Meal prepping is a great way to set yourself up for success for the week, especially if you have a busy schedule on the weekdays, don’t like to cook after a long day of work, or if you normally make a separate meal for yourself and your family. Did you know that there are multiple ways to meal prep? Keep reading to see which meal prep method works best for you and your routine!
Ingredient Prep
Ingredient prepping, which is cutting or preparing vegetables, proteins, and any other ingredients that you would intend to use throughout the week, is a great method of meal prep if you don’t know where to start! If you don’t like having to cut your vegetables or weigh your raw protein out each time you go to prepare dinner, having your ingredients ready to go can help get you in the habit of prepping food for the week, without having to prep the entire meal.
When doing ingredient prep, you can wash and cut all of your vegetables for the week, and you can even pre-measure your veggies into specific portions (such as four 1 cup containers of broccoli) if needed! You can also pre-measure protein servings for the week and freeze them for when you plan to prepare them. Sauces and seasonings can be prepared ahead of time as well! And when it is time to cook, you save yourself all the preparation time and only need to worry about cooking.
Food Prep
This meal prep method is a step up from ingredient prep, where you will prepare individual food items that can be combined later on. When preparing food, preparing 2-3 protein options (i.e. chicken breast and shredded beef) and 2-4 different vegetables (i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, spaghetti squash, and zucchini), and limiting amount of seasoning besides salt, pepper, and other basic seasonings such as paprika or garlic powder.
When it comes to meal time, you would choose one protein serving and two vegetable servings for a meal and add sauces and seasonings when reheating your food. If you do want to add flavor when prepping the food, try following a similar theme of flavors, such as making fajita veggies and pairing it with shredded chicken and topping it with salsa. Using kitchen tools such as an Airfryer or Instantpot can save some time when food prepping as well!
Whole Meal Prep
When you combine both of our methods listed above, where you prep your ingredients and your food, you would be preparing whole meals, which is a great method if you are limited on time! Your meal should contain a healthy lean protein, a side of nutritious veggies, and can also incorporate things such as healthy fats, seasonings, and/or dressings
Find recipes that incorporate everything you need in a meal, such as one-pot or one-pan dishes, allowing you to get creative with cuisines! If you don’t like to eat the same thing every day, just prepare single serving portions of your recipes, and this will help limit waste as well!
Have the Prep Done for You!
Did you know that at 30/10 Weight Loss for Life we have fresh chef-prepared meals included in one of our programs? With our Lifestyle Complete program, every meal is made fresh each week, and we have a rotating menu with many different options! Learn more about what our Lifestyle Complete program has to offer by clicking here, and schedule your initial consultation by clicking on the top right hand corner!
No matter what your meal prep method is, as long as you stay on track with your goals and develop habits that support your goals, then you are on the right track!
