Newbie Meal Prep Concepts, Recipes and Ideas

Meal prep is the observe of making ready the important thing components of a dish (suppose: grains, roasted veggies, cooked protein, and so forth.) and even your complete recipe earlier than you intend to eat it. This sensible meal planning technique provides you a head begin on the week, typically resulting in sooner, more healthy, stress-free consuming. Studying tips on how to meal prep will significantly change your weeknight dinner recreation, since it may prevent a whole lot of time in these treasured (generally hectic!) post-work hours and be certain that you’re getting a nutritious choice on the desk very quickly. Let’s dive in, lets?

How do I prep my meals for the week?

There are just a few alternative ways to meal prep, however principally, all of the meals preparation strategies contain organizing the meals in your fridge in a method that makes for straightforward, make-ahead meals or simpler breakfasts, lunches and dinners — whether or not that is simply chopping or slicing meals or truly cooking it. There is no one method to do it, however three widespread strategies embody:

What are the advantages of meal prepping?

Meal prepping can prevent time on busy weeknights (and cash in your grocery invoice!) by prepping meals on the weekends and minimizing waste. It is also simpler to eat wholesome meals because the menu will get set upfront. You are much less seemingly to decide on a not-so-great choice when you have already got a wholesome dinner at residence, able to go.

Is there any draw back to meal prepping?

Since meal prepping can contain consuming the identical dish or kinds of meals just a few days in a row, it is not for individuals who prize selection and freshness above all else. Getting youngsters on board with consuming “leftovers” also can pose a problem, particularly for those who’re making lodging for various dietary restrictions or palettes. To keep away from monotony, use totally different spices, dressings or condiments in your dishes or freeze a few of your prepped meals to function in meals for a future week.

Okay! I’m prepared — how do I begin meal prepping?

Refill on reusable, hermetic meals storage containers that may assist your ready components or meals keep contemporary by locking micro organism and odors out.

After you have your meal-prepping gear, it’s possible you’ll need to obtain a meal prep app that may assist hold your plan organized and make procuring and cooking a snap by curating recipes and grocery lists for you. Do not fret for those who’re not into the tech-based resolution: A pen and paper additionally work for planning out your week.

All set? The following step is selecting your recipes. Earlier than you do, contemplate these 4 issues:

1. Select only one mealtime you would like to arrange for — both fast breakfasts, lunches or wholesome dinners. Hold it easy by beginning with one you often eat out or skip altogether.
2. Decide a day to do your meal prepping. Sunday and Wednesday are two widespread selections.
3. Decide how a lot you need to prep. Experiment with prepping for 2 or three days earlier than trying 5. You could not like consuming the identical factor the entire week.
4. Spend money on a cookbook. Good Housekeeping’s Simple Meal Prep: The Final Playbook for Make-Forward Meals comes with over 100 wholesome make-ahead recipes, in addition to ideas and strategies to make meal prepping a breeze.
5. Decide up a meal prep planner. Our Weekly Meal Prep Planner contains tear-off grocery lists and 52 weeks of meal prep inspo and organizational instruments.

For those who’re trying to ramp up your nutrient consumption, make veggies or fruit not less than 50% of no matter you’re prepping. They do not essentially have to return from the precise produce part: Frozen or canned varieties will final nearly ceaselessly and work in almost each meal.

The perfect meals for meal prepping:

• Frozen greens: Freezer finds are already washed, chopped and able to be roasted, steamed or sautéed.
• Starchy greens: Potatoes and different root greens are wholesome, filling, and can last more in your fridge than extra delicate cooked veggies.
• Stiff contemporary greens: Celery, carrots, bell peppers, radish and different crunchy veggies make scrumptious meal-prep snacks on their very own or dipped in hummus.
• Sturdy greens: Hearty leaves like spinach and kale will last more in your fridge than softer lettuces. Hold them washed and dried however wait to decorate them till simply earlier than serving.
• Entire grains: Oats, quinoa, barley and buckwheat are tasty for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
• Pulses: Chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas add quick, plant-based protein to any meal.
• Lean protein: For vegetarian protein, replenish on eggs, unsweetened Greek yogurt, skyr, reduced-sodium cottage cheese or tofu. Fish and meat eaters can supply frozen or canned seafood, lean cuts of hen, turkey, beef and pork.
• Entire fruits: Relying on what’s in season close to you, search for apples, bananas, oranges, clementines, plums, peaches, pears, berries and extra.
• Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and flax seeds not solely add a burst of vitamins, but additionally a pleasant crunch.

Save this trusty procuring listing in your subsequent journey to the grocery retailer:

The perfect meals for meal prepping: frozen greens, stiff contemporary greens, pulses, complete fruits, starchy greens, complete grains, lean protein, nuts and seeds.

Need assistance with recipe inspiration? We have got you coated:

Greatest meal prep recipes for breakfast:

Breakfast is crucial meal of the day, so it is a good one to select whenever you’re selecting which meals to prep. You need to be certain that your meal is gentle, but additionally has good carbs, fiber and protein.

Greatest meal prep recipes for lunch:

Salads and soups are something however boring whenever you take the time to customise them to your liking. No matter what you choose, deal with lean protein, wholesome carbs and veggies.

Inexperienced Goddess Sandwiches

Refrigerate boiled eggs of their shells for as much as one week. Use them to make these veggie-packed sandwiches!

Get Sandwich Recipe

Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup

Prep and retailer the soup and the couscous individually. When able to eat, prime the soup with the fluffy grains and revel in!

Get Soup Recipe

Sesame Steak Noodle Bowl

Hold spiralized veggies, like carrots, readily available so as to add to your whole favourite noodle dishes.

Get Noodle Bowl Recipe

Greatest meal prep recipes for dinner:

Add a number of colour to your plate by loading up on all kinds of greens, together with broccoli, peppers and tomatoes, however go lighter on the carbs and grains.

Greatest meal prep recipes for snacks:

Put a wholesome spin in your childhood favorites when the afternoon hunch hits. Commerce peanut butter for almond butter and tacky popcorn for candy matcha.

How lengthy will meal prepped meals final?

Ready meals can stay refrigerated for two–5 days or frozen for 3–4 months, relying on the components. To play it protected and keep away from foodborne sickness, hold meals out of the “hazard zone” — temperatures between 40°F and 140°F. Sealing meals in hermetic packaging or storage containers won’t solely hold micro organism out, but additionally defend the flavour, lock moisture in and assist stop freezer burn.

Contributing Author

Caroline is a author and editor with nearly a decade of expertise. From 2015 to 2019, she held varied editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, together with as well being editor, masking diet, health, wellness, and different way of life information. She’s a graduate of the Medill Faculty of Journalism and goals of the day Northwestern will return to the Rose Bowl.  

Assistant Editor

Samantha (she/her) is an Assistant Editor within the Good Housekeeping Take a look at Kitchen, the place she writes about tasty recipes, must-try meals merchandise and top-tested secrets and techniques for residence cooking success. She has taste-tasted a whole bunch of merchandise and recipes since becoming a member of GH in 2020 (robust job!). A graduate of Fordham College, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.