How to Start Meal Prepping

After getting home from a long day, very few people have the energy or time to come up with a healthy, easy meal unless there’s been some pre-planning. A reliable menu plan can save you time and money, decrease food waste and help improve your health!

The first thing to do is pick out the day of the week where you have the most time – often this is Saturday or Sunday. This is the best time to assess the ingredients you already have on hand, decide what meals you would like to cook, and make your grocery list. By doing this, you set yourself up for a successful (and low stress!) week of meals. While doing this, consider which days you will be pushed for time – these might be good days to start a crockpot meal in the morning or to have leftovers! 

The next thing is to consider what you can buy pre-made or pre-cut. Fresh or frozen vegetables that are pre-cut can save a lot of time and increase how often you consume them! After this, pick out a few proteins that will be in your meals. For example, if your family enjoys poultry, roast several chicken breasts at once. Before storing them, we recommend cutting them into pieces for faster reheating from the fridge or freezer.

The last thing to remember is that you do not have to prepare every meal ahead of time to consider yourself a success! Start with a goal of planning one dinner per week – your future self will thank you!