Meal prepping is all about saving money, saving time, and making life simpler for you and your family.
You can accomplish it if you put aside one or two hours once a week. If you need a little boost of confidence to get started, here are ten things to keep in mind before starting your meal prep.
Meal prepping is the act of preparing meals ahead of time to last you for a while, generally a week. It’s an excellent method for busy bees to enjoy nutritious, cooked meals while saving time and money.
However, what motivates you to meal prep? Meal preparation is commonly done for the following reasons:
Knowing why you want to meal prep will make it simpler to commit to the practice in the long term. If your goal is to save time, ensure you have all the necessary ingredients available in your store or freezer, like these easy-to-cook meals from EB Frozen Food.
Is the thought of cooking making your palms sweat? You should slow down. Begin by preparing only one or two days’ worth of food.
The first time is often the most difficult, but if you stick with it, you’ll soon be able to do it in your sleep. Remember to stock your freezer with easy-to-cook products from veggies to meat, which can be obtained from EB Frozen Food.
Who has time to make, marinade, and bake chicken from scratch?
If you’re pressed for time, opt for store-bought meats like the halal frozen chicken products from EB Frozen Food and pre-washed and pre-cut veggies.
Stocking up on these grocery goods saves you a lot of time in the kitchen.
Preparing a meal does not imply that every single dish must be cooked in an oven or on a burner. A simple green salad for lunch or supper, or eating fruit as a snack, is still considered meal prepping.
Granola is also widely accessible and comes in a variety of tastes, so you’ve already solved your breakfast and snacking concerns.
Because meal prep entails keeping food for several days, the quality of your food containers is vital. You’ll need containers that are around the same size as your meals, as well as some smaller containers for snacks.
Expensive food containers are not your only option, but if your budget allows for it, you should go for high quality. Make sure they’re also microwave-safe and easy to clean.
Organize your meal prep routine and timetable ahead of time to make your life easier. The first step is to try to figure out what your own goals are.
Look for meals that meet your daily caloric and nutritional needs whether you’re attempting to lose weight, build muscle, or save money.
Also, ask yourself, ‘How much time do I have to meal prep?’ and ‘Which items are easily accessible at my local supermarket?’ This will make it easy to create and keep to a food list on shopping day.
Meal prep isn’t a competition; you don’t have to replicate the exquisite dishes you see on someone else’s Instagram feed. If you have the courage, time, and talent to cook restaurant-quality meals, then go ahead and show them off.
However, for those of us who can just manage the fundamentals, having minimal meal prep skills is not a reason to worry. It’s okay to stock your freezer with simple foods you can easily thaw and enjoy anytime like the frozen chicken snacks of EB Frozen Food.
Nobody sees your food plan if you don’t want to share it with them. You don’t have to be inventive or use expensive pens. You can store everything on your phone. No one will ever know or criticize your happy little meal plan.
Set a fixed date — preferably a weekend — to accomplish your grocery shopping and cooking to get your meal prep off to a good start.
Just don’t get too worked up over it.
Meal prep veterans typically recommend Sundays since you will have plenty of time to focus on meal prep without work or other duties getting in the way.
Slow cookers are ideal for those who are too impatient to stand by the stove and wait for their meal to finish cooking.
Slow cookers are quite simple to use: simply place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker pot and set the timer and temperature. With little to no work, you will have a steaming hot meal ready in a matter of hours. If this idea appeals to you, buying a slow cooker is a wise decision.
There are a plethora of fitness experts online that like providing fresh and intriguing meal prep ideas.
If you have certain dietary restrictions, you can also discover YouTubers that focus completely on specific diets like vegan, gluten-free, ketogenic, and many more – so no matter what sort of diet you follow, you will be able to find foods that are suitable for you.
If you’re new to meal planning, don’t go overboard with highly complex dishes that you’ll eventually abandon in favour of something easier.
Build some simple menu alternatives into your week and, if necessary, adjust appropriately. Shop for your ingredients from your favourite frozen food supplier to ensure that you have everything you need.