To piggyback on my post about meal planning, these tips are all about prepping food after you’ve got a plan set. Thanks to the society we live in, I think a lot of people automatically assume that meal prepping means taking 6 hours on Sunday to cook and perfectly portion 21 meals for the upcoming week. If this strategy works best for you and your schedule, great! For others (me!), it’s a huge help to have a few things in place for the week and prep along the way.
1. Wrangle up your food storage containers. And their matching lids! You may need to invest in new containers. I prefer Pyrex or other glass containers because they are microwave safe.
2. Prep ingredients for future meals when possible. While you’re cutting up peppers and onions for tonight’s fajitas, can you cut up extra for stir-fry tomorrow night? While you’re browning ground beef for spaghetti, go ahead and cook another pound for chili tomorrow night. That way, the meat can go straight into the slow cooker. Get as much done while you have time and your kitchen is already a mess.
3. Take recipes with a grain of salt (who doesn’t love a food pun?). Most recipes are pretty forgiving and your meal won’t be ruined if you don’t use alllll the recommended spices. You can also swap different meats and veggies. Let your creative juices flow!
4. Consider potential for freezing and reheating. Some meals make better leftovers than others. Foods with high moisture content like soups, stews, and casseroles reheat well in the microwave. If you don’t like the thought of eating the same thing 2 days in a row, consider freezing it and adding it to your meal plan next week.
5. Don’t forget the snacks. Go ahead and bag nuts, dried fruit, popcorn, crackers, cut up veggies, etc. so you can easily grab them on the way out the door. You can also buy pre-prepared snack elements like fruit, yogurt, and mini containers of guacamole, peanut butter, and hummus.
6. Set realistic expectations. You do not have to spend 6 hours on a Sunday preparing all of your meals for the next week! Just having lunch or dinner already made or even partly made can make a huge difference in your stress level. Resist the urge to compare yourself to the Instagram posts of perfectly prepped meals.
Remember, work smarter, not harder. Happy meal prepping!