Master meal prep without spending hours cooking. Get time-saving tips, recipe ideas, and storage strategies for busy lifestyles.
The following is a guest post from my bloggy friend Alissa Cassidy. Interested in having a guest post on my website? Click here for my guest post submission form.
Smart Meal Prep Hacks That Save You Hours Every Week
We’re busy, tired, strapped for cash, and trying to be healthy. Adulting is hard! Whether you’re single and trying to get your life started or you’re deep in the parenting game, meal prepping is one of the best ways to feel like you have it all together.
Here are some practical tips for meal prepping without having to spend hours in the kitchen as well as some ideas to get you started.
Recipes
First, let’s talk about what you’re eating. One drawback of meal prepping is feeling like you have to eat the same thing every day. With the right recipes, though, you can change things up a little day to day. For example, you can prep overnight oats with different mix-ins each day. You can make yogurt parfaits with a variety of fruits. Salads can be changed up with different proteins, dressings, and cheeses. Even though you’re making a week’s worth of meals at once, you can still have variety.
However, if you don’t mind eating the same thing for lunch every day, just make one meal – that will definitely save you time, especially if you’re only prepping for yourself.
Storage
Before you start prepping, think about what containers you’ll be using and how/where you will store them. Do you have enough space in your fridge? Are you prepping foods that need jars, one compartment, or several compartments, like a Bento box? Get a plan and be sure you have the necessary supplies before you dive in.
Make a List & Go Shopping
Decide what you want to eat for the week and go shopping. Save time by buying individually wrapped items, like snack-sized crackers or single-serve jerky sticks. Save money by buying in bulk and portioning it out yourself.
Buy items that are versatile and that everyone (or mostly everyone) you’re prepping for will eat. I have three kids and they don’t all like the same things, but with a little tweaking, I can make it work for them.
Get Cooking
To make things go faster, make use of all your gadgets at once. Steam your veggies in the microwave, bake your fish in the oven, hard-boil your eggs in your egg cooker, boil some pasta on the stove, and throw some chicken breasts in the air fryer. Just make sure you have a timer for everything!
Meanwhile, chop up the salad ingredients and portion out the dressing. Making breakfasts? Scoop out the yogurt or mix up the overnight oats while everything else is cooking.
Pack it Up
Now’s the fun part! Decide what you want to put in your containers for each day. Are you using your eggs for a salad topper, a snack on their own, or egg salad? Same with the chicken. Will you chop it and eat it cold atop a salad or warm it up at work to eat with your veggies? Meal prepping simply means planning and packing your meals ahead of time…it doesn’t have to be boring or repetitive.
Reuse the Leftovers
My boys like Lunchables or Lunchlys, but it’s cheaper and healthier for me to buy Ritz crackers and cut out ham and cheese in little circles for them. But when cheese and ham slices are squares and they want circles, what do you do with the leftover scraps? Sometimes I give my dog a special treat, but usually, I’ll chop those pieces up and use them for a chef salad later or make egg bites or an omelet with them.
If you can’t reuse it, now would be a great time to start composting. Many of your scraps can be composted, and if you’re also a gardener, you’ll love the benefits for your plants.
Meal Prep Ideas to Get You Started
What to cook
Chicken breast, pasta
What you’ll need
Chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, olives, mushrooms, Italian dressing, feta cheese
How to use it
1. Chopped chicken on a salad with all the above ingredients
2. Pasta salad with all the above ingredients, plus chopped chicken
3. Chicken atop pasta with marinara sauce and a salad on the side
What to cook
Hard-boiled eggs
What you’ll need
Tortilla wrap, salad ingredients, crackers, fruit, cheese, ham slices, cheese slices
How to use it
1. Egg salad wrap with fruit
2. Chef’s salad with crackers (use the egg, ham, and cheese, plus any other ingredients you like)
3. Ham and cheese crackers with salad or fruit
What to cook
Nothing!
What you’ll need
Old-fashioned oats, chia seeds (optional), milk (any kind you like), maple syrup or honey, fruit
How you’ll use it
Make the base of the overnight oats in each jar by adding equal parts oats and milk (about ½ c of each is good), about 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (optional), and 1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup for sweetness. Put on the lid and shake well to combine, then store in the fridge overnight. Prep your toppings in a separate container and add when you are ready to eat–berries, bananas, chocolate chips, granola, a dash of cinnamon, a spoonful of peanut butter, or whatever combination you fancy! (Keeping the toppings out until you’re ready to eat ensures they stay fresh and don’t get mushy.)
Meal planning may seem overwhelming at first, but like anything else, you just have to get into a routine. Once you start, you’ll wonder what took you so long, and you’ll love the freedom and stress-free mornings you get from it!
About the Author
Alissa is a writer who lives in the Atlanta area. She’s married with three sons, is a grad student, and is an amateur photographer. When she’s not writing or studying, she enjoys working out, listening to music, and watching true crime stories.
