How to meal prep like a pro
Planning your meals is one of the best ways of ensuring you and your family eat better. Here is how you can meal prep like a pro.
Is there no variety in your meals? Or do you sometimes find yourself having to buy takeaways because you don’t have enough time to make food at home? You need meal planning in your life.
What is meal planning?
In simple terms, meal planning is deciding what you want to eat for the whole week, instead of every night, and then shopping for and prepping the ingredients before cooking.
Why is meal planning important?
There are many reasons why meal planning is important.
- Firstly, it helps you think about your diet and can change your food buying habits. You are able to plan your meals ahead of time and buy the necessary ingredients on time. Remember to write down a detailed grocery list.
- Meal planning can help you eat healthier. Planning your meals gives you the opportunity to really think about what you are going to eat. Thinking about what you are going to eat can influence you to make healthier choices.
- Another advantage of meal planning is that it can save you time. Instead of having to cook every day or having to go to the shops to buy ingredients, you can get to do this in one day.
- Meal planning also saves you money. Cooking in bulk saves electricity and thus saves you time.
How to meal prep like a pro
- Get the right containers
Not every container works for food storage, especially
if you are going to freeze and re-heat the food. Invest in buying the right
storage containers.
- Have a variety
On your menu, ensure you have a variety of dishes. Eating the same meal for five days can be boring. The best thing is to use ingredients that can be easily used for a variety of dishes. E.g. grilled chicken can be used in a salad, sandwich or eaten with a staple such as rice.
- Prepare the right portions
One of the mistakes people can make is making too little or too much food. Think about the correct food portions and make sure you cook the right amount in relation to the portions you normally eat.
Below is a video of nine ingredients for flexible, healthy meal prep recipes.