12 Oh-so Smart Meal Prepping Tips I Thought I Knew But I Didn’t

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Apr 23, 2024 - 21:06

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12 Oh-so Smart Meal Prepping Tips I Thought I Knew But I Didn’t

Ready to up your meal prepping game? Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie, these 12 smart tips will take your meal prepping to the next level. From time-saving hacks to food storage tricks, there’s something here for everyone. So, get ready to say goodbye to boring meals and hello to delicious and nutritious options all week long!

List before going

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Almost everyone has a fixed grocery list, so they skip listing it on paper and buy directly from the store. While this might be useful in some cases, haphazardly running around the market often leads to missing crucial grocery items.

Preparing a grocery list before you head to the store is best so you don’t miss essential items. A pre-written list also helps you visualize the meals for the week and makes it easier to cook.

Meal prep containers

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Experienced meal preppers highly recommend buying meal prep containers to make everything more accessible and efficient. Storing in different odd-sized containers while looking for the right food can be difficult and time-consuming.

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It’s best to invest in microwave-safe containers to warm food without separating it into different containers. It’s also ideal to buy airtight containers to preserve foods better and lock out moisture.

Mason jars

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The purpose of buying containers is to separate certain ingredients from each other. However, some snacks like nuts and trail mixes don’t need to be separated in sectioned containers, so you can buy mason jars.

Mason jars are airtight and insect-proof, perfect for storing snack mixes or even other quick meals. They’re also portable and can fit anywhere, so you can take them to work or eat there.

Ziploc trick

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Storing food away isn’t the only time-saving component of meal prepping; the Ziploc trick works wonders when you need seasoned food but don’t have enough time. It involves adding vegetables, oil, and seasoning into a ziploc bag and shaking.

The shaking evenly distributes oil and seasoning into the vegetables, so you won’t have to worry about awkward tosses. It saves time, so you can whip a fantastic meal even when running late.

Simultaneous cooking

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Most find it difficult to cook 3-4 things simultaneously. Naturally, such a task takes time. However, it’s best to gradually learn the art of cooking multiple dishes simultaneously to save time.

It also makes us a better chef. We learn about cuisines the more we engage with cooking, so our culinary habits shape our expertise. Simultaneously, whipping up multiple dishes is a precious skill for meal preppers.

Multitask

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Learning to cook multiple things simultaneously isn’t the only skill you’ll need. Learning how to multitask is equally important, even if it isn’t related to cooking. Multitasking enhances your skills and makes you faster and better.

For example, you can cut vegetables for the next meal while the prepared gravy simmer. You can make meal portions while your rice is boiling. You can even do the dishes while everything is cooking to save time.

Seasoning

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Many believe seasoning adds calories. This isn’t true, but misinformation on the internet affects dieters, who refrain from adding seasoning to their food. Sadly, this only puts them off their diet and impacts their progress.

Seasoning has few calories, so add as much flavor as you want to your meals. Don’t hesitate regarding basic spices like salt and pepper; learn to embrace garlic. Such changes dramatically affect the outcomes.

Crockpot

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Invest in a crockpot. Many believe they won’t need crockpots because they’re typically used to prepare meals for bigger families, but a single-person household can benefit from the utensil too.

You can slow-cook chicken, pork, lamb, beef, and even meatballs. Amazingly, the crockpot also cooks plant-based meat, so it’s the ideal utensil. You can rest your eyes or get some chores done while your food is cooking.

Utilize day offs

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Working 5 or 6 days a week is exhausting, so most people want to utilize their weekends or days off by sleeping in. While we understand and encourage such activities, dedicating a small part of your time to meal prep is essential.

You can use your day off to prepare more meals for the future. Long days are perfect for preparing ingredients or mixes for taxing foods (cookies, pies, fillings), and you won’t have to procrastinate until the following week.

Breakfast casseroles

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Many dieters and first-time meal preppers skip breakfast because it’s a hassle. However, you can eat a healthy and delicious breakfast by preparing breakfast casseroles.

Not only are breakfast casseroles nutritious, but they’re also one of the easiest pre-prepared meals to make. You only need to assemble the ingredients days in advance and pop the mixture into the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Improvise and adapt

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You don’t have to stick to meal prepping to a T; some people lack the capacity or can’t afford to follow and buy fancy meal prep items like sectioned containers. It’s completely okay to improvise and find the nearest best option.

For example, you can buy simple glass containers to store food. You can even rely on single containers to accommodate your budget. Learning to adapt and improvise according to circumstances improves your experience.

Alternate

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You’ll get bored if you prepare the same food over and over. It’s best to switch up the menu when preparing so you enjoy your meals as much as they are exhausting. You can learn to utilize the same ingredient in multiple ways.

For example, you can boil chickpeas and freeze them for salads. If you buy chickpeas again, you can blend them into hummus to switch it up. Similarly, you can experiment with ingredients to enhance variety and prevent boredom.