6 Quick Meal Prep Tips

6 Quick Meal Prep Tips

 

Let’s face it, when work gets busy, cooking and prepping healthy meals can be a lot to ask for! Is it impossible to eat healthy homemade food while on a busy schedule? Of course not! Meal prep may be the ultimate solution for you.

By fitting your weekly cooking into one meal prep session, you can save a lot of time, money, and keep your macros in check. Meal prep also frees you up from constantly struggling with what to cook for lunch or spending time each day with scratch cooking and clean up. Sounds like a good idea? Here are some quick tips on meal prepping!


1. MAKE A PLAN

    As obvious as it sounds, making a plan before starting your meal prep session is an essential step. You need to think about how many meals you need for the week and take into account the lunch or dinner plans you already made with friends, family, and colleagues. After that, make sure to do some research on the recipes that you would like to use. Utilize websites like Pinterest and healthy eating blogs and save in your bookmarks for weekly recipes. After that, you will have a better idea of the amount and the types of ingredients you need before heading to the grocery store.

     

    2. SCHEDULE A TIME

    Once you settle on your meal prep plan, schedule a time for your cooking and stick with it! Be realistic about the time you need for all the preparation, cooking, and clean-up. Because you’re making food for the whole week, it’s better to budget more time than less. In order to have food ready to eat for the week, Sunday may be the perfect time to get your meal prep done!

     

    3. DON'T FORGET BREAKFAST

    Breakfast may be the most forgotten meal for busy people, but why not take advantage of the meal prep to reward yourself with a fulfilling breakfast to kick start the day. For those who are already used to a cup of coffee for breakfast, having a protein-packed power breakfast can be a big energy boost! Add in this MCT Almond Butter Pitaya Bowand Protein Pancakes to your breakfast routine!

     

    4. INVEST IN GOOD CONTAINERS

    Good containers keep your food fresh and your fridge odor-free. Besides the staple plastic containers, there are other functional and more earth-friendly containers that you can try. Mason jars are particularly versatile in food storage: salads, smoothies, oatmeal, etc. They are also dishwasher and microwave-safe, so they are super easy to use and clean up. Try stainless steel containers for salads and dips and glass for microwaveable meals. Make sure your containers have a great seal to prevent any leaks during the work commute! If you like sauces, get some small sauce containers or to-go squeeze bottles and leave in the fridge for the week.

     

    5. STOCK UP ON THE STAPLES

    Stock up your freezer and pantry with quick, everyday ingredients for meal prep. Frozen fruits and vegetables are great to keep in your freezer all the time because they are cheaper and last longer. For the pantry, try oatmeal, beans, and herbs and spices like rosemary, thyme, sage, paprika and the all-important, garlic salt. They give your meals more flavors and more variation! You don’t always have to buy fresh meats and fish to make a great meal. Frozen salmon fillets are a great option for quick baked salmon recipes. Try cleaning chicken and freezing beforehand or buying pre-cut chicken breasts for quick cooking.

     

    6. GET SAUCY!

    Sauces are a great and easy way to keep your cooking fresh and fun. Sauces can be made easily with condiments like sriracha, mayo, dijon mustard, and vinegar. Make a simple sriracha aioli by mixing sriracha and mayo and try out an easy avocado ‘Goddess Dressing’ with our MCT Oil, avocado and fresh herbs!