How to Meal Prep (with Tips and Tricks)

Meal prep is one of those necessary evils for me!  It takes a lot of planning on the front end, but you can reap the benefits all week long!  After many Sundays spent trying to perfect the science of meal prep, I’ve found a handful of recipes that just work better than others to stay in the refrigerator or freezer all week long, so today I’m sharing how to meal prep, along with tips and tricks (and my favorite products to use.)

Meal prepping is how I survive the week. I don’t know what happens with my brain, but it goes blank in terms of creativity and ‘what should I make for dinner?’ by the end of the work day Monday. If I don’t have something that’s pretty much ready to go (aka meal prepped), we’ll end up having either carry out or something random – brinner for the umpteenth time. There are not a lot of carry out or delivery options around us, so meal prepping is literally one of the only things that works for me.

{In the above picture – vegetable frittata, shrimp cauliflower fried ‘rice’, oatmeal cookie energy bites}

One of my favorite reasons to meal prep is that it helps me stay healthier.  It really is awesome to be able to take a container of homemade food out of the fridge to take for lunch or have for dinner. Not only is it healthier (you know exactly what’s going in to the food you make and eat), but it tastes so much better than say, a frozen dinner or quick takeout.  Also, packing a lunch automatically guarantees portion control. You’re stuck at the office so you can’t go back for that second (or third) helping like you might be tempted to do at home.

{In the above picture: Slow cooker Greek chicken and vegetables, veggie lasagna, 5 ingredient flank steak and charred corn salad, oatmeal cookie energy bites}

Tip #1 – Plan ahead. Planning is ESSENTIAL when it comes to meal prep.  This ensures that you don’t just go to the store and pick up random items along the way.  Well, I guess you could, but you’d waste a lot of time and likely come home frustrated when you realize you don’t have the ingredients to even make one full meal (that’s happened to the best of us, but planning really helps!)

{In the photo above: slow cooker beef and sweet potato stew and chicken stir fry soba noodle bowls}

First, I look at mine and Nick’s schedule for the week.  This is an important part in planning your meals because you’ll need to know how many dinners and lunches you’ll need to prepare.  Maybe you have a lunch meeting on Wednesday and your husband has dinner plans with friends on Friday and you’re going out on a date night Saturday.  That’s three less meals to prep for that week.

{In the above photo: turkey meatloaf and roasted vegetables and 5 ingredient salsa chicken and quinoa}

Tip # 2 – Make a menu. Once you’ve ironed out how many meals are needed, you can start looking at recipes.  A few of my favorites are:

Breakfast:

• 5 ingredient vegetable frittata
• Quick and healthy breakfast cookies

Mains (lunch & dinner)

• One pot Thai shrimp and quinoa
• Veggie lasagna
• The best ground turkey tacos
• Slow cooker beef and sweet potato stew
• Chicken stir fry soba noodle bowls
• Ground turkey, zucchini and kale lasagna
• The whole bowl with tali sauce
• Turkey meatloaf and roasted vegetables
• Slow cooker Greek chicken and vegetables
• 5 ingredient flank steak and charred corn salad
• Shrimp cauliflower fried “rice”
• 5 ingredient healthy pasta
• Roasted vegetables with chicken and turkey sausage
• 5 ingredient curry chicken over cauliflower “rice”
• Ginger teriyaki salmon with green beans

Snacks:

• 5 ingredient peanut butter pretzel energy bites
• 5 ingredient no bake oatmeal cookie energy bites
• Homemade Wisconsin trail mix
• Peanut butter chocolate chip granola bars
• No bake coconut date energy bites

In the past I’ve bought meal prep calendars (here and here are two of my favorites) but honestly, what works for me is just making a list that I tack up on my fridge that lists the meals I’m making and that I’ll have in the fridge. I feel this way doesn’t lock me into a specific day, so that if I’m feeling like a pasta dish instead of a rice dish, it doesn’t mess up my calendar.

Tip #3- Shopping for ingredients. So, this tip is all about prepping for that grocery store trip before a day of meal prep.  I like to do all of my meal prep on Sunday afternoons…which means, I need all of my groceries in the house before then.  To make sure I am prepared for the day, I spend my Saturday mornings picking recipes to make for the week.  I like this routine because it allows for me to enjoy a cup of tea/coffee and plan before the madness of the day begins. After I figure out what meals I’m making, I then make a list of all the ingredients I need.

Meal planning helps your budget, because you’re not buying unnecessary things.

{In the above photo: grilled chicken and peppers, tzatziki sauce, brown rice and black beans}

Tip #4 – Cooking and storing food. The culmination of my meal prep – cooking and storing. Yes, the cooking takes a little time, but it’s oh-so-worth-it!! Then comes the ever-so-important container battle.  I’ve had so many friends talk about how annoyed they are that they just don’t have the right container to pack all of these meals in.

{In the photo above: ground turkey tacos, and banh mi rice bowls that I mentioned in this post}
If you’re short on space, use Ziploc bags.  Be sure to lay them flat in the freezer so they take up less space when frozen and are much easier to stack.

Here’s my #1 tip: get good Tupperware (I love this set)!

If it’s a hot dish that will need to be re-heated, pack it in a glass container (like these or these) so you don’t have to microwave in plastic (because my plastic containers always seem to get stained). Also, these glass mixing bowls with lids are awesome, I use them for cooking and storing all the time!

Other posts you might enjoy:

• Meal Prep Breakfast: Miso Butter and Egg Toast
• 5 Ingredient Healthy Pasta for Meal Prep Lunches
• Freezer Meal – Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I’d love to know, do you meal prep? Do you have any favorite recipes or tips? Tag me on Instagram, @philiakelnhofer and let me know!