You have probably heard this all before but meal prep is the key to eating healthy when you have a hectic life. I work and have two very small kids (even if I didn’t work outside the home, let’s be honest, I wouldn’t have time to cook every meal while chasing after my kids). When I do not meal prep, my week feels off. I always end up eating poorly and never feel good. I also feel rushed trying to figure out what to eat and then have to spend extra time every night cleaning up the kitchen. Isn’t it easier to cook once and clean once?
So healthy eating and a desire not to cook and clean has led me to meal prepping every Sunday.
Why I started to meal prep
When I started planning this post I thought back to when I started to meal prep. I realized then I have been meal prepping for 10 years. I started when I first started working a full time job and was single. I only had an hour for lunch and there was not a lot of good options to just grab lunch, so packing lunch made sense. I was also so busy after work and I liked having a meal ready for me when I got home. So, I started prepping my meals.
I then meal prepped for my then boyfriend and now husband. And now I meal prep as a working mom to two. The basics I am writing about now have not changed since I started.
Meal prepping is part of my life now and I feel like I have it down to be as quick as possible for what I need.
As a quick background on me, I eat pretty much anything but try to be healthy 75 percent of the time. I have no problem eating the same thing for a few days but try to switch it up a bit each day. I do not have any dietary restrictions. But my meal plan model can easily be dairy or gluten free. I have done both. I was dairy free for 6 months when breastfeeding my youngest. I also prepped gluten free for several months when we lived with a family member that was gluten free.
Truth- I am not much of a cook.
Also I don’t consider myself much of a cook. The fancy meals in the house come from my husband. I just want to eat right and save time during my week.
Basics of how I meal prep and what meals I prep for
I do not mean prep every meal. Which may be different than a lot of meal prep blogs and posts you see online. I can’t meal prep three meals for seven days a week. That wouldn’t work for me. My first tip is to think about how many meals you realistically want to prep for.
Breakfast
I know what to like for breakfast. And I will eat the same thing for weeks.
Breakfast is one of two things- yogurt or oatmeal. I have different toppings- like fruit or granola or even cereal. But it always the same base. These breakfasts are quick and easy to plan for and bring to the office. These are healthy breakfasts which require very little prep.
Lunch and Dinner
Lunch and dinner is what I prep for. However, I never plan a full week. I may go out for a lunch with coworkers and it is nice at the end of the week to order in dinner. I keep this in mind so I don’t end up wasting time prepping a meal or having food that goes to water. So I prep lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday.
I also stick to basic meals- meals I don’t need recipes for. So think salads, with different toppings. I will try new recipes for dinner- which generally involve a slow cooker meal.
Another key to my meal plan is I try to use the same ingredients in multiple dishes. For example, I roast cut up sweet potatoes every single week. I use the sweet potatoes in my lunch salads and my children’s lunches for the week (and even sometimes for dinner). I cook 1 ingredient- but use in multiple ways.
Stay tuned for my meal prep series to learn all about how I meal prep and what I meal prep.
Basic Tips for My Meal Plan
- Do no try to prep every single meal. Life happens, plans change. Pick a few meals to prep.
- While I love to try new recipes, at the core of my meal prep planning, I stick to meals that I do not need a recipe to make. Think- salads or simple slow cooker meals. This saves time.
- Use ingredients in multiple ways. Prep an ingredient once, but use in multiple ways.
Stay tuned for my meal prep series to learn all about how I meal prep and what I meal prep.
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