How To Meal Prep

Part Three of Our Three Part Mini Series Keeping Up With Your Kitchen

Today we are sharing how meal prepping and planning ahead can keep you healthy and save you so much time every week to enjoy the things you love to do outside of work!

As busy as I am I know that my first priority is to feel healthy. I know that eating home cooked meals can take some time so instead of trying to think of what to have for dinner every day we will dedicate a small amount of time each week to meal prepping and planning. This is our favorite way to stay healthy all week long.

Since we have now organized our pantry and fridge it’s time to start cooking and prepare some healthy meals. Today we will be sharing tips on how to plan ahead and have included a grocery shopping list as well as some healthy recipes for you below to help get you started on your health and wellness journey.

How to go about meal planning and preparation

Dedicate a day to meal planning

To start the week off on the right foot, it’s best to pick a day to grocery shop and plan what foods to eat for the week. Before going to the grocery store, decide what meals and snacks you’d like to eat for the week.

Chop up and store all of your fresh ingredients

On your designated meal planning day, cut all of your fruits and vegetables so they are ready for cooking. For example, if you enjoy a smoothie in the morning, chop up your favorite ingredients and place in a mason jar so it is ready for the blender come breakfast time. We always encourage you to keep all of your fruits and veggies in glass not plastic. Check out the post we did on on why we should avoid putting food into plastic containers to learn more about this.

Create a weekly menu

With all of your favorite fruits and vegetables cut and stored, create a menu for the week. Knowing what you want to eat at each meal will make your hectic day not so hectic when entering the kitchen. Write it down in your kitchen on a chalkboard or white board so that everyone in your home knows what’s for dinner.

Prepare your meals in bulk

What better way to have “fast food” than to have it freshly made in your kitchen. Cooking in bulk ensures that even on your busiest days, there is a healthy meal option ready to eat.

While planning and preparing meals requires some special attention , it is well worth setting aside time to do so. Eating healthy during the busy week becomes fast, simple and plausible. Plus, you will feel less stressed and more in tune with your body.

We hope you have enjoyed our mini series and hope these tips have made working within the kitchen a little easier! If you missed the first two posts in the series be sure to check out Revamp Your Pantry and Refresh Your Fridge.

Katie Bressack