If you are someone who aims to save time, money or just eat a healthier diet, meal prepping can help you achieve your goals. Meal planning is allotting a block of time once a week to prepare for all your upcoming meals. Meal planning is different, where you find recipes that suit your schedule best. Meal prepping is actually preparing meals or ingredients ahead of time, storing them for when it’s time to use them. Some like making and freezing entire meals ahead of time. Some like preparing meals in individual containers for quick on-the-go lunches, or chopping and storing ingredients ahead of time. Regardless of your preferred method, meal prepping can help you reduce food waste, save money, and eat a healthier diet. Ready to get started? Here are a few ways you can be successful when it comes to your first meal prep.
Start small If you are a beginner– just starting with meal prep— it can be overwhelming to plan an entire week’s meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) in one go. You might want to start with just a few meals a week or maybe just dinners, lunches, or snacks. You can immediately start making positive changes to your meal planning habits wherever you begin!
Make a checklist It also helps to write down everything you’ll need to do during your weekly meal prepping session. Get your recipes and prepare a shopping list of everything you will need. Doing this will ensure that you will have the right ingredients available when the prep day arrives.
Invest in containers Doing meal prep means you will be making meals or preparing ingredients for several days of meals all at one go. This is why investing in a set of quality food storage containers that you can reuse multiple times is important. It may take you a few weeks to figure out how many containers you really need, so it’s a good idea to start with a medium-size set and just add more containers as you go. Glass containers are more eco-friendly and generally last longer than plastic.
Gather ingredients A few days before your planned prep day, start gathering the ingredients on your shopping list. Your pantry is the best place to start shopping. Take stock of what you already have or what you can use and what you actually need to buy. Rotating the food in your pantry regularly is also a good way to avoid wasting money on expired food items. If you can, try and find recipes that include things you already have to maximize your meal prep efficiency.
Schedule enough time Meal prepping can take several hours, depending on the quantity and type of meal you are preparing. Make sure to allot a good chunk of your time for your meal prepping session. It is best to schedule your meal prepping on the same day of the week and, at the same time, make it a consistent part of your meal planning system.
Prep smart Even if your ultimate goal is to prep everything fresh or from scratch, be at liberty to take a few shortcuts as the need arises. If you don’t like chopping vegetables or if it takes too much of your time, go ahead and buy pre-cut vegetables instead. Also, avoid elaborate meals in the meantime. As much as you want to include all the basic food groups into your meal plan, if you find yourself struggling, scale back your meal prepping a bit. When you make your meal prepping sessions more efficient, you will most likely do it consistently.
Finally, keep in mind that meal prepping is different for everyone. Experimenting with different approaches is a good way to find a system that works best for you.
Are you in the market for a Katy rental home with a kitchen where you can comfortably meal prep? Contact Real Property Management Affiliates to view listings near you, or check out our available rentals online!
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