Meal Prep Tips and Recipes to Make your Week and Life Easier
One of the most important things we can do for our health is to cook our meals because it gives us complete control over what goes into our food and our body.
And unless you have a completely open schedule with lots of space each day, I recommend you take two to three hours each week to meal prep.
Why do I recommend making meal prep a priority?
It will support weight loss, hormonal balance and your overall health.
It will make your decisions, your week and your life easier.
It will set you up for success and allow you to stay on track with your goals.
It will save you time and money.
Add up the amount of time you’ve argued and debated with your family over what to eat for dinner, or spent driving to Starbucks or a fast food joint then waited in line. Think about how hard it can feel to make a supportive decision for lunch or dinner when you’re hungry and rushed. And while I love a good meal out, you have very little control over how much sugar or fat is added to your food, or what kind of oil is used.
Spending two to three hours each week planning and cooking food ahead of time will give you one of the biggest returns on your investment. It is a foundational habit that will improve your quality of life, and ultimately allow you to take your time back.
Can you live a healthy lifestyle without cooking or doing meal prep? Not likely, unless you have the budget for a personal chef. It’s very hard to find prepared supportive foods without inflammatory oils, added sugar and/or chemicals that mess with our health, our hormones and our weight.
How can we spend two hours in the kitchen when we don’t have enough hours in the day?
When our schedule is packed and we’re in a stressful season of life, I argue that taking the time to meal prep becomes even more important. It’s the ultimate act of self care.
It’s about perspective. I look at meal prep like a tool that will help me move through my schedule with more ease. It enables me to handle what comes at me and makes my life so much easier! I am a Registered Holistic Nutritionist with a full client load, I am running my own business, continuing my education in the health field and I work a full-time day job. I am in a very busy season of life. I make space for meal prep, because I know that if I don’t have meals ready for me during those fully-packed days, I will reach for what’s available or skip meals, and that won’t support my goals or give me the energy I need to be effective and efficient in my roles.
Batch cooking for two hours works for my lifestyle and preferences, but if you prefer to break it up, go for it! Do what is most bearable and enjoyable for you. This may seem like a big commitment but I know that if I don’t do it, I won’t enjoy my week as much because I won’t feel good and I’ll be more stressed. Because at the end of the day, how we feed our body determines how we feel and function. If we want to look and feel good, and be able to perform physically and cognitively, we need to supply our bodies with the proper fuel.
If you cannot find two hours in your week, I challenge you to revisit your schedule to see exactly how you are spending your time. Are you scrolling social media, the news or emails in the morning or before bed? If you answered yes, use those 15 minutes to prepare your breakfast. Are you running to the grocery store or picking up takeout every couple of days? Then meal prep is your answer. Could you delegate anything to your family members or hire help for cleaning? Are you saying yes to every event or task that people ask of you? We have this idea that we have to do it all. We don’t. If you feel like you should say yes, question if you really need to do it, or if you just feel obligated to say yes. We need to learn to say no at times if we want to prioritize our own needs.
When you are struggling with work life balance and we don’t feel like you have control over much, it’s important to take a step back and look at what we can control. And meal prep is a way to invest in ourselves and our happiness and success.
But I’m not a good cook or I don’t know how to cook.
Start small and simple. Pick one meal to prep ahead in your week, starting with breakfast or lunch to help set you up for a great day. Then once you’ve nailed that, throw in a second meal. You will become a better cook and eventually meal prep will become part of your life and feel easier. Don’t have unrealistic expectations of yourself; very few of us have the space or talent to make gourmet unique dishes for every meal.
Use veggies that require minimal prep to help save time!
Equipment to make meal prep easier:
Meal prep containers. I like to use clear glass with airtight lids like these ones so I can easily see what’s in my fridge.
Unbleached parchment paper for roasting trays of veggies
Large mixing bowls
Skillet for the stove
Optional extras: Instant Pot, air fryer, food processor, slow cooker
How to make meal prep easy to reduce the stress in your life
Meal prep does NOT mean you have to spend your entire Sunday in the kitchen or eat the same thing all week. It’s just about thinking ahead, with very little planning required.
