How To Meal Prep For The Week Ahead More Efficiently

The best meal prep tips include cooking foods that freeze well, avoiding using dairy products or foods that spoil easily, and add in different condiments or spices to make similar dishes taste different.

By Ryan Clancy | Published

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When you were a child, you never thought of the time that goes into each meal. The well-thought-out nutritionally-balanced meals you receive from your parents every day were just accepted and eaten without a second thought. But as adults, you realize that all the meals you received were painstakingly thought out and organized. 

Life is quite hectic for modern people. For busy professionals and hectic families, household chores like cooking dinners can become something that is rushed and unorganized. Many families reach for pre-cooked and ready meals instead of meals full of nutritious vegetables. 

Families with two working parents and various extra circular activities are finding it hard to find the time to make elaborate nutritious meals. Busy professionals have different work and personal events that make their lives incredibly busy. So how do modern people have well-rounded meals and still have time to live their hectic lives? It seems like people are turning to meal prep as a solution.

Meal prep involves making several dishes ahead of time. Most people would prepare their lunches and dinners on Sunday for Monday through to Friday. The meals would be primarily made of ingredients that can be easily frozen to ensure there is no wastage of food.

By using meal prepping you can cook nutritious meals while saving money as all the ingredients are being used at once. It also takes out the stress of thinking about what to cook on a daily basis. 

There are a number of different tips for doing meal-prepping work for everyone. By cooking a selection of different meals and side dishes such as chicken, rice, roasted vegetables, and chickpea salad, you can still have variety and a choice over the week. Also, adding different condiments with uplift and changing each meal’s flavor.

When you meal prep, avoid any foods that spoil quickly or do not freeze well, like dairy products or potatoes, as they can become soggy. If you have to use dairy products, plant-based options work best. 

To make meal prep work for you, prepare meals that you like and are excited to eat. While this might seem obvious, cooking meals that you do not enjoy in advance will be left at the back of the fridge. 

Also, meal prepping can work by making a huge batch of a meal like a lasagne or beef casserole, eating a portion, and freezing the rest for a later date. It could be used on an evening when everyone is late, and a meal needs to be made quickly. 

One of the main factors to figure out in meal prepping is the best way to heat the fantastic meals you have prepared. Some meals will reheat well in the microwave, but for others, it may be best to reheat them in the oven. 

In modern life, people have hectic lives. Anything that makes life a little easier is definitely something to try and implement to see if it works for you. Processes like meal prepping ensure that nutrition and convenience remain in everyone’s lives.