I have a lot of nutrition clients that either express an interest in meal prepping or have questions about meal prepping. Today I am going to share some meal prep tips for you if you are interested in meal planning or would like to make it a more regular occurrence.

Meal Prep Tips

First, I suggest starting small. Meal prepping doesn’t have to be an all or nothing game.

You can begin by prepping items that:

• Take the longest to prepare
• You don’t enjoy preparing
• Are easy to make in batches
• Are versatile and can be a part of many different meals and snacks

For example, bake several chicken breasts to be used with salad, as part of a meal, etc. You could also cook a pot of quinoa or brown rice to be reheated throughout the week, hard boil some eggs, or roast a pan of mixed veggies.

Next, pick between prepping whole meals or individual items.

For example, some people prefer to prep all their meals and snacks on Sunday for the whole week. Others prefer to prep their meals and snacks on Sunday for 2-3 days and then prep again on Wednesday.

Some people prefer to prep a few individual items such as those suggested above and then build their meals and snacks around those items.

Remember to be realistic. Will you be eating out for any meals? Do you get tired of eating the same thing several days in a row? Try not to prep more food than you’ll actually eat. If you do wind up with extra prepped food, put leftovers in the freezer for another time.

If you’d prefer, start out using a meal delivery service. There are ones such as Blue Apron or Hello Fresh that send you the ingredients and then you cook the meal. Or there are ones such as Eat Well Nashville (local) or The Good Kitchen (nationwide) that make fresh, fully-prepared meals that you just have to heat up and enjoy.

Another idea is to use a meal delivery service or grocery store option for certain items such as Brown Bag Now (a few locations) that provides bulk pickup options for foods such as chicken, stead, salad, veggies, and dressings that you can then build your meals and snacks around.

General Meal Prep Tips

Experiment with the options above. One week you may want to shop and prep your own items, the next week you may have a busy week and don’t feel like cooking and therefore want to use a fully-prepared meal delivery service.

Having a plan is key! Look at the week ahead and make a plan in advance as to what you need to buy, prepare, or order so you have balanced, tasty options readily available.

Taking an hour or two one day to meal prep will save you hours during the week and help you make good choices after a long day at work or when you don’t feel like cooking.

You may also want to identify a few good eating out options when you are pressed for time and without a plan.

Remember, meal prepping doesn’t have to take a long time. At first, it will likely take more time but once you get into a habit, you’ll be surprised how little time it actually takes.

Many grocery stores also offer online ordering and pickup if you do not like to shop or if you find yourself making unplanned purchases every time you visit the store.

If you are looking for individualized nutrition coaching, please reach out. I offer nutrition coaching for women’s wellness and sports nutrition in person or virtually to clients all over the country and I would love to help guide you.