I’ve meal prepped for just about 6 years, and found that it helps keep me motivated to stick to my healthy eating habits throughout the week. It doesn’t have to be complicated! Even cutting up some vegetables, and fruits makes the world of a difference. I find that it really saves so much time since as for me- I’m busy working from home all week.
I felt that this was the perfect opportunity to share different ways that you could meal prep at home. The beautiful thing here is that you can customize this whichever way you’d like.
A couple of tips to help you get started (not required but highly recommended):
- Create a grocery list of the food you’ll need. This helps minimize waste.
- Make sure you have plenty of clean, air tight containers or zip lock bags
- Once you have all your ingredients create a quick strategy such as cooking/ baking what ever takes the longest to cook first. That way we use time wisely.
- Make sure you have plenty of storage in the fridge or freezer. I have a tiny fridge/freezer so I have to make sure I make plenty of space.
Meal prepping in bulk:
This method of meal prepping is my current FAVORITE. Why? because it takes no time at all and it still allows me to eat what I want- just with healthier choices. If I feel like making a salad, I throw it all together. If I feel like eating a sandwich, I throw it all together in my sandwich, pasta, etc. You catch my drift, right? It’s so easy.
- GRILLED VEGETABLES: asparagus, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant etc.
- The char these veggies get from the grill gives them so much flavor in bowls, sautes, scrambles, soups, salads, and pizzas. I like to slice em up, coat them with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then throw them on the grill for about 6-8 minutes until they get nice grill marks. I then transfer them into my airtight container and they keep well in the fridge 4-5 days.
- ROASTED VEGETABLES: potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli.
- I drizzle some olive oil, top potatoes with salt & pepper, and roast them in the oven at 450 for about 30 minutes. Broccoli is seasoned the same, but takes about 15-20 minutes (keep an eye on those).
- GRILLED CHICKEN
- I like to marinate the chicken breast overnight with lemon, minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil. If I don’t have time to marinate overnight, I marinate at least 30 minutes then I grill them up about 8 minutes per side or until the temperature reaches about 165 degrees F.
- FRESH FRUIT: sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
- A great way to clean your berries is by putting all of them in a big bowl, covering them with cold water and 1 tsp or so of apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar (not too much) and letting them sit for up to 5 minutes. No more – or else they’ll get soggy. Drain them, dry them up with a cloth or paper towel just a little bit, then transfer them into an airtight container and put them in the fridge.
- It makes it so easy to just grab these clean berries, put them in cereal, oatmeal, or just as a quick snack!
- FRESH VEGETABLES: cut celery, cucumber, carrots
- I typically just cut the ends off of celery hearts, peel cucumbers and slice them into coins or strips, and rinse them along with the celery and baby carrots and place in airtight containers and put them in the fridge.
- They make such a great snack with hummus, or guacamole!
- BAKED GOODS: Healthy muffins, donuts, snack balls/bars
- I make baked goods every week, or every couple weeks to make sure I satisfy my sweet tooth 🙂 I have a few recipes on the blog you can check out!
- They are excellent for a snack, dessert, or breakfast.
- GRAINS/LEGUMES: cooked quinoa, brown rice, black beans, lentils, chickpeas
- Cooked grains are amazing in burrito bowls, buddha bowls, or in a saute. I even add them to salads to add a bit of satiety.
- Cauliflower rice is also an amazing alternative even though it’s not considered a grain/legume but rather…a veggie!
- SAUCES/DIPS/SPREADS: guacamole, tahini sauce, pesto, peanut sauce, hummus
- Store bought hummus is excellent, but sometimes I like to switch it up and make my own sauces like my avocado sauce. I put this on everything! This is a great way to add flavor to your veggies, or dishes.
- EGGS: Hard boiled eggs, frittatas, egg muffins
- I find eggs to be such an essential source of protein! To make perfectly hard boil eggs, fill your pot with water and leave about 3 inches of space, bring the water to a boil, then carefully place the eggs into the pot and boil on high for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, drain the eggs, and run them in cold water or an ice bath until cool enough to peel. Peel them up, then store them in airtight containers. It’s an amazing snack, breakfast, or amazing in my tuna salad recipe!
- Check out my this Kale Frittata you can make ahead and store in the fridge 4-5 days! Just warm up in the microwave or oven until it’s warm and delicious.
- Egg muffins are also delicious for a quick grab and go breakfast! Just spray muffin tins with cooking oil, beat eggs with some milk, and pour into muffin tins, sprinkle cooked bacon, turkey, or sausage, and cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 16-20 minutes and ta-da! Let them cool, then store them in the fridge 4-5 days.
I hope you found these meal prep ideas super helpful! Sometimes I do more, sometimes I do less. This just gives you an idea of how much you can do for the week ahead. It saves so much time, and you’re able to customize the meals as much as you want.
Cheers!
-Hilda ❤
Mountain Munch 