The BEST Meal Prep Tricks, Tips & Tools
As the weekend melts away and Monday morning inches closer and closer, you might come down with a case of the Sunday Scaries. It’s totally normal to get a little stressed out when thinking about the upcoming week. It doesn’t help that we put a crazy amount of pressure on Sundays to be our most productive day of the week. We’re supposed to clean, do laundry, perform an elaborate self care routine, and meal prep. Easy, right?
In particular, preparing all your meals for the week in one shot can feel like a massive undertaking. While it might be overwhelming at first, but doing the work on a Sunday (or whatever day works best for you) can eliminate the stress of not knowing what to eat or not having time to cook during the week. For many people, meal prep is the key to eating healthy and consistently hitting your macros. Here are the best tips for mastering meal prep and making your Sundays a lot less scary.
Mastering the Food Scale
Since “a handful” is not an accurate form of measurement, a food scale will be your meal prep bestie. In order to accurately count your macros, you should use the weight of food over measuring cups and spoons. A food scale will also help you identify true portion sizes (which can be a real shock).
Raw Weight vs. Cooked Weight: Always measure the food when it is raw. During cooking, food either absorbs water OR water evaporates from the food. This means cooking will change the weight of the food on the scale.
Tare Button: Not a math person? Most food scales have a “tare” button. This feature allows you to measure the weight of your bowl or container and will automatically subtract this weight after you add your ingredients.
Make a Plan: If you’re a new prepper, start by scheduling time to map out what you want to eat for the week. Stick with simple recipes that you a) know how to make and b) will eat. Make a grocery list and stick to it.
Find Your Go-To Basics: Create a list of go-to basics you can easily make at one time. For example, cooked grains like quinoa and brown rice will hold up well in the fridge. You can also hard boil a bunch of eggs and store them in the refrigerator for a week.
Use the Freezer: Sadly, the food you prepped on Sunday might not be as tasty come Friday. Trying to keep 3 days worth of meals in the refrigerator and freeze the rest. Pro Freezer Tip: Defrost your meals the night before to cut down on microwaving time.
Start with Protein: Overwhelmed? Start by prepping just the protein portion of your meals. It can be notoriously hard to hit your protein macros, so plan this portion in advance. Cook up a large portion of chicken or tofu and then get creative by making different sides come dinner time.
Find the Right Containers: Pick the material and size that works best for your lifestyle. If you plan to heat the meals up in the container, you’ll want to opt for glass or BPA-free plastic. Freezing your meals? You’ll want to make sure the containers are air-tight to avoid freezer burn that might affect how the food tastes. Hate when your food mixes together? Find an option with dividers. Will a fridge of mismatching containers drive you bonkers? Invest in stackable, color coordinated container set.
Switch Things Up: Are you one of those people that dreads eating the same thing over and over? Well, you can still meal prep. Keep some ingredients separate and use them in different ways. Roasted vegetables can be a side dish one day and used as a salad topper the next day. When prepping, you can keep flavors simple and each day switch it up with different sauces or spices.
Implement these tips and you’ll be a meal prep pro in no time!
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