Meal prepping has become a popular way to eat healthy without cooking every single meal. If you don’t like cooking or don’t have time to cook every meal, meal prepping is definitely the way to go. But there are things you need to know, otherwise, you’ll end up wasting a lot of time and food.
Here are 10 meal Prep Tips Every Beginner Should Know.
Use a Crock Pot
The crock pot is a lifesaver for any busy person who wants to eat healthy. In fact, it’s the closest thing you’ll come to automatic cooking. You just need to put food in it, turn it on and then go about your business, when you come home after a few hours the meal will be ready. Just make sure you prepare foods that take the same amount of time to cook. Once the food is ready, put it in containers and store it in the fridge.
Prep Meals Food That Will Last 2-4 Days
Only experienced meal preppers can prep a whole week’s meal without any mishaps. Start with few meals if it’s your first time prepping meals. Don’t prep food that will last more than four days. Once you gain experience you can then cook food that will last for week.
Use a Meal Plan
A meal plan will help you stick to healthy eating habits reduce chances of overeating. But don’t use any meal plan on the internet since it’s not customized to your caloric needs and goals. Just spare a few minutes to design your own meal plan.
Only Prep Recipes You’ve Cooked Before
It’s not a good idea to try new recipes when cooking food that will last several days. If anything goes wrong you might end up wasting all the food. Only prep meals you’ve cooked before. And if you want to try a new recipe, cook it in a single meal before you add it to your meal prep plan.
Prep Salads in Advance
Meal prepping doesn’t always have to involve cooking. You can prep no-cook meals like salads and smoothies. Salads are filling and they’ll increase your fruits and vegetable intake. Just cut the fruits and veggies and store them in glass jars.
Take Advantage of Leftovers
Some folks think leftovers are gross, but they can be super useful when trying to eat healthy. Instead of throwing healthy food in the trash can, put it in a container and store it in the fridge. You’ll just need to warm it up in the next meal and eat. By the way, leftovers can stay fresh in the fridge for several days.
Cut Vegetables Ahead of Time
Cutting veggies takes a significant amount of time when cooking. You will spend less time cooking if you cut veggies ahead of time. Cut all the veggies you’ll need for the whole week and store them in containers. Take them out when cooking and throw them in the pan.
Make Lunch the Night Before
If you always have time to cook dinner but can’t find time to cook lunch, cook enough food that will last through lunch. The good thing is you can do this even if you don’t have a fridge. Just remember to warm the food in the morning to prevent it from going bad.
Buy Quality Food Containers
When buying meal prep containers make sure they’re BPA-free. The best type is glass or Tupperware – these ones won’t melt in the oven when heating the food. Also, choose the right size of containers; buying huge containers can lead to overeating.
Weigh Your Portions
One of the biggest advantages of meal prepping is the ease of controlling portions. You only need to determine the number of calories in one container then serve the same amount of food in all containers. Weighing portions will reduce chances of overeating, which is a huge problem for most people trying to lose weight.
I hope these meal tips will make it possible for you to eat healthy, no matter how busy you are.
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Photo: GettyImages
I love my crock pot