Clients and friends often tell me that they have trouble finding the time to cook healthy meals during the week.
Here are my suggestions on how to make meal prep both enjoyable and effective.
Find ways to inspire yourself and to look forward to cooking:
1. Spend some time each week looking for recipes. Ask yourself: “What foods sound good to me?“
2. Find recipes that have similar, easy to find ingredients. When building a meal, think about having a carb, protein, and a fat.🥦🥩🧈
Choose a shopping day and make a shopping list.
2. Focus on variety - Find foods from each category: protein (fish, meat, dairy), vegetables/fruit (Try something new each week to add more nutrients to your meals) & grains (oatmeal, rice, lentils).
3. Always bring a list to the store and make sure to eat before you shop which helps reduce the risk of impulse purchases.
Getting it Done:
1. Prep food as soon as you get back from the store. I batch cook components on the weekend (steam, bake or sauté) then mix-and-match them according to what I’m craving during the week.
2. The freezer is your friend! I usually prepare big batches of vegetables and freeze them in Ziploc bags for future use.
What are some of your favorite foods to meal prep? Try these tips and let me know how they work for you!