Life can get hectic.
And if you feel like you’ve barely got time to eat a halfway decent meal most days, then you might want to double down on some meal prep ideas.
What is meal prepping?
Meal prepping is simply the art of setting aside a day (a lot of people like Sundays) to prepare all or most of your meals for the week and store them.
As you can guess, the next time your stomach is rumbling but you don’t feel like making anything, or worse yet have to run out the door in a few, all you have to do is grab a quick meal and go!
Super simple right? To be able to do meal prep week after week successfully and incorporate it into your lifestyle you’ll want to learn some meal prepping pointers first.
So, if your looking for a complete guide on how to meal prep for beginners look no further…here we go—
How much does it cost to meal prep for a week?
Hands down, meal prepping for the week is always going to cost you less than eating out or even making dinners every single night.
For an average of $6 – $8 per meal, you can make sure you’re eating food that is GOOD for you, that doesn’t have added chemicals or fats or an overdose of sodium, and that will fill you up until your next meal. The secret is in planning ahead. It all starts with a plan!
Free meal prep planner printable
Your meal prepping isn’t complete without a set of gorgeous meal planner templates. That’s why I’ve designed a set just for this meal prep guide. You can download them instantly below. No email needed.
Plan out all your meal prep ideas for the whole month with this blank slate monthly meal prep planner! This is an awesome way to get specific and plan which meals you’ll prepare for which days and the ingredients needed for each. Perfect for the foodie planner! If you want a broader overview of your meals for one week then this is the perfect meal prep sheet for you! Once you download them, you can print them again and again. Better yet, you can even laminate each sheet and use a magnet to stick it to your fridge!
The benefits of meal prepping
Try apple nachos as an easy snack prep idea for a midday snack: Get the recipe here!
There are quite a few benefits to setting aside a day to meal prep.
The only con of meal prepping is that it can take time to do it successfully, especially the more meals you prep. But even then, all that time you are deciding to cook your meals in one go save you the time and hassle of having to decide on meals every single day throughout the week.
Related: 35+ Cheap Budget Friendly Meals To Feed The Family On Busy Nights
Saves you time and stress
Hello! No one likes the hassle of having to come home to figure out yet another problem: what to eat for the night (and what to make for tomorrow). With meal prepping you can easily make that two less decisions you have to come home to every day.
Reduces food waste
Planning ahead makes sure you don’t make too much of one thing and you portion it out for meals throughout the week. This prevents you from making more than you should and having leftovers that go back and inevitably make it straight to the dumpster.
Saves you money on your grocery bill
Once you get your meal prepping and weekly meal planning down, you’ll know exactly what to buy and how much of what to buy. You’ll be able to go grocery shopping like clockwork, which helps make sure you aren’t spending too much.
Helps you reach your weight loss goals
Meal prepping has been a HUGE factor in many people losing the extra weight. This is because you’re more prone to creating healthier meals and have more portion control when you store your cooked foods. Meal prepping also helps keep you away from unnecessary usage of fats and oils.
Related: 31 Dinner Ideas For Two: Here’s What You Should Make For Dinner Tonight
Makes sure you get your nutritional needs
There are TONS of delicious meal prep ideas and recipes out there that incorporate lots of different ingredients that are actually good for you in a tasty way. Using and memorizing these recipes will make sure you get the most out of food for your nutritional needs.
Keeps you from overspending on takeout
It is very easy and tempting to simply order takeout after a long day at work. But doing this even just a couple times a week can cost you lots of money in the long run. Before you know it, you’re food bill for the month has skyrocketed and eaten up finances you could have put into your savings.
Chia pudding is a classic meal prep snack you can make in no time: Get the recipe here!
How do you meal prep for the week?
So, how exactly do you go about meal prepping for the week? There are a few general guidelines.
In the end, it’s all about finding out what works best for you! All you’re doing is creating make ahead meals, so there is plenty of fun you can have with this in terms of how creative you get with the foods you cook.
The biggest tip for beginners is to start small. Seriously.
And keep it to: One grain + One protein + One veggie.
Starting small will make sure you aren’t overwhelmed with trying to create five recipes at once and cleaning up afterwards. You can reserve that for when you get to ‘pro’ meal prep status. For now, make sure you start with 2-3 basic meal prep ideas and recipes that are easy to prepare.
Types of meal prep ideas
Quick Lunch Meals
Quick lunch meal preps can be anything from baked salmon to 5-bean salad to simple grilled chicken and rice. They might take a little more to prepare but are worth it in terms of saving your lunch plans whether at work or at home. There are tons of meal prep ideas out there for either lunch or dinner that you can collect as your favorite recipes.
Make Ahead Dinners
Make ahead dinners are fabulous and save you so much time and hassle for when you’re too tired to make a full on dinner.
Salads In A Jar
Salads in a jar are some of the best ways to make quick meal preps. All you have to do is get some jars and fill them up with your favorite salad ingredients. To top it off you can create your own healthy dressings to drench your salads with on your lunch break/as a quick snack. Use these jars to create kick ass and filling salads in a jar!
