That might sound a little complicated at first. Start the longest-cooking items first, followed by the ones that cook quicker. ziplock bag of rice. Set aside an hour or two to cook your meals and prep any other ingredients or components (do this on shopping day or the day after). You’re convinced meal prepping is the way to go, so let’s give it a try. See our suggested meal prep recipes below for inspiration: One easy thing you can do to plan your week for success: Prep your snacks ahead of time. Toward the end of the week, get creative by building meals with whatever’s still in the fridge. When you divide up your meal prep recipes, you wind up with perfectly portioned breakfasts, lunches, and dinners—which makes it a whole lot tougher to overeat. How To Meal Prep Oatmeal 8 Ways. But it’s actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it—especially when you consider the benefits: After all, there’s zero reason to order takeout if you already have homemade turkey chili or salmon with veggies waiting for you when you get home at night. [2] And if you heat these plastics in the microwave, they may leach compounds into your food. 9 Genius Slow Cooker Tips for Easy Meal Prep. “Maybe you just start brown-bagging lunches,” she suggests. Learning how to meal prep can significantly aid in your weight loss and fitness goals. If you’re new to meal prep, think about how you’ll reheat food. How to Meal Prep and Cook for 2 “I’m a vegetarian and my partner is a carnivore.” I grew up in a house that was just like this: my mom is vegetarian, my dad is a carnivore, and my mom would cook several different meals to please everyone all the time. It’s super straightforward. peas – wash and pat dry. In fact, using two or even three can help you make the most of your kitchen time. “Before anything else, preparation is the key … Start with the FDA’s guidelines for fridge and freezer storage to inform how long you can store prepared foods, and practice common sense when you pack food so it can last longer. And multitask when possible. How to meal prep: Avoiding common mistakes, how different cooking methods can better preserve the nutrition in your meals, 10 Morning Routine Ideas to Level Up Your Day, #BETHEPROOF: How Former Bachelor Pilot Pete Weber Powers His Days, How to Choose Coffee Beans That Taste Delicious, Sweet Potato Curry With Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice, Sirloin Steak With Rosemary Coffee Marinade, Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad With Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette, 35 Easy Keto Instant Pot Recipes for Meals in Minutes, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10442480/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222987/. It can also make a hectic schedule easier, taking the guesswork out of what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Use ice packs to keep cold dishes cold, and pre-warmed insulated containers to keep hot foods hot in your lunch box. This beginner’s guide on how to meal prep teaches you everything you need to know about make-ahead, healthy meals—plus Bulletproof-friendly approaches you can take to ensure your food stays fresh and nutritious. Products sold on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. But they’re convenient (no need to wash ‘em!). Step 1. Meal prep can benefit people watching their macros or trying to cut down their cook time during the week. Planning meals in advance often means less food ends up going to waste too. That said, you should always go with your gut here: If you’re nearing the end of the week and something looks off or smells funky, that’s a sign that it might be spoiled. If you want to prep meals for the whole week, you’ll want to schedule two days a week to do so (such as Sunday and Wednesday) to keep food as fresh as possible. Use this Step-by-Step Guide to Meal Prep effectively and make the most of your budget and time. Instead of cooking dinner every single night when you get home or throwing lunch together every morning before running out the door, you’ve got a good-for-you meal ready whenever you are. You can use this same technique for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Pick three recipes, aiming for a mix of different ingredients and flavor profiles to keep things interesting. | ©Bulletproof 360, Inc. 2013–2021, Get a free box of brain octane oil packets with purchases over $100, https://www.bulletproof.com/diet/healthy-eating/how-to-meal-prep-beginners-guide/, How to Meal Prep: A Beginner’s Guide for Perfect Make-Ahead Meals, https://www.bulletproof.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/How-to-Meal-Prep_header-300x160.jpg. Store full batches of sheet-pan or one-pot meals in larger containers or portion out individual servings in smaller ones that you can grab before heading out the door. Keep your schedule in mind: Events like work lunches and happy hours can interfere with mealtime. So what’s your weakness when it comes to food? So get out there, get some meal prep ideas and start prepping! If you can multitask a little (use your oven and stovetop to prep more than one food at once, for example), you’ll cut down on time even more. You can refrigerate stainless containers ahead of time or warm them with boiling water before adding cold or hot foods to make them last even longer. If it works better for your schedule to cook on Monday and again on Thursday, go for it. Every Sunday, make a plan for the week. It’s time to get more flavor and less waste out of meal prepping. At the minimum, you’ll want to have: • Clear glass containers with lids in various sizes. Experiment and find what works for you. An avid Bulletproof fan from the diet’s early days, she holds an MBA in marketing from the University of Washington. Whether you’re a prepping pro or just starting out, here are the tools you need to make a shopping list, portion your meals, and maximize what's in … It’s perfect for big batches of soup, stews, chilis, or curries. Meal planning is one of the most important parts of meal prepping. You can also use them as to-go containers for things like smoothies, yogurt parfaits, salads, or soups. But when you add it up, it’s still less than the 30-45 minutes you otherwise would’ve spent making dinner every night. Keep a rotating list of extra ingredients for these and buy whatever else you’ll need (like prewashed salads greens or whole wheat bread) and prep anything extra (like peeling and shredding carrots or roasting cubed squash). We've made it to the fun part-start prepping your meals! September 20, 2020. Once all your food is prepped, it’s time to put everything away. They’re delicious, satisfying and packed with on-the-go nutrition to support a healthy lifestyle—no cooking required. The key to easy meal prep is start simple. Make your own or stock up on the snacks you love, like Bulletproof Collagen Protein Bars. • Benefits of meal prepping • How to meal prep: a step-by-step guide• Healthy meal prep ideas. (Same goes for breakfast and lunch: You don’t need to pick up a pastry or a slice of pizza if there’s wholesome stuff already packed in the fridge that you can grab before heading out the door in the morning.) Welcome to - How2mealprep - where you will learn everything you need to become a pro prepper in no time. If you do throw your prepared meal into a microwave, consider if the ingredients will stand up to more aggressive reheating. Should I meal prep if I don’t like eating the same thing every day? Cook up a big batch of something and enjoy it through the week. You can’t meal prep without prep time. (Another time-saver—yay!). Buffet style meal prep. Decide what flavor combinations you … Take stock of what you need for those recipes, plus any missing essentials you need (like spices or Grass-Fed Ghee), and make your grocery list. Prevention participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Here’s what I like to do, and what I’ll often recommend for clients starting out: • Focus on dinners. Aside from carcinogenic BPA, even BPA-free plastics can contain estrogenic chemicals that leach into your food and mess with your hormones. How To Meal Prep Without Getting Bored. Think of it like packing your lunches for the week all at once instead of packing your lunch each morning. The bottom line: Glass or stainless storage containers are your friends. Step 1: Make a plan for the week. Meal prepping is the secret to a healthy lifestyle. Bulletproof recommends that you consult with your healthcare providers regarding the diagnosis and treatment of any disease or condition. Make-ahead meals should be able to last for five or so days in the fridge. Think roasting a big batch of veggies or grilling several chicken breasts that you can use in salads, or sandwiches, or tacos. • Take advantage of leftovers. Related: 35 Easy Keto Instant Pot Recipes for Meals in Minutes. They’re perfect for storing dressings, sauces, and soups. They also come in a convenient variety of sizes. Some foods, such as dressed salads or cut avocados, don’t hold up well to a week in the fridge. Why trust us? It is the responsibility of you and your healthcare providers to make all decisions regarding your health. Make-ahead meals should be able to last for five or so days in the fridge. Some people cook individual portions of meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the week. To give you a better idea of what I do when I do meal plan, here’s the breakdown (and a few of the top quick + easy recipes from the blog). Shopping for Weekly Meals Decide which meals you want to prep for the week. What makes Bulletproof Coffee Beans Different? (A shopping list also has the added bonus of making your online order or trip to the grocery store faster and more efficient.)