This is exactly how I do my own meal prep:
1. Protein
Pick 2 protein sources for the week. I like to pick 1 lean protein like chicken breast and 1 higher fat protein like ground beef for variety. Choose what fits your preferences and goals. Make extra and split what you won’t eat over the next 4 days into meal-size portions and freeze for later!
Shredded chicken is a perfect meal-prep protein!
Frozen Roasted Broccoli takes less than 5 minutes on hands-on time!
2. Low-Starch Veggies
Pick 2-3 lower starch veggies. Buy extra of each so you have plenty to get you through the week.
3. Starch
Pick 1-2 sources of starch. These tend to be ready in 20 minutes or less so this can also be done last minute.
Bonus to preparing this ahead:
White rice and white potatoes that have been cooked & cooled (reheated or not) become something called ‘resistant starch’. Resistant starch feeds our good gut bugs and is less likely to cause a blood sugar spike, win-win!
Cook your rice in chicken or beef broth for a protein-boost.
4. Get Cooking!
Pick 2-3 cooking methods to maximize your time. For instance, while your chicken is in the slow cooker, you can fill the oven with veggies, fry up taco beef and steam cabbage.
Eat up! Now you have a ‘buffet’ in your fridge! Mix and match to make a variety of balanced meals all week. Store everything in airtight containers.
High Protein Meal Prep Breakfast and Snacks
Breakfast
Find 2 high-protein breakfasts that you enjoy. Eat them on rotation to reduce decision fatigue.
Breakfast Ideas:
-Frittata
-Overnight Oats
-Eggs & Leftovers
-Ground Meat & Egg Scramble with leftover veggies
Easy snacks
Keep supportive grab and go snacks on hand.
-Boiled eggs or Two-Minute Instant Pot Boiled Eggs
-Protein shake
-Chomps bars
-Chocolate Yogurt Protein Pudding
-Yogurt with ‘Toppings’ like toasted nuts, seeds, coconut, hemp seeds
More Meal Prep Tips
I’m all about working smarter not harder when it comes to our health. And while I feel meal prep and planning ahead when we can is important to eat in alignment with our fat loss and health goals, we also need to be realistic and adapt when life has other plans for us.
Anytime you cook, make extra so you can stretch that meal with leftovers.
Use an instant pot or slow cooker to cook meat to reduce your active time.
Plan to cook more protein mid-week, freeze extra protein for later in the week or grab rotisserie chicken!
Super busy week? Take advantage of convenience items like pre-chopped veggies, frozen veggies, bagged salads, seasoning mixes.
Keep no-prep veggies on hand; avocado, bell peppers, cucumber, onion, pre-cooked beets, arugula, spinach, baby kale and tomato add fiber and flavour with minimal effort.
You can turn one thing into multiple dishes by adding different flavours. Keep a variety of condiments and spices on hand to mix things up; mustards, hot sauces, jarred marinara, coconut aminos, low-sugar ketchup, salsa, guacamole, avocado oil mayo, yogurt, fresh and dried herbs, smoked paprika, garlic powder…
Keep fast protein options on hand like canned fish, eggs, protein powder & Greek yogurt.
Keep healthy fats on hand to balance your plate and add flavour; avocado, olive oil, coconut, butter, olives, nuts & seeds.
Make it fun! Listen your favourite podcast or playlist. Put on your favourite tv show. Make it a family event. Some of our best conversations happen in the kitchen.
It’s not all or nothing - you do not need to eat 100% home cooked meals and you don’t have to prepare all of your food ahead.
There will be weeks when you don’t feel like preparing any food, but remind yourself of your goals. The only person who can give us our health is us. The decisions we make and the food we put in our bodies has a huge impact.
If you are trying to make a lifestyle change and want health for the long term, cooking and meal prep are one of the best ways to take your time back. I look at it like a positive in my life, not a burden. It’s an investment in my health and happiness.
If you liked this article, download my FREE e-book, How to Meal Prep for a Week in 2 Hours!
