Are you tired of spending so much time in the kitchen? Learning how to meal prep for beginners is one of the best ways to save time and money and reduce food waste.
Image from Pixabay
There never seems to be enough time in the day in today’s rush and tumble world. We get up in the morning and scurry about work all day. Then when we finally get home at night, we have barely enough time to cook, clean, and get ourselves to bed for a good night’s sleep.
However, there is a way to make better use of our time. And, that’s where learning how to meal prep for beginners comes in handy.
What is Meal Prep?
So, what exactly is meal prep? Meal prepping is basically the act of preparing meals or portions of meals ahead of them. Then, you portion them out for use later in the week, making it easier to feed your family.
Learning how to meal prep for beginners gives you a head start on things in the kitchen. Additionally, it helps you regain control of your time and what you are eating.
Meal prep can be as simple as slicing and dicing vegetables for soups or salads during the week. Or, it can also be as complicated as making full meals ahead of time.
And here’s the thing, you’ve probably been prep cooking all along and never knew it. For example, if you’ve ever packed leftovers for lunch, you have already meal prepped on a simple level.
Image by Rubbermaid Products from Flickr
And speaking of lunch, there are even special meal prep bags that make bringing your healthy choices with you a breeze.
Benefits of meal prepping
There are a variety of benefits to learning how to meal prep. For instance, meal prep is a great way to regain control of your evenings. Who wants to spend an hour or two cooking after work? Who wants to finish cleaning up just in time for bed?
With meal prep, you can grab a meal out of the fridge, and you are good to go in minutes with no fuss or muss.
Additionally, you can save money by learning how to meal prep. For example, meal prep allows you to take advantage of great prices on seasonal fruits and vegetables. You can prep them ahead of time for smoothies, soups, or salads, and freeze them for later use. You can even prep entire meals.
Meal prep also makes it easier to eat healthier food. And you can lose weight a lot easier. One of the biggest threats to healthy living is coming home tired and hungry and eating a bag of chips for dinner, or ordering junk food delivery.
Once you master how to meal prep for beginners, you always have fast meals available any time of day or night.
Basic types of meal prep
There are a number of ways to meal prep. Common meal prep methods include:
How to Meal Prep for Beginners
We covered a lot of information, and you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed. Have no fear. The good news is that learning how to meal prep is as easy as one-two-three.
First, pick a day to prep your meals. Sundays are typically a great option. You don’t have to work. Additionally, the rest of the family is around to help out if you need it. However, when learning how to meal prep for beginners, it is best to set aside a couple of days instead of prepping an entire week at one time.
Second, select the meals you want to prep. Look for meals that can easily be made ahead of time. For example, recipes that call for a lot of slicing and dicing are excellent meal prep options — additionally, select meals with ingredients that freeze or refrigerate well and reheat quickly.
Third, use proper airtight containers for storing your meals. A variety of food container sets can be purchased online that are ideal for storing individual portions or mix and match ingredients. You can also purchase BPA-free sets that are large enough to store entire meals in one container.
Image from Amazon
Last but not least, have fun.
2 Simple Meal Prep Recipes to Get You Started
Our article about learning how to meal prep for beginners would not be complete without a selection of recipes to get you started.
1. Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Burritos
Our first recipe was adapted from one found on All Recipes. This breakfast favorite recipe is ideal for making in large batches.
Ingredients
How you make it
Notes
2. Weekday Meal-Prep Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry
Our next delicious meal-prep recipe was adapted from a video posted by Tasty.
Ingredients
How you make it
Notes
What We Learned Today
We hope you enjoyed our article discussing how to meal prep for beginners. We covered a lot of information today.
Now we want to hear from you. Using the comments section below, share your experience learning how to meal prep. Additionally, let us know and tips and tricks you learned along the way.
And until we meet again, bon appétit.
Featured Image from Pixabay
