If you’re like most people, planning for leftovers is not high on your priority list, but when preparing your weekly meal plan, this should definitely be something that comes into consideration. Not only will you save time on the weekend, but it’s also a great way to use up ingredients that you won’t be eating as part of your meal plan.
- Use bulk foods: If you stick to bulk foods, which are more economical and easier to store than their packaged counterparts, you’ll be able to save time and money while also getting a great deal on food. We recommend buying things like pasta, beans, grains, and oatmeal in these types of packs.
- Use the right tools: If you’re using a bunch of different tools when meal prepping, and it’s taking more time than you need, then you should consider getting some more efficient tools to make things easier.
- Use the same dishes: If you’re constantly washing dishes because you’re using all sorts of different plates, bowls, and cups while meal prepping, then it would probably be a good idea to stick with one or two types of dishes that you wash in the evening. This will save time and effort.
- Invest in a good freezer: If you’re meal prepping on the weekend, relying on your large freezer is the best way to save time and food. Not only will it make storing food easier, but it will also make your weekly meal prep much more efficient.
- Cook in bulk: It’s best if you’re cooking for a family-size amount of food, because if you don’t use all of it, you can save it for later or use it as leftovers. This is also great for being able to store large amounts of food in your freezer, which will help to cut down on wastage.
- Make sure you have all the supplies: you can’t save time if you don’t have the proper tools and ingredients. If you’re looking to get started on meal prepping, then make sure that you have all the supplies needed.
- Get organized: This is probably the most important tip on this list. If you want to save time, get organized with your meal planning, so you don’t find yourself scrambling at the last minute. If you’re struggling with this, then at least try to keep everything in one place.
These are just some of our ideas for how you can use less time and money when meal prepping by using these tips in order to get the most out of your efforts. Remember, there’s no one way to do it. You can always try a few different techniques and see what works for you!