How to Tackle Meal Prep
I don’t know about you, but I personally despise coming home after a busy day of rushing to doctor appointments, ball games, after-school activities and running errands just to be confronted with the monumental task of finding something to make for dinner that’s both healthy and relatively quick. My family does not like to wait to eat. I quickly learned that having a plan and prepping my meals ahead of time is crucial unless I want to order pizza every night ( nothing against pizza but, I want my family to have some vegetables once in a while). The problem is how do you meal prep successfully when you have kids, especially small kids (I’m talking 5 and under)? Meal prep is hard enough. Then toss in a handful of small humans and you’ve got a real challenge. Fortunately, meal prep with kids is NOT impossible, and if you follow some key strategies the process is easier and...dare I say, enjoyable. Plus, you will be prepared to tackle your entire week while having one less thing to worry about.
First, let’s talk about the why behind prepping your meals. Why is it so important? Why can’t you just “wing it” during the week and rely on those “healthy” menu options that most restaurants offer? Unfortunately, when we leave things to chance we often find ourselves stressed and in a rush. When you are stressed it is far less likely that you will choose a healthy option and instead find yourself wanting a meal that tastes good and makes you feel good so you can take your mind off whatever you are dealing with at that moment (screaming kids, an argument with your spouse, the rude lady behind the counter at Walgreens). Not to mention if you are hurried or feeling rushed, you are more likely to eat your meal quickly, which lends itself to overeating. The combo of lack of planning, stress, and eating quickly will derail any progress you’ve made toward your health and fitness goals.
Having a plan and being prepared helps prevent you from falling into this trap. The saying, “Failing to plan is planning to fail” is 100% accurate. So how do you make a plan, and set yourself up for success, when you are already overwhelmed and can’t possibly squeeze anything else in your schedule? Here are some tips that I have found to be useful as a busy working mother of three.
First, schedule your meal prep time in your calendar. This may sound overly simplistic, but trust me, it works. Studies have found that just the action of writing down a date and time will make you more likely to hold yourself accountable to that action. Whether you chose to go the route of the typical Sunday meal prep, or you chose a time during the regular work week, find a day that you can commit to at least one hour of prep.
Next, choose a handful of recipes that YOU enjoy and will actually eat. Start small and simple. Very few of us have the time to cook elaborate four course meals every day. Aim to have a lean source of protein, healthy carbohydrate, healthy fat and a serving of vegetables at each meal. If it is daunting trying to think of new recipes each week, utilize a set menu. Having a menu that is the same from week to week is a great way to run on autopilot if the rest of your life is all blow and go. Also, don’t be afraid to utilize frozen vegetable medleys or pre-chopped salad kits. Most grocery stores offer these options and they can cut your prep time in half. If you are unsure about the portion size you should be aiming for, here is a quick guide:
1-2 palm sized servings of protein
1-2 cupped hand sized servings of healthy carbohydrates
1-2 thumb sized servings of healthy fats
1-2 fist sized servings of vegetables
You will also benefit from making your kitchen meal prep friendly. This means having the materials you need for meal prep readily available. Keep your knives out on the counter, have your spice rack near the oven, place your garbage can alongside the counter to make for easy clean up, and have your tupperware bowls nearby. The harder it is to get to the necessary ingredients, the less likely you will follow through. Set yourself up to be as efficient as possible in the time you’ve allotted, especially when you can be pulled away at any minute to deal with sibling arguments, spilled drinks, or in my case, a toddler deciding to eat a detergent pod (true story).
When you do decide to cook during the week, plan to make extra which you can then freeze for later. I am also a huge fan of the crockpot. If you already have all the ingredients, it doesn’t take much effort to double the recipe so that you will have a healthy option in the freezer for those days when your best laid plan fails (life happens). Crockpots are a fantastic way to save time and allow you to walk in after a long day of work with dinner ready to serve. I have also used a crockpot on the weekends to cook the meat that I need for the week. I find that not only does it save me time with meal prep on the weekend, but my meals during the week are much easier to throw together when the meat is cooked and can be quickly added to whatever dish I’m making.
Also, when prepping, don’t overlook breakfast. Yes, having a healthy lunch and dinner planned and prepared is important, but starting the day with a solid breakfast that consists of protein, a source of carbohydrates, healthy fats and vegetables sets the tone for the rest of your day and ensures you aren’t starving by mid-morning. I especially like to use a muffin pan to make egg frittatas. Just combine eggs and vegetables ( I usually choose spinach and peppers) and pour the mixture into each muffin tin until about ¾ full. Cook at 350 degrees for approximately 30 mins, add some fruit as a side and voila! Quick and easy breakfast that you can grab and go.
Most importantly, start small and don’t get discouraged! Eating healthy is not all or nothing. If you are intimidated about prepping for the entire week, scale back until you feel confident that it’s something you can manage. Even if you scale back to the point that you are preparing for just one meal each week. One is always better than none. The longer time goes on, the more comfortable you will get with meal prep and the easier it will become. With anything in life, healthy eating is a process, and is accomplished by consistently making small changes. Small changes over time, when done consistently, compound into big results.
Do you want to meal prep but don’t know where to start? Click here for a free 7 day meal plan with a grocery list.