Beginner’s Guide To Meal Prep
“With a busy schedule, it’s often hard to cook to cook every single day, and to be honest there are times when I’d rather be doing something else.”
Over the years, I’ve been listening to patients tell me how sticking to weight loss plan is hard because it takes up so much time and I don’t have much time when working and raising a family.
So this made me think, how do I manage to have a healthy diet while working full-time and raising a family of 4 kids. My secret is meal prep. With a busy schedule, it’s often hard to cook to cook every single day, and to be honest there are times when I’d rather be doing something else. But I found by committing to meal prep once a week, not only do I save valuable time during the week, I also save money and reduce food waste. Plus I have a nutritious meal ready in a matter of minutes everyday.
So what do you need to do to jump on the meal prep train?
Meal prep is short for meal preparation and it is the process of planning and preparing meals ahead of time. You can meal prep a day ahead or take a day to prepare your lunch or dinner for an entire week. So how do you get started?
1. Make a meal plan
Firstly you need to design a solid plan. Ask one of our dietitians to help design one for you. Just take it one step at time, with a simple meal you love and that you know is healthy and then work your way up from there.
2. Make a shopping list
Write down all the meals you are planning on having for the next few days, sticking to recipes and meals you can easily make. Then list all the ingredients you will need and how much and then go shopping (or save time by ordering online)
3. Set a day or time to do your prep
Set aside a day to get all your meal prep done - for me it’s Sunday while I binge watch a tv series.
4. Get some containers
Make sure you have great containers to store your meals in. You want your meals to keep fresh and look as good as if you had just cooked it. My favourite containers are glass but as long as your container is suitable for the freezer and / or microwave, any container will do.
And that’s it. Simplicity is the key to meal prep and great rating healthy meals.
Written By
Julie Gilbert
Julie Gilbert is the owner and principal dietitian at Solutions with Food. She has over 12 years’ experience in the industry and has built a tremendous rapport with patients and has deliver sensational client results. Julie specialises in weight & diabetes management, particularly in areas of weight loss, women’s nutrition & teenage nutrition.
Tell us about your dieting experience in the comments, or book an appointment with us today and let's discuss your goals!
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