How to Perform Basic Meal Prep

Sometimes all you gotta do is start. Meal prep is all about making a plan and honoring it!

With practice, you can save time, energy and money just by preparing some meals at home.

Getting Started:

First, it’s best to start with a solid grocery list. I love to use Instacart because it saves time and I can order groceries from multiple stores without leaving my house.

Seems like a small convenience, but I can use that hour to workout, do laundry or any of the other unpaid laborious things that need to be done in the house lol. 

A few staples that I get often are peppers, onions, garlic, tomato, and broccoli. And of course the protein I plan on preparing for the week. I tend to go for chicken- either thighs or a whole chicken as well as shrimp, fish, and a ground turkey.

Heat It Up:

Preheat the oven to 400℉ while you unpack the groceries and clean them off!

I love to roast my veggies on a flat sheet and the chicken can be cooked at the same time in the oven. This saves so much time. 

Be sure to space your items on the sheet or in the baking dish so that they cook evenly (larger pieces to the center)!

This will take 20-40 minutes depending on the thickness of your cuts!

I tend to cook my rice on the stove, but I do love a good rice cooker. I usually make enough rice for at least 3 days for me and my hubby.

Next a good veggie stir fry on the stove can be cooked while the chicken and roasted vegetables are in the oven. 

In a shallow pan, on Medium-high heat use your cooking oil/fat of choice to coat the pan and then add your veggies. Guess what, this should take the same amount of time as your oven goods- probably less!

Broccoli, Bok choy, and other crunchy veggies hold up well when you reheat. Shrimp or ground turkey also cook very quickly so can make for simple meal prep.

 Lastly, don’t be afraid to season your food with fresh herbs and salt free seasonings. 

My favorites are: 

There are a lot of good one’s out there now, so don’t make it super bland just because you think it’s healthy.

Cool Off:

 Separate your meals in containers and make sure you measure the correct amount of protein to carb ratio that fits your fitness goals. 

Making at least 4-8 meals in one cooking session can really help the rest of your week fall right into place and set you up for success!