I remember when I first started getting into needing to bring lunches (that I made myself), I made the same salad over and over and over again. To this day, I cannot stand spinach salad. As time went on, I started to try new recipes and would have many stumbles and some wins to make a steady rotation of meals that are easy, tasty, and keep me wanting to eat them.
Meal prep is not a new idea... It's been around for YEARS. But why is it so popular and why is it so hard to stick to? We are going to talk about the ins and outs of meal prep, what challenges arise during the process, and how to make it more manageable. With that, grab your tupperware, and let’s jump into it!
What is meal prep?
Meal prep, at the core, is planned leftovers that you can eat throughout the week (or however many days you make). Many people have a love/hate relationship when it comes to meal prep. There are many positive things to be said for the process of meal prepping and there are some drawbacks. We'll talk about them and you can decide what fits your life best.
The Good
Time: One of the major draws to meal prep is the time it saves; with an hour or two on one day, you get back the time throughout the week. Depending on what you’re making, it could take your cooking time throughout the week from 3 hours (about 30 minutes each night) to 1-2.
Dishes: Cooking once for the week means that you’ll be using a pan, pot, baking sheet, etc. once versus each night. For someone like me who does not like doing dishes, this is a big win!
Mental: We all know the scenario of trying to figure out what to eat and it feels like an impossible endeavor. We usually end up eating something underwhelming, or ordering food because we can’t be bothered to figure out how to cook what we have. With meal prep, the decision has already been decided and all you have to do is take the container out of the fridge, heat it up, and BOOM! Time to eat. Your mental energy can be placed elsewhere (and with how much there is in our worlds to think about, our mental energy is a precious commodity).
The Bad
Monotonous: Meal prep usually means that you’re eating the same thing for the week. It can become monotonous and, some would even say, boring. The amount of variety can be limited based on what you’re prepping and how you prep it. Sit tight and read on… we’ll talk about how to overcome the meal prep monotony.
Textures: Certain things, like very watery veggies, or very crispy foods don’t always keep the texture that makes them enjoyable to eat. It’s easiest to avoid these foods, or play around with how to prep them, or to be okay with them not being the same. With some swaps, thoughtful selection, or shift in mindset, there is plenty of room to avoid potential texture issues.
Freshness: Some foods don’t save well. It’s just the nature of the beast. Additionally, some foods are just really good when they are cooked right before we eat them. Something like fried eggs are the first things that come to mind. Thinking about smoothies, the color can leave a lot to be desired when they have been sitting for a while. How do we make the food look, feel, and taste good?
What can we do to make meal prep easier?
1. Find foods that you really enjoy (even cuisines). For example, I enjoy Asian foods so a stir fry will be something I will enjoy time after time. When it comes to this, it’s very much personal preference. When you have a idea of the cuisine you like, sticking within that realm makes the food more enjoyable for longer (think about it when you have something really good and say, “I could eat that EVERYDAY!”)
2. Avoid watery vegetables (like zucchini or squash)... they will leave a lot to be desired when heated up unless they are cooked for great texture from the get go. Feel free to play around with it. Or swap them for other vegetables such as things like broccoli, carrots, cabbage (perfect for adding volume), and cauliflower. These vegetables (plus others) hold up really well to the moisture that comes with reheating in the microwave. Cooking them up with some crispy edges is my personal favorite way to get the best flavor and texture day after day.
3. Accsaucerize. I did not come up with this word. I heard it from Eric the Electric on youtube and I loved it so much. Sauces are your friend. If you make something fairly basic, such as chicken with some rice and veggies, you could change the flavor everyday with different sauces. For example, you might do a teriyaki sauce on Monday, a garlic creamy sauce on Tuesday, a salsa/ queso on Wednesday. That gives you 3 different flavors without having to cook completely different dishes.
4. Prep components and mix and match throughout the week. This is a great way to add variety while still having things prepared for meals.Think about some basic chicken strips, ground beef, rice, potatoes, roasted veggies, and lettuce. With those 6 things, there are 8 combinations that you could have. Add sauces in and the options are all around!
5. Let’s say you are not on board with cooking. You have tried but it is not something you are willing to spend your energy on. There are so many ready made options that you could grab and then combine everything, heat, and enjoy. One thing that is a must in that situation would be rotisserie chicken. The price is usually phenomenal and it goes well with so many different things. Microwave bags of veggies, rice, even potatoes make a meal with only using the microwave. Take a look at if any of those things have extra oils so that way nothing is surprising (whether that be you are managing your calories or so you aren’t surprised by the flavor).
Bonus tip! Make sure you let the food cool before you put the lid on… moisture is not our friend. Be patient. Load the dishwasher, fold some laundry, take your dog for a walk, whatever floats your boat. THEN put the lids on to store your delicious meals!
Let's get cooking!
My go to stir fry meal (Honey Sriracha stir fry sauce)
This website has other sauces but I tried the honey sriracha first and never made it any further. It’s THAT good! Partner that with some rice to soak up more of that sauce and it's a great meal that will keep your taste buds happy!
My go to slow cooker meal (Buttered Chicken)
This recipe is a great one that takes a few minutes to start and a few at the end. The time in the middle is yours to do with as you need. I will say that I have never added the cauliflower as the recipe says but the chicken is creamy, tasty, and delicious day after day.
My go to Throw it together meal (Burrito Bowl)
Protein: Ground Beef (or whatever protein source strikes your fancy) about a pound is good for 4-5 meals.
Seasoning: A packet from the store works or you can mix your own up
Salt, onion powder, garlic, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes
Veggies: Peppers, onions, mushrooms are a good start for veggies but you do not need to limit yourself... if you love broccoli, who cares about it not being a normal burrito component
*Could bring lettuce if you usually are hungry and want to add some bulk to the meal
*I get the frozen peppers and onions and cook them on high heat right from frozen. Patience is your friend here. Put a top on and let the steam thaw them for 4 minutes or so and then start moving them around to get some nice texture.
*I season these with some salt, pepper, and paprika. Save the taco seasoning for the meat
Base: Rice is a great base for this. You could also do lettuce for additional volume with less calories. You could use some chips to add some crunch… just be mindful of how many you’re eating. The Quest protein chips taste pretty good and are an option as well!
Toppings: Salsa is a great one to add some flavor, avocado, some tortilla strips, cilantro lime dressing (check out Bolthouse farm’s dressings!), maybe even shredded cheese!
Still on the fence?
You do not have to meal prep to be successful. Does it make it easier for a lot of people? Yes. Does the consistency breed results? Usually. BUT at the end of the day, it's about what works for you. If you've been struggling with being consistent with working towards your health goals, maybe meal prep will help get the ball rolling.
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Diane
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