Meal prepping is my favorite way to cook during the summer, and through all the seasons tbh. Meal prepping saves money, and time, all while allowing you to eat more healthy and homemade meals.
Have you ever meal prepped? Do you know what it is? Let’s take a look at these answers and find out a whole lot more about this food preparation.
What is meal prepping?
It can be as little as taking leftovers to work for lunch or as much as having any sauces for the week made, vegetables and fruits chopped, or meats pre-seasoned and ready to go on the grill. (Because it’s summer, and let me tell you, meal prepping on the grill is the best.)
Now, to truly meal prep, you don