Meal preparation, commonly known as meal prep, is the process of planning and preparing meals in advance. Some people meal prep for a few days at a time, while others prep for a full week or more!
In this beginner’s guide, you’ll learn the benefits of preparing meals in advance, different ways to meal prep and a few tips and tricks.
Benefits of Meal Prep
Consider this… You’re at the gym, finishing up an evening sweat session, and start thinking about what to have for dinner. You go home, see what you have in the fridge and begin cooking whatever you can throw together. 30 – 60 minutes later, you sit down to eat (maybe it’s healthy, maybe it’s not). Sound familiar?
Meal prep can make life easier, healthier and more predictable. Here are some key benefits of prepping meals in advance:
- You’ll save time. Instead of wasting time trying to figure out what to cook or whether you should order takeout, meal prep ensures you always have a meal waiting. By prepping multiple meals at once, you’ll have more time to spend on other things.
- You can better manage portion sizes. When you prepare meals in advance, you’re able to control your portion sizes. Yes, you can do this when preparing single meals at a time, but we often cook a little extra and end up overeating.
- It will help you reach your health and fitness goals. Meal prep allows you to know exactly what ingredients are going into your body and how many calories you’re eating. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, build muscle or simply give your body the nutrition it needs, meal prep forces you to think about your goals and plan your meals accordingly.
- You’ll have more money in your pocket. Good news — meal prep saves money because you can buy ingredients in bulk, freeze extra food for later and spend less eating out. It’s a win/win!
Different Ways to Meal Prep
The four most popular ways to meal prep are:
- Make-ahead meals. This involves cooking full meals in advance that can be refrigerated and reheated at mealtimes. Make-ahead meals are particularly handy for dinner meals.
- Batch cooking. With batch cooking, you make large batches of specific recipes, split them into individual portions, and freeze or refrigerate them.
- Individually portioned meals. Preparing fresh meals and portioning them into individual grab-and-go portions to be refrigerated and eaten over the next few days is a great meal prep method.
- Ready-to-cook ingredients. This involves prepping the ingredients needed for specific meals ahead of time as a way to cut down on cooking time in the kitchen.
The method that will work best for you depends on your goals and daily routine. You might even want to try each method and see which is your favourite!
Meal Prep Tips & Tricks
Ready to give it a try? Here are some helpful tips and tricks for meal prepping:
- Start small. Meal prep can sound daunting if you’ve never done it before. Start small by planning just a few meals or snacks for the week ahead. This will help you find out what works for you and enable you to slowly build upon your meal planning as you see fit.
- Consider each food group. It’s important to include each food group in your meal prep. Consider fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy when planning your meals and looking at recipes.
- Get yourself organized. Good organization is key to successful meal prep. Select your recipe(s), create a shopping list and make sure you have all the cooking and storage tools you need. This will make meal prep much easier and more efficient!
- Consistently make time. The best way to incorporate meal prep into your routine is to make it a priority. Carve out a block of time each week that is solely dedicated to planning and prepping your meals.
For more tips and tricks, check out Healthline’s 23 helpful tips. You can also find healthy recipes on the VTAS Fitness Centre blog to help get you started.
Enjoy meal prepping!
