• About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Terms of service
Monday, May 23, 2022
The Millennial Source
TMS
Home Lifestyle

A beginners guide to meal prep that will save you time through the week

byPatricia Raimannand Edited byChristine Dulion
February 15, 2021
in Lifestyle
beginners guide to meal prep

Source: Pexels, Ella Olsson

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin



Now that we are well into the second month of 2021, a beginner’s guide to meal prep might help you better meet your health goals. Meal prepping is no secret, and yet surprisingly, few people choose to implement this timesaving method into their daily routine. There are so many benefits to meal prepping – read on to see how this method can help improve your health and productivity. 

What is meal prep? 

vegetables and sausages on grill in daytime
Photo by Rachel Claire on Pexels.com

As the name suggests, meal prep is preparing your meals for the week ahead of time. Although there are several different types of meal prepping, they all serve to make your daily meals and snacks more efficient and easy. This often includes dedicating an hour or two once a week to batch cook and separate the meals into individual portions using containers. 

A beginners guide to meal prep – how to get started

Calculate how many meals you need

You can decide whether or not you want to meal prep for all your meals each day, or perhaps just specific meals. Consider starting off small – prepping for one meal daily per week. Then as you become more and more familiar with the process, meal prep for two or three meals a day won’t seem so daunting. Calculating how many meals you will need is important when looking for recipes and going grocery shopping, as you don’t want to make more or less than what is necessary. 

Find recipes 

Coming up with recipes is a lot more fun than you would think! Going through cookbooks, searching online or using an old family recipe are all different ways to keep things interesting when you meal prep. Unless you are on a very restrictive diet, preparing the same meals for each day can get a bit boring. So, shake things up with variety throughout the week. A great recipe site with feedback from other users is AllRecipes. 

Grocery shopping and prep

Once you’ve planned out the recipes you’ll be using, you will need to buy the ingredients. Planning your meals ahead will also help you stick to your budget and save money on groceries. While you’re out, finding good quality containers to store each meal is a must. Going with glass or BPA free plastic tupperware will keep your food fresh and lasting longer. Find the time (like a Sunday night to kick off the week) to make your food.

Understand how to store your food

Different dishes have different storage requirements, so store your meals accordingly. For example, most meals can be stored in the refrigerator, but certain soups may need to be stored in the freezer. Also, salads and some other meals will be better to be put together the day of, so keeping certain ingredients on the side can still save you time without sacrificing on the quality of the meal. No one likes a soggy salad!

Why should you meal prep? 

First, who doesn’t want to save money and time? Although an hour or two may seem like a long time to spend cooking, you would have already set yourself for the entire week. This means you’ll spend a lot less time throughout the week planning what to eat and cooking. Knowing you have food ready for you when you get home will also make you less tempted to order food or eat out – helping you stick to your budget and make healthier choices. 

Meal prepping can also reduce your stress, since it’s one less thing to worry about (and one that you usually have to consider several times a day). You surely have enough to do, and dwelling on food shouldn’t be one of them. With meal prepping, balancing a chaotic schedule will feel much more manageable. 

Your overall health may also be improved thanks to meal prepping. Knowing exactly what goes into your food is important, since no one wants to be putting harmful chemicals into their body (like those found primarily in processed foods). Plus by separating everything into the individual containers for each meal, you are controlling your portions (which could ultimately aid in weight loss if this is your goal. 

So, if you are looking to save time while sticking to a healthy diet and budget, this beginner’s guide to meal prep is the perfect place to start. Even prepping one meal a day at the outset will make a big difference, and you can carve out that extra time for other activities or a little self-care.

Have a tip or story? Get in touch with our reporters at tips@themilsource.com

Like TMS? Subscribe to our free daily newsletter

Related

Tags: HealthLifestyle
ShareTweetShare

Latest Posts

Wil Fang Cookie Department

Wil Fang: The man behind the cookie, how he rolls with the punches and his plans outside of food and the city

May 21, 2022
monkeypox

Rare monkeypox cases detected in the US, Europe and UK. Here’s what you need to know

May 20, 2022
Hong Kong Dog Rescue

Hong Kong Dog Rescue’s mission to save shelter dogs across the city

May 15, 2022

Here’s a sneak peek of the Google’s AR glasses

May 12, 2022

Meet Live Zero, Hong Kong’s first zero waste bulk store

May 8, 2022

South African singer and actor MsLolo on infusing Hong Kong with African culture

May 6, 2022

Hong Kong’s Sustainabl. shows how small changes can have a big impact

May 1, 2022

Hong Kong’s Anaphe is much more than another dress on a hanger

April 30, 2022

World-class fashion photographer Frederic Auerbach talks to us about his journey into NFTs

April 24, 2022

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TMS NEWSLETTER

By providing your email, you agree to our Privacy Policy

The Millennial Source Ltd. 2021

No Result
View All Result
  • Your daily briefing
  • About us
  • Explore
    • Startups
    • Climate change
    • Tech giants
    • Crypto
    • The future of work
    • Banking giants
    • Economy
  • Lifestyle
  • TMS archives
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy & Terms

© 2022 The Millennial Source Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

 

Loading Comments...
 

    string(24) "jsonld single post debug"
    The Millennial Source
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.