I'm gonna be a little over dramatic for a second here, but real talk: meal prepping changed my life. Seriously, I feel like if this skill was taught in school there would be so much less food waste, people would eat healthier, and I would finally make a profit off that tupperware stock I bought (jokes.)

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I started meal prepping when my crossfit box did a paleo nutrition challenge in November 2016. Funnily enough, it was this challenge that lead to me going vegan, but that's a story for another day. Prior to that challenge, I found it so difficult to use up fruits and veggies before they went bad and I relied on boxed or frozen pre-made convenience meals. I knew I wouldn't be able to get through the challenge without some preparation. Now meal prepping has become a habit that has saved me money, time, and decreased my food waste to nearly zero. Many people see meal prepping as only necessary when you're trying to lose weight, but when you're cooking for only one person, meal prepping can be a life saver.

 

So without any further adieu, here is my simple, easy, realistic guide to meal prepping:

 

1. Plan recipes

2. Make grocery list

3. Cook food

4. Store food

5. Done

 

Alright, alright, so there is more to it than that.

 

1. Plan out your recipes for the week

 

In the beginning, this is the step I found the most overwhelming. Pinterest, although helpful, is overloaded with recipes, my cookbooks seem to contain a million ingredients I don't have, and I'm now cooking to fit a lifestyle that omits a good amount of the food I ate and cooked growing up. BUT, the good news is that after your first few weeks, this will get easier and you will find so many different staple meals to fall back on. Of course what I eat varies week to week, but in general, this is what my recipe plan for the week usually looks like:

 

Breakfast: overnight oats or make ahead freezer burritos

Post-workout shake: greens, frozen fruit, plant-milk, and a protein source

Lunch: big salads, cold pasta bowls, or whole wheat sandwiches/wraps

Dinner: casseroles, stews, chili, stir-fries, or the classic protein + veggie + rice combo

Other snacks: vegetables dipped in hummus or vegan dressings, portioned out tortilla chips with salsa, portioned out pita chips with hummus, or popcorn.

 

This setup works for my lifestyle but this can all be adjusted depending on your work schedule, current weight goals, and just your general eating habits.

 

2. Get your groceries

 

Since recipes can often have overlapping ingredients, I like to use the AnyList app (free) to put together what I'll need for the week. This app is great because it automatically sorts your list into departments (produce, freezer, etc.) and you can add notes for every item.

 

My other tip for grocery shopping is to buy spices at discount stores (Aldis, Ocean State Job Lot, etc.) Actually, I'm a fan of buying any packaged/dry food that's on your list at discount grocery stores. Additionally, if you have items that you notice you use over-and-over again (for me it's vital wheat gluten and nutritional yeast), it is usually worth the investment to buy those items in bulk.

 

3. Make some culinary masterpieces

 

I can't lie, I'm not the best at time management in the kitchen. You would think by now I would have a pretty good system down, but I just tend to underestimate how long some things will take and I'm not the best at multitasking!

 

Some general rules I like to follow:

 

• If you are cooking rice, beans from dry, or anything in the slow cooker, get those going first.

• If you have the space, place all the dry goods you will be using out on the counter so you are not going back and forth to the pantry.

• Wash/cut/prep all your veggies before you start cooking.

• For noodles, most veggies, and baked potatoes that will be heated up again before eating, cook them about 90% during prep and let the micro do the rest of the work for you when it's time to eat.

• Make sure you do dishes BEFORE you prep, that way you're not stuck hand washing the pan you need while you're in the middle of everything.

• Having the right kitchen tools tends to make life a lot easier, but I also got through all of college without a strainer, any sort of blender, mixer, cutting board, or proper knives and I still was able to make some great stuff, so make do with what you have.

• Have a TV series or podcast that you only binge on during meal prep. It will give you something to look forward too and makes cooking more enjoyable.

• Factor in about 20-30 minutes to clean up after. Seriously there's no better start to a Monday than a fridge full of food and a spotless kitchen!

 

4. Store food

 

This to me is the easiest part, but it is by far the part I get the most questions about. And here's the answer, unless I make something in bulk (like my breakfast burritos), I store everything in the fridge. I just don't have the freezer space to keep everything there, and not everything (ie: salads) freezes well.

 

Since going plant-based I have yet to find a meal that does not keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days. Sidenote: my paleo days were a bit more challenging. I honestly have nightmares about all the dry, leftover chicken breast I ate.

 

As for containers, I'm a big fan of using mason jars for my snacks, juices, and overnight oats. I have four really big tupperwares for my giant salads/cold noodle bowls and I have a good amount of different shaped medium sized tupperwares for any odds or ends. I also use plastic bags when needed. Amazon is really great for ordering containers. I'm a big fan of the Fit and Fresh line, and these are the typical meal prep containers.

 

5. That's it!

 

Yup you're done. Literally, do not have to cook again during the week. Now how damn good does that feel?

 

But what about tracking calories/macros?

 

MyFitnessPal (MFP) is your best friend here! Using the "create a recipe" feature, I will scan each ingredient into the app as I add it into the meal. I like to use a food scale to ensure accuracy. If you're new to meal prepping, you may want to run the ingredients through MFP prior to committing to your recipes for the week. The last thing you want is to spend hours cooking only to find out at the end that you are over your daily calorie goal or not within your macros!

 

But what about the weekends?

 

So yes, as I said earlier, I keep my food in the fridge for 4-5 days. I plan my meals to last me until Friday, but sometimes I will have unexpected lunches or go out to eat with friends which leaves me a meal or two for the weekend. My weekends can be pretty unpredictable and usually not scheduled. For this reason, I have a general stock of food items around that will allow me to create quick meals that are still within my calorie goals. Some examples: frozen veggie burgers or other mock meat, frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, potatoes (seriously baked fries are my favorite), oatmeal, granola, cereal, whole wheat pasta, canned beans, and soup. Now, these might not be as nutritious or plant-based, but they are definitely not the worst foods to be eating, and at this point in time, it works for me. BUT, you do have the option of A) meal prepping for seven days on Sunday and freezing portions for the weekend.  B) doing a second, mini meal prep on Thursday night or C) wing it like I do but just have a more nutritious stock of food than me, ha!

 

And that's all folks. I hope that covered all the bases, but if you have any other questions, feel free to leave them in the comments!

 

Remember, it will take a few tries before you start figuring out the methods that work best for you. Maybe you'll prep a dish you don't like and have to throw it all out, maybe you'll prep snacks for the day and end up not eating them, or maybe you'll get bored of what you're eating and have a veggie burger for dinner instead of what you made (so guilty!) Learning a new skill and creating a new habit takes time and practice. Don't get discouraged, keep adjusting to meet your needs, and remember if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

 

xo

Courtney