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How to Meal Prep (with Tips and Tricks)

Feb 21, 2017 · 12 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links, please see my privacy policy for details.

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.)

The best meal prep tips and tricksMeal 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.

The only way to meal prep {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.

The best recipes for meal prepping {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!)

The best ideas for recipes to meal prep{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.

The most amazing meal prep recipes{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.

The best way to meal prepTip #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.

The best recipes to meal prep{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.

The top tricks and tips for meal prepping {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!

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Blog Posts how to meal prep, Meal prep, meal prep recipes, meal prep tips and tricks

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Little Cooking Tips says

    March 1, 2017 at 3:02 am

    Excellent tips Phi! We’re very similar you and I. Panos often smiles with my lists, charts and planning/scheduling:) We do count the weekday meals and check out which recipe we’ll be cooking trough the week, so on Saturday morning, we put the things we’ll need in an shopping app and off we go to the super market, the butcher and rest of the stores:)
    Great post dear. Kudos!
    xoxoxo

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      March 1, 2017 at 8:25 am

      I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one, Nick smiles at my lists too lol.
      I love that you go to a bunch of different stores, here we have one big store but I love little ones like I imagine you have.
      Have a great week
      xoxoxoxoxo
      Phi

      Reply
  2. Jess says

    February 26, 2017 at 6:04 am

    Genius post and incredibly helpful! I’ll be referring to this a lot! Meal prepping definitely helps me stay on track but I have yet to perfect it!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      February 27, 2017 at 12:43 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the post Jess! Meal prep is literally one of the only ways I can survive the week and have something to eat in my fridge lol.

      Reply
  3. Marina says

    February 23, 2017 at 11:05 am

    This is so great, Phi! I would say I’m a “pseudo meal planner” because right now I just cook for myself. However, after graduation I’ll be meal planning for my boyfriend and I. He specifically asked, “can we do that meal prep thing you do?” 😉 I’m sure he’ll love these tips!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      February 27, 2017 at 12:53 pm

      AW, that’s so cute that your bf said ‘can we do that meal prep thing’!! I totally get how meal planning for one is really hard/unrealistic because chances are you’ll have leftovers no matter what you’re cooking, I know i always did! 🙂 Thank you so much for reading and commenting 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sues says

    February 21, 2017 at 9:57 pm

    Great tips!! I’m getting really good at meal planning, but not so great at meal prepping. As long as I have a solid plan of what I’m going to make and all the ingredients, I’ve been pretty good about actually cooking it when I get home (mosssst of the time!). Love these recipe ideas, too 🙂

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      February 27, 2017 at 12:56 pm

      I’m right there with you – planning and executing are two different things lol! Before being pregnant I feel like it was never an issue to cook what I had on my plan, but now I find can only pick about 2 meals and one snack to make for the week that i’ll actually cook, more than that and I 1-get too tired cooking and give up 2-get tired of the food and don’t eat it lol. Meal planning is definitely so individual, you have to do what works for you is what I always tell people, glad to hear i’m not the only one who struggles a little sometimes 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Work Snacks Recipe Roundup - Sweetphi says:
    February 11, 2020 at 8:50 pm

    […] How to Meal Prep (with Tips and Tricks) […]

    Reply
  2. Freezer Meal - Chicken Enchilada Casserole - Sweetphi says:
    May 1, 2019 at 10:02 am

    […] post that I also wanted to share is this guide to meal prep.  If you haven’t started your meal prep journey yet or are dabbling with the idea, read […]

    Reply
  3. 5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Pretzel Energy Bites - Sweetphi says:
    January 12, 2018 at 8:19 am

    […] I’m meal prepping, I love making a batch of energy bites for the week ahead. As I was looking at what was in my […]

    Reply
  4. Toast Recipe + Faves & Life Lately -6 - Sweetphi says:
    March 3, 2017 at 5:52 am

    […] terms of other food faves, meal prepping has really been a life saver, and this post about how to meal prep is truly one of my favorites I’ve ever […]

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Welcome to the SweetPhi blog, I’m Phi! I live in Milwaukee, WI. I’m a busy working mom (and cookbook author x2) to boy-girl twins and a toddler.

I am all about helping make mealtime a little easier and sharing inspiration for those with a busy lifestyle!

