Getting Ahead with Meal Prepping
Are you a meal planner? Meal prepper? Do you wing it most days? We’d like to say we meal plan and prep every week, but sometimes we fall out of routine and get through a stressful week with some takeout and foraging our pantries and freezers. But on our best weeks, we come prepared with a plan and squeeze in a little meal prep. Even if you like to roll without a plan, we’d argue having a few items prepped and ready to go when your week begins will be a huge boost midweek. If you’re not into meal prep, start small and pick one item to make for your week ahead. Today we’re sharing some of our favorite meal prep tips and tricks that we come back to every week.
Start Fresh
Start with a clean slate. Clean out your fridge and give the shelves a wipe down. Compost or dispose of expired leftovers and food. Think about how your fridge is organized. As you put things away, group like items together. Creating a good system and foundation of organized shelves will make life easier and eliminate a lot of food waste. You can add clear containers, drawers, or a lazy susan to keep things organized.
Before you begin searching for new recipes to cook, take stock of what you have in your fridge and pantry. Make a list of what you need to use and challenge yourself to use what you have. Do you have bottles of sauce or a dusty bag of dried beans buried in the pantry? Jot down what you have and begin building your meal plan around them!
Prep One Protein
One way we like to stay organized for the week is by prepping one protein. Having a container of easy grab and go protein at the ready will come in handy for lunches and quick dinners throughout the week. We love to utilize the instant pot or slow cooker to prepare protein easily. We’ll put one pound of boneless chicken pieces (breasts or thighs) in the instant pot or slow cooker. Add in a sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and top with 1/3 C. of chicken stock and 1/3 C. of salsa. Cook on high in the instant pot for 10 minutes, let sit for 10 minutes, and then release the pressure. Alternatively, place the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook for four hours on low. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, cook a pot of beans or sear off some tofu. Once your protein cools, store in the fridge. Use throughout the week in tacos, quesadillas, wraps, and salads.
Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs
While your protein is cooking, slice and wash some fruit and place in containers for easy grab and go. Our households go through tons of berries, so we buy in bulk and immediately wash them in a large bowl so they will be ready to go for snacking all week. Combine one cup of white distilled vinegar and three cups of cold water in a large bowl. Add your berries and give a swish. Let them dry completely on a towel lined tray. Once dry, put in a container and store in the fridge. We love to line these containers with a paper towel and store the fruit. This vinegar wash is magic and will extend the life of your berries through the week.
Most vegetables will keep better if you don’t cut them before you need them, however, it never hurts to have some carrots and pepper slices ready for snacking and greens washed for salads. Carrots sliced into sticks can be stored in cold water. If you wash greens in advance, be sure to dry them well before storing.
When we bring home fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro, we wash thoroughly in cold water and then trim the stems and place in a jar of fresh water, just as you would fresh flowers. Store these jars in the fridge and your herbs will last forever!
Breakfast & Lunch
If you tackle cooking protein and prepping fruit and vegetables and still have some time to cook, think about prepping a breakfast item for grab and go breakfasts throughout the week. We love these overnight oats or a pan of baked oatmeal. Egg bites or a sheet pan frittata are also easy to prep and will store well all week long. Our kids like to fold a piece of frittata in two pieces of English muffin or a bagel for a breakfast on the go!
A Jar of Goodness
A jar of vinaigrette or something pickled can take a boring salad or sandwich to the next level. Pickled onions are in our weekly rotation. You’ll find yourself putting them on everything! We also love a simple vinaigrette that requires little to no chopping and comes together quickly. We let the kids assemble this one every Sunday for our week ahead.
Label & Plan
After putting in the work in the kitchen, make the most of your time. Label your prepped items! Label your leftovers and put them front and center in the fridge to be sure they get eaten. And especially if things are going into the freezer, label, label, label. You think you’ll remember but you’ll definitely forget! Finally, make a plan. Use your planner to map out your week and utilize all of the items you’ve made ahead.
Do you have some favorite meal planning or prepping tricks to share? We’d love to hear your tips in the comments. And report back and let us know what you incorporate into your routine! After a week or two of planning and prepping ahead, you may find it a vital part of your weekly routine! Happy cooking!