Your meal prep guide for a week of healthy dinners

Meal prepping is an amazing way to stay on track to reach your health and fitness goals while also saving time and money. It involves batch preparing several meals in one go to have your future breakfasts, lunches and dinners organized. Preparing your meals in advance removes the stress of deciding what to eat when your meal times come around.

Meal prepping doesn’t have to be a difficult or stressful process. By following a few simple steps, you can have your meals planned and prepared for your upcoming week.

Here is your meal prep guide for a week of healthy dinners.

Plan the menu

This part of the meal prep is arguably the most difficult part. If you’re working on a tight schedule, find meals that are easy and quick to prepare. Delicious doesn’t have to be extravagant.

Also, consider your budget. Focus on meals that use simple ingredients and stock up on pantry staples. You can save more on bulk purchases for items such as whole grains, dried beans and legumes, canned tomatoes, and frozen fruits and vegetables while also making your prepping process easier.

Lastly, write out your favorite meals. Think about what you’re going to enjoy and consider which meals suit your preferences. Try to plan out dishes that have unique tastes to keep your meals varied but also use some of the similar ingredients. There are many recipes online that can help you with this process.

Do a weekly shop

Once you’ve planned your meals and snacks for the week, create a list of ingredients you’re going to need. From here, head out to your local store and pick up everything on the list. Alternatively, you can order online for home delivery. If you have several perishable foods on your list, make sure to do the food shop close to your planned meal prep day, so they’re still fresh when you start cooking. When you prep your meals for the week you can do one large grocery shop, rather than multiple errands, saving you time. It also helps reduce the need for a last minute grocery-store run to pick up a forgotten item.

Cook your meals

Block out a few hours once a week to complete your meal prep. Gather your ingredients and recipes alongside any equipment you’re going to need. Plan out your cooking schedule so that you’re not stuck in the kitchen all day, and start cooking your first recipe. If there’s one particular meal that will take the longest to cook or requires the most amount of preparation, it’s probably best to do this first.

A top tip, while you are meal prepping, is to clean as you go. Wash the dishes and wipe the kitchen counter after each stage to avoid having a pile of washing up at the end of your prep. Maximize your time with overnight dishes that can be prepared in a slow cooker or left in the fridge for last-minute assembly.

Store your food safely

Usually, meals that contain fresh produce will be okay for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, as long as they are stored correctly. When choosing which containers to use for your food storage, aim for BPA-free plastic or glass containers with covers and portion out your meals. Storing meals in smaller containers helps cooked food cool down faster to help reduce the risk of harmful bacteria forming. Freeze meals that you will be eating later in the week, and refrain from refreezing food that has already been thawed.

Now that you’ve got the basic steps down, you can start meal prepping for the week ahead!