The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Weekly Meal Prep

You’re busy, I’m busy, we’re all busy, but that shouldn’t stop us from eating healthy. So, how exactly do we get all of those veggies and essential nutrients into our diet when we’re constantly on the go? Two words: meal prep.

 “When it comes to mealtime, the better you plan, the better you do,” says Brian Wansink, author of Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life. Rather than succumbing to the allure of convenient high-calorie foods because you need to scarf down something in between meetings, meal prepping allows you to make healthy choices in those moments when you’re lacking both the time and motivation to find nutritious eats. Plus, pre-planning delicious homemade meals helps with portion control and weight loss, takes the stress of out cooking and, most importantly, saves time, which means you have no excuse not to squeeze in an extra workout.

How to Meal Prep

If planning and preparing a week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks sounds a bit daunting, follow these 4 expert tips on how to meal prep for a healthy week.

1. Start Slowly

Getting into the habit of planning all your meals ahead of time can take some adjusting to, so I suggest starting slowly to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Prepare a few days’ worth of meals at first, and then gradually build your way up to prepping for an entire week.

2. Stick with Staples

There are two ways to go about meal prepping: 1) arranging all your meals for the entire week or 2) prepping food staples that can go into any meal. Personally, I prefer the latter because I love variety in my diet. Instead of eating the same boring grilled chicken with quinoa and green beans every day, I dice a few pieces of chicken breasts and use this simple ingredient to create a multitude of meals throughout the week. Eggs, zucchini, noodles and mixed berries are a few of my favourite meal prep staples. If properly stored in a sealed container or plastic bag, foods chopped in bulk can stay fresh for up to a week when refrigerated.

3. Meal Prep A.S.A.P

It may sound difficult, but as soon as you get home from the grocery store start planning, slicing and cooking. Once the groceries go into the fridge, and you crash on the couch to catch-up on last night’s episode of Game of Thrones, the chances of you meal prepping declines. (After getting some much needed “me time,” the last thing on your mind is chopping vegetables.) Make sure to arrange all of your meals A.S.AP, or your newly acquired meal prepping habit may fall by the wayside.

4. Eat With Your Eyes  

Humans are visual creatures, which means that appearance plays a large part in whether we’re going to eat what’s on our plate. When meal prepping, it’s best to avoid fruits and vegetables that oxidize quickly. Food that has started to brown is less than appealing and can send you running back to fast food in an instant.

Let's Get Started

Now that you’ve gotten the gist of meal prepping, break out the Tupperware and start prepping! Here are 3 fast and tasty meal prep ideas to try now:

Mason Jar Salads

If you avoid bringing salads to work because you think they’re going to get soggy, think again. Jarred salads are the best (and most appealing) way to eat a homemade salad outside of the home. Put the dressing at the bottom of the jar, layer with a grain or a chunky ingredient (i.e., chopped strawberries), add the fixings (i.e., nuts, cheese etc.), and then top it off with hearty leafy greens. Voilà! The perfect Mason jar salad. Photo and recipe by: Cassie / Back to Her Roots

 Protein Power Balls

Everyone knows that getting some protein into your body after a tough workout is vital, which is why so many reach of protein bars. Those handy energy boosters may seem like a good idea, but upon closer inspection, protein bars may actually ruin all of the hard work that you put in during your workout. Some popular bars contain over 400 calories and 28 grams of sugar, which is more than a Snickers bar. Avoid the unnecessary calories by making a batch of protein balls for when you need a post-workout pick-me-up. Photo and recipe by: Lee Hersh / Life by DailyBurn

Muffin Tin Breakfast Frittatas

Who doesn’t love a good frittata? They’re perfectly golden brown, fluffy and quite fancy sounding (say it with me: frittata). You can have this delectable breakfast treat every morning by batch cooking. Instead of making one frittata a day, use an ordinary muffin tin to bake multiple pintsized frittatas. When refrigerated, they can stay fresh for about 4 to 5 days. Photo and recipe by: Kendra Montgomery / Full Fork Ahead

Photo Cred: Lindsay, courtesy of Pinch of Yum / Ali, courtesy of Inspiralized / Denise, courtesy of Sweet Peas and Saffron