Many of us struggle to find healthy alternatives for our daily meals, but that’s what makes meal prepping so great. Meal prepping is an easy way to ensure you eat a healthy and balanced diet. It’s as easy as dedicating one or two days a week to prepping your meals and then grabbing them on the go. If you are still new to meal prepping, these three tips will help you master the art and science of meal prep while also getting you closer to your health and fitness goals.  

Top 3 Tips to Start Meal Prepping

Try these tips to start preparing your meals and keep in mind it only takes 21 days to master any new habit.  

1. Keep It Simple - Pick a Day

We have all heard the saying, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” and this couldn’t be more aptly applied to healthy eating habits. If you want to eat healthy most days, you must set yourself up for success and let's face it, prepping in advance makes it so much easier to do so. Preparing your meals in advance also ensures that you won't be tempted to make poor choices. The first thing you should do is pick a day to prepare all your meals. For most people, Sunday is the best day to prepare meals for the week. Initially, try to cook enough meals for three days rather than the whole week and use a calendar to help map out your meals. If you enjoy cooking and have the time, you can choose to prepare twice a week. More experienced meal preppers seem to pick Sunday and Wednesday as their meal prep days which allows them to split up cooking into two days. However, if you lead a busy life, make enough food for the week and freeze some of your meals for later. Not only does it save time, but it also helps to ensure you eat healthy more often with the proper portions and macros. When you have healthier meals ready to eat, you can avoid reaching for quick processed meals and pre-packaged snacks.  

2. Choose Your Meals & Recipes

Depending on your needs and goals, decide which meal you want to prepare first, Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. Figure this out before you get started to find what works best for you. For instance, if you are single or cooking for two, you may want to prepare lunch meals first. However, when preparing for a family, then dinner meals are probably a good place to start. Subsequently, decide on the recipes you want to prepare. Start prepping with recipes you already know and then add new recipes as you go. You may also choose to cook the same recipe for all three meals to make things easier. More importantly, when choosing recipes, think about how you will balance the macronutrients in your meals. Even if you aren’t trying to maintain specific macro goals (proteins, fats, carbs) each day, tracking macros will still help ensure each part of the meal is equally well-balanced.  

3. Divide Meals Using Containers

Good storage containers are the foundation of meal prep. Get some plastic containers that are the right size for your meal portions. Also, make sure you choose airtight containers with divided sections that are BPA free, clear, and the same size. Fruit is a great way to delve into meal prep. You can cut up a few different types of fruit to store for a snack or make a smoothie to complement your meals. You can also do the same with your veggies.  

You Got This!

Having your meals prepared in advance will triple your chances of reaching your fitness goals. Remember to keep it simple and start prepping gradually. It’s important to remind yourself why you’ve embarked on this journey. Too often beginners get bogged down in the details when sticking to the basics will do more good. To avoid getting overwhelmed, don’t try to incorporate too many new things at once. Start small; all it takes is 21 days of sticking it out, and before you know it, it'll become a habit. By creating healthy meals in advance, in three weeks time, you will look and feel better while also saving time and money. Happy meal prepping!