One of the biggest health trends of the moment is meal prep, which is the act of preparing all of your meals for the week in one sitting. It’s quick, smart and convenient, especially for those who don’t have enough time in the day to spend cooking three separate meals (or for those who just don’t enjoy cooking.) Figuring out what to eat a week in advance can be arduous so we’ve put together 5 helpful tips that will make meal prep a walk in the park!
1. Prep your most important meal first
At the beginning, meal prep can seem overwhelming and difficult. The key is to start slow, focusing on prepping meals that you most often don’t have time to make. Do you have a tendency to be rushed in the morning? Or do you work late and can’t be bothered to cook once you get home? Find out which meal you’d benefit from the most and use that as your starting point for organizing a weekly meal plan.
2. Spice things up
Eating the same kind of meats day after day can get boring very quick. Start to look forward to lunch again by making 2-3 variations of the same meal all at once. Whether it’s fish or chicken, spice things up by using different seasonings and sauces. By cooking three different variations all at once, you’ll have a full week’s worth of meats ready to be eaten at a moment’s notice, and you won’t dread eating the same flavour meat over and over again.
3. Layer your salads
A lot of people avoid making salads as part of their meal prep because they expect their leafy greens to wilt and become soggy by the time lunch hits. However, there is a way to enjoy a fresh salad at work! The key is in how you stagger your ingredients in the container. In order to avoid soggy lettuce, place the dressing at the bottom of your storage container. From there, layer in your heavier vegetables like carrots and peppers, and save your lettuce for the top. If you pack heavy to light from the bottom up, you’ll be able to enjoy fresh greens every day without a problem.
4. Prepare
Now you can even prepare your smoothies for the week! This is a great help for those who are strapped for time in the morning. Gather all the ingredients you want in your smoothie, blend together and pour into muffin tins. Store in the freezer. The next time you’re in the mood for a smoothie, voila! It’ll be all ready to go.
5. Plan healthy snacks
You may get your salt fix from your high protein meals but at some point during the day, we all crave some good old sweets. This is where many of us fall off the healthy meal prep wagon. To avoid binging on processed sugar on your next work break, opt for fresh pre-packed fruit instead. Fill some containers with fresh berries and lightly drizzle honey on top. Adding oats into the mix also makes for a great afternoon snack, satisfying both your appetite and your sugar craving.
