Ways To Meal Prep!

There’s a few different ways to meal prep, and luckily for us, they do not involve spending an entire Saturday or Sunday in front of a hot stove! These methods include:

 

Make-ahead meals: Full meals that can be pre-cooked and later refrigerated. These meals can then be reheated later. Dinnertime meals are popular with this method

 

Batch cooking: Making large batches of a specific recipe, then splitting this amount of food over time. This is popular with warm lunch or dinner options.

 

Individually portioned meals: Preparing fresh meals which can then be split into various portions and eaten over the next few days, after refrigeration.

 

Ready To Cook ingredients: Prepping ingredients ahead of time for specific meals to help with lowering cooking time in the kitchen

 

All of these methods are great, and depending on the meal that you will be making, one or more of these methods should fit your meal prep needs. Make ahead breakfasts may be best if your morning routine is causing difficulty with getting tasks finished on time. If your evenings are as wild as mine, you may be better off with an already made batch-cooked meal in the freezer for dinner.

Picking The Right Number & Variety Of Meals

Figuring out how many meals you have to make in advance and what to include in each meal can be tricky

However there are ways to help. Think about which meals you would like to make, and how you can incorporate one of these meal prepping methods to make it in advance. Next, check your calendar to see the amount of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners you’ll need for this upcoming week. If you’re going to eat out, be honest with yourself and keep that in mind as well. If you will be eating out, remember to keep portions small and try to take half of your meal home if you can to chow down on later.

Cutting Down On Cooking Time

Most people would like to spend less time cooking and more time enjoying their loved ones, right? I can personally think of about twenty things I'd rather do than sit in the kitchen, but like anything else, once you get good at cooking, and I mean really GOOD. You'll never want to go back to how viewed before. Get ready to spend more time with your loved ones after getting this down packed! There are a few ways in which we can cut down on cooking, please check them out below.

Stick To A Schedule

Meal prepping works best when you stick to a schedule. Knowing when you’ll shop for groceries and when you’ll cook will help your body form a habit out of this routine that will help you for years to come. For example, you may want to grocery shop on Sunday afternoon and meal prep Monday after work for a whole week’s worth of meals. You can even meal prep during the middle of your favorite Love and Hip Hop episode! Having a set time to prep will also keep your mind mentally clear for other things in your life.

Finding The Right Recipe Combo!

To save time, use recipes that require different cooking methods. If you’re using the oven for your main dish, you will likely be able to use the stovetop or another appliance to cook side dishes while your main dish is cooking as well. This is a great way to make use of the make-ahead or batch cooking methods. A good rule of thumb for some is to stick to one oven meal and no more than two stove top meals. This will help cut down on cooking clutter and keep you from losing your mind before dinner!

Shopping List!

People waste more time in the grocery store than they do on their phones! No probably not, but it has to be close! To cut that time down, make sure you head to the grocery store with a list of the items that you would like. Keep in mind the layout of the store you will be headed to so you do not have to back track and go down the same aisles multiple times. Grocery delivery services like Postmates or Instacart can also help with cutting down time spent in the store.

Containers

Containers can make a much bigger difference than you would think in the food preparation process. Certain container types are recommended for certain situations:

 

Airtight containers for ready to cook ingredients: Washable, reusable silicone bags and stainless steel containers are great for keeping food crisp and fresh

 

BPA free microwavable containers: Pyrex glassware or collapsible silicone containers would be great and better for your health as well

 

Freezer safe containers: These will limit freezer burn and loss of nutrients. Wide mouth mason jars work amazingly, as long as you leave at least an inch or so of space in case your food expands while freezing.

 

Leak proof, compartmentalized containers: Great for lunches or meals which require ingredients to be made at the last minute. Bento lunch boxes are fairly good for this purpose

Cooking, Storing & Reheating Food Safely

Containers can make a much bigger difference than you would think in the food preparation process. Certain container types are recommended for certain situations:

 

Airtight containers for ready to cook ingredients: Washable, reusable silicone bags and stainless steel containers are great for keeping food crisp and fresh

 

BPA free microwavable containers: Pyrex glassware or collapsible silicone containers would be great and better for your health as well

 

Freezer safe containers: These will limit freezer burn and loss of nutrients. Wide mouth mason jars work amazingly, as long as you leave at least an inch or so of space in case your food expands while freezing.

 

Leak proof, compartmentalized containers: Great for lunches or meals which require ingredients to be made at the last minute. Bento lunch boxes are fairly good for this purpose

 

Depending on your goals, schedule, and other preferences, meal prepping should be a great addition to your Warrior Lifestyle! We’re here to help you incorporate these preps into your schedule so that it works with your routine, not against it. With the amount of nutritious meals you’ll be able to make yourself and save money and time from eating out, you’ll be so happy once you get the hang of it!

TEST YOUR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE