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Jan 03 2020
Meal Prep 101: Meal Prepping for Beginners
Meal prepping can sound like a scary thing...new recipes and grocery shopping and prepping time, oh my! But in reality, learning how to meal prep for the week will make eating healthy a breeze.
If you’re looking to eat healthier, want to learn how to meal prep for weight loss, or you’re just looking for a simple meal prep guide, here are our best tips for how to start meal prepping and everything you need to know about meal planning for beginners.
1. Make a plan
First things first! Make a plan for how often and when you want to meal prep. Whether you want to do lunch meal prep for the week, make all of your meals for the week, or even make your breakfast smoothies for an entire month, making a plan for how you’re going to get it all done is the number one step of prepping 101.
2. Stock up on containers
You know those photos you see on social media with the beautifully stacked containers after a week’s worth of meal prepping? Now it’s your turn! Invest in high-quality meal prep Tupperware or glass containers so there’s never an excuse not to pack ahead. We find that the more we love the containers we choose, the more we enjoy the prepping—so don’t be afraid to splurge on containers you love and post about all your hard work on social!
3. Shop with a list
Now that you have a plan and all the containers you’ll need, start making a meal list. There are so many amazing simple meal prep ideas out there to make prepping easy, including some of our faves like this chicken and hummus bistro box and these fruity breakfast smoothies. Once you know what’s on the menu, make a list in a notebook or on your phone before you go to the grocery store. Shopping with a list ensures that you have everything you need and may also help prevent those unhealthy impulse buys.
4. Schedule prep time
Whether you’re all about meal prep Sunday or have a varying meal prep calendar, making meal prep an appointment on your calendar that you keep will help make sure you get it all done.
Pro Meal Prep Tip: Make the time you spend meal prepping fun! Grab a coffee or tea beforehand, turn on music or a podcast and utilize this time as self-care or alone time.
5. Change it up
Avoid getting stuck in a meal prep rut! Change up your meals by rotating in seasonal fruits and veggies, follow Pinterest or Instagram posts to get inspired and take time to learn new recipes.
What are some of your go-to meal prepping tips or recipes? Let us know in the comments!