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    5 Meal Prep Secrets

    February 19, 2019 by Denise Bustard 25 Comments

    Home / Recipes / Meal Prep / 5 Meal Prep Secrets

    collage image of various food recipes with text overlay saying 5 meal prep secrets

    I found meal prep while juggling (more than) full time work and a toddler. My meals were a total mess until I found meal prep...you can read all about it here.

    With years of meal prep experience under my belt now, you can probably guess that I have made my share of mistakes. I want to share the secrets that I've learned along the way, so you don't have to make the same mistakes, too!

    Let's talk meal prep secrets!

    overhead shot of two glass meal prep containers filled with spicy tofu noodles

    1. You don't have to prep all your meals ahead

    When I started meal prepping, I was SO intimidated. On Instagram I saw everyone's neatly laid out containers, and I thought I had to prep my breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, everything.

    I thought 'I can't do that'! It looked way too complicated.

    My secret? You can start small and still feel some very big benefits from meal prep.

    • pick one meal and prep that ahead (I started with my breakfasts!)
    • chop up some veggies for a side dish this week
    • put some chicken in a freezer marinade

    I promise you, that even just spending 5-10 minutes doing one of these tasks will have you thanking yourself later in the week.

    2. You don't need to do one big meal prep session

    Another misconception is that you need to do all your meal prep at once. Well guess what? That is not how I meal prep.

    With two little kids, I definitely do not have hours to spend in the kitchen on Meal Prep Sunday.

    My secret? I don't do one big prep session. Here's how I meal prep these days:

    • when I find I have 5 minutes, I'll throw some Steel Cut Oats into the Instant Pot
    • when I'm cutting vegetables for dinner, I will chop extra and store in the fridge for later
    • or I will double up our dinner and portion out leftovers for lunches
    • I will squeeze some prep in when I have 30 minutes to spare here and there over the course of the week

    If time is an issue for you, too, check out this post I wrote on 60+ Ways To Meal Prep When You Don't Have Time!

    Some ideas:

    • Frozen Smoothie Packs
    • Rice Cauliflower to store in the fridge
    • Make a freezer crockpot meal (this African Peanut Stew is a fave right now!)

    open refrigerator with a variety of foods and glass meal prep containers

    3. You don't have to cook full meals

    When I started meal prepping, I had the impression that all meals were cooked ahead of time, but that just isn't true! For some people, the best option is to prep meal components, such as vegetables, a batch of protein or grains, or even a sauce.

    My secret? When I'm in a rush, sometimes I won't pre-cook any meals, but just prep meal components.

    Some of my favorites:

    • wash & chop kale, romaine lettuce and cabbage
    • chop cauliflower, broccoli, carrots
    • cut up veggie sticks for snacking
    • cook a batch of grains
    • cook a batch of protein to use in meals

    side view of 5 mason jars filled with ingredients for various smoothies

    4. You may already be meal prepping and you don't even know it

    Have you met leftovers? They might not sound glamorous but leftovers can be your best friend!

    Like I mentioned before, if you struggle to find the time to meal prep, why not just double or triple your dinner recipe, portion out your leftovers, and either enjoy for lunch for the rest of the week, or add freeze them to build up a freezer stash?

    If you are strategic with your leftovers, you can meal prep and barely even notice that you're doing it.

    My secret? Sometimes I don't have time to meal prep and I lean on leftovers. Here are some of my favorite meals to double up:

    • Honey Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls
    • Instant Pot Thai Curry
    • Instant Pot Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
    • Turkey Taco Lunch Bowls

    Glass jar of fruit on the bottom overnight oats sitting on wood cutting board

    5. You do not have to eat the same thing over and over again

    This is the question I hear time and time again. The best way to be efficient in the kitchen is to bulk prep, but no...you do not necessarily have to eat the same thing over and over.

    My secret? We do not eat the same thing over and over again.

    • Check out 3 Ways You Can Add Variety To Your Meal Prep!

    BONUS: The biggest benefit of meal prep is

    PEACE OF MIND! Yes, you will save money. Yes, you will eat healthier. But for me, and for so many others, the benefit is not having to think about your next meal. Not needing to worry about what you will make for dinner, or breakfast or lunch.

    Just reach into your fridge and pull it out. Ahhhh.

    My secret? I meal prep for peace of mind.

     

    I hope these secrets have helped meal prep feel a bit less intimidating! Let me know if you have any questions.

    Take care,

    About Denise Bustard

    Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

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    Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too!

    Read more about it here!

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