When hunger strikes, if there’s not something healthy within reach, or ingredients that I can turn into a meal in minutes, I’m far more likely to devour peanut butter with a spoon or order a Primanti's sandwich. On the flip side, when I’ve stocked and prepped a good supply of healthy foods and — this is ESSENTIAL — wrote up a menu plan for the week, I can walk right past those temptations. When I'm prepared, I can heat up some grilled chicken to top off a salad or grab an apple from my counter.
Planning what to what to eat and making simple preparations ahead of time allows me to eat healthy all week and enjoy a home-cooked meal even when I'm busy studying at night. Here are some TIPS to help you learn how to MEAL PREP like a PRO.
Plan:
You can eat healthy every day without having a cooking marathon. I plan a week of meals at a time, checking my calendar to figure out which days will allow enough time to actually cook, and which days I'm going to be rushed. I make a menu of the meals I want for the week. To this, I add healthy snacks, including fruits and vegetables. Then, I create a shopping list from my menu.
Shop & Prep:
Once you have your meal plan, and have returned from the store, it’s time to begin washing, chopping, cooking some ingredients, and properly storing foods to keep them fresh until you’re ready to eat them.
Proteins:
Chicken, beef, pork, and fish all freeze well, and can be divided into individual portions and frozen for future use. If you can, splurge for organic meat and poultry.
I keep individually wrapped uncooked, boneless chicken breasts in the freezer so they’re ready to go when I want them. They can be diced and tossed in a stir-fry; wrapped in foil with fresh herbs, lemon, and olive oil and baked; or grilled and shredded for chicken salad, to name just a few options.
Fish is a natural for the freezer. Choose firm fish, like wild-caught salmon, tuna, herring, or mackerel. The good news is, these can go straight from the freezer to the oven or the grill (just add a few minutes to the cooking time in your recipe).
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and can be quickly cooked in many recipes, so it’s always good to have some in the fridge, where they stay fresh for 3-5 weeks. Hard-boiled eggs add protein to salads and are a quick, easy snack.
Whole Grains & Pasta:
Whole grain pasta, brown rice, barley, quinoa, and farro are all pantry staples that can help you pull unrelated ingredients into a unified dish, with no prior planning. Cook a large batch of rice or quinoa up and keep it in the fridge for future meals.
Fruits & Vegetables:
It’s important to keep your kitchen stocked with fruits and vegetables. When you get your groceries home, thoroughly clean your sink, then fill it with water and drop the vegetables in. Scrub sturdy vegetables with a soft brush, then set them to dry on clean towels. Pre-chop veggies like carrots, bell peppers, onions, and store them in the fridge so they’re ready to sauté or add to salads.
Keep a variety of fruits on hand for healthy snacks and to use in breakfasts and salads. I eat more fruit if I keep it in plain sight, washed and ready to eat in a bowl on the table.
Dressings & Marinades:
Don’t bring bottled dressings into your kitchen. They’re full of sugar, unhealthy oil, and preservatives. You can make your own in minutes.
Soups & Sauces:
If you’re going to make soup or sauce, why just make a little? Make a double batch, then freeze single portions. Avoid freezing dairy-based sauces as the dairy can become grainy when thawed.
Planning and pre-prepping may feel like a lot of work at first, but with practice it gets more intuitive and even fun to figure out combinations that can mix and match for a week of good eating.
~ J. Lynn
