Meal prepping is the act of preparing a meal or recipe, then portioning it out to create grab-and-go meals for later. While cooking for the week can seem a little intimidating, preparing meals in advance is actually pretty easy to do and an excellent option for those looking to save time, eat healthier and keep the fridge organized. A usually neglected area in everyday organizing, the fridge is often overlooked unless it's time for a deep clean. However, it is imperative to regularly clean the fridge to promote a hygienic environment to keep your food. The best way to do this is by keeping it organized, and the easiest way to keep it organized is… Meal prepping!
Saving Time
Getting all of your week's cooking out of the way in one day saves time in the future. By cooking one big meal and portioning it out for the week, all you have to do each mealtime is heat up your food, shaving hours of your cooking time each week.
Saving Money
Knowing what you're going to eat for the week can also save you money. When writing out your grocery list, you know exactly what you're going to buy, which prevents any potential overbuying at the grocery store. Having your meals already made and prepared for the day also prevents you from going out to restaurants and buying takeaways unnecessarily.
Fridge Cleanliness & Organization
After cooking the large meal, portion it into containers; this takes up less space in the fridge than a single giant container and makes your fridge look neat and organized. Meal prepping is also an excellent way to keep your fridge clean. At the end of each week, you will find that your fridge is pretty much empty without all the containers. This is the perfect time to clean your fridge and toss out expired food, leaving it a hygienic place to store our food.
Lower Stress
Studies have shown that meal prepping can lower your stress levels. Knowing what you're going to be eating every day takes away that amount of time trying to figure out what to eat away. Planned mealtimes also promote planning in all areas of your life and make for a better time-managed day!
The Joys of Keeping a List
It's pretty easy for things to just magically disappear in the fridge the second you buy items, so why not keep a list of its contents? Making a list of what's in your fridge can help you keep track of everything, waste less food, and help you out when writing your shopping lists.
Meal Prep Timeline
Here is an example of what your week could look like meal prepping
Saturday: Clean out the fridge and throw away all expired food
Saturday: Write out meals and grocery list and go to the grocery store
Sunday: Cook meal and portion into containers
Sunday: Put in fridge
All week: Eat and enjoy :)
You can also make use of the freezer to store specific foods and extend your meal prep time even further!
Here’s a Quick list of Some Foods That’s Perfect for Meal Prepping!
Salads in mason jars
Soups (great for the freezer!)
Grain and rice bowls
Overnight oats
Fruit
Pasta dishes
ENJOY!