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The twins have been picking out their own outfits, The twins have been picking out their own outfits, weird pantry ingredients that turned into an amazing meal (ever heard of “knödel and more on this weeks’ Catching Up With The Kelnhofers
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P.s.- Frankie’s cute vegetable dress is from @blackbearboutique 
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Want to hear the horrible thing that happened in m Want to hear the horrible thing that happened in my house this week? 🎻 
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First, I ran out of coffee beans 😳😩😢
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Then, as I was washing dishes late at night, my French press slipped through my hands and shattered 🙀😭😫
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I just kept repeating a German phrase my mom used to say “sherben bringen Glück” which means “shards bring luck” (it’s usually applied to like porcelain- which is why plates and mugs are thrown on the ground ahead of weddings... but my mom would apply it to glass/plates/whatever broke) 
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So...I’m going to go ahead and make some sweet cream, bust out my old coffee machine until the new French press arrives <-because apparently now I’m someone who makes French press coffee every morning! 
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I’m going to drink my coffee and make my meal plan and shopping list for the week ahead (if you need some inspo the latest free meal plan and which has the ability to create a shooting list with the click of a button is live on the blog! 
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How are you spending your weekend?
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Clickable link in profile 👉🏻 https://sweetphi.com/weekly-meal-plan-3-1-3-7/
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#mealplanning #coffee #coffeelover #sweetphiblog #easyrecipes #easymealideas #recipes #icedcoffee #coffeecreamer #sweetcream #breakfast #brunch 
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What would you dip in this pimento cheese spread f What would you dip in this pimento cheese spread first? 
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❤️ crackers
🧡 veggies 
💛 fries
💚 chips 
💙 pretzels
💜 a cheeseburger <- so good
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Recipe here: https://sweetphi.com/5-ingredient-pimento-cheese-spread/
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Did you know? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Today i Did you know? 
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Today is #NationalChiliDay !!
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So to celebrate I’m sharing this crazy delicious vegetarian vegan chili!!
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This Instant Pot vegetarian chili (eggplant chili) is definitely going to be you make regularly. 🍅🧅
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It’s full of vegetables and healthy ingredients, plus it makes a generous batch; perfect for leftovers!
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I love serving this with cornbread and avocado as a topping and you can also add sour cream or Greek yogurt.🥑
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Clickable link in profile or 👉🏻 https://sweetphi.com/instant-pot-vegetarian-chili
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Wanna know a secret? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ P Wanna know a secret?
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Perfectly baked salmon is only 22 minutes away!
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This is my go-to baked salmon recipe. 
1 Lb Center Cut Salmon about 16 oz
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
1 Tbs Mediterranean Sea Salt (or spice mix of your choice)
1/2 Lemon sliced and slices halved
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Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, let rest for 2 minutes, enjoy!
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Clickable link in profile or 👉🏻 https://sweetphi.com/perfectly-baked-salmon-recipe/
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Are you team ♥️ anchovies, or team 🤢 anchov Are you team ♥️ anchovies, or team 🤢 anchovies? 
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I used to be 🤢 
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They sounded kinda gross if you asked me. Canned fish? No thank you. 
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Then I was part of a cookbook club (remember social activities.. 😭) and I cooked a recipe with anchovy breadcrumbs. It completely changed my perspective and thoughts on them as an ingredient. 
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Now whenever I encounter someone who is team ♥️ I rave and rave at them about miraculous anchovy breadcrumbs. 
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They’re awesome on roasted cauliflower or on pasta 😘
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So I gotta know? Are you team anchovies ♥️ or 🤢?!? 
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Head on over to the blog (clicakable link in profile) to read more https://sweetphi.com/what-to-make-with-anchovies-and-anchovy-breadcrumbs-recipe/
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#anchovies #anchovy #breadcrumbs #anchovyrecipe  #easyrecipe  #easyrecipes #cookbookclub #foodblogger #milwaukeeblogger #sweetphiblog #seafood #sides #cauliflower #seafoodrecipes
If you have a sweet potato, a can of black beans a If you have a sweet potato, a can of black beans and some simple pantry staples, then you can make these burgers!
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These easy weeknight sweet potato burgers are done in 20 minutes, and are SO delicious.
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Clickable link in profile 👉🏻 https://sweetphi.com/easy-weeknight-sweet-potato-burger-recipe/
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#meatlessmonday  #sweetphiblog #dinner #dinnerideas #dinnerrecipes #recipes #easydinnerideas #burgers  #vegetarianrecipe #sweetpotatoburger #easydinnerrecipe #mainmeal  #healthy #mainmealrecipes #familydinner #veggieburger #sweetpotatorecipes #foodblogger #instafood  #easyrecipe #meatlessrecipe  #workingmom #healthyrecipe #foodblogeats  #sweetpotato #recipedeveloper #blackbeans #🍠 #toddlermealideas
Reading material in moms office 😍
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We’ve been loving new cookbooks and lots of family time and delicious food on this weeks’ Catching Up With Th Kelnhofers 
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👉🏻 https://sweetphi.com/catching-up-with-the-kelnhofers-80/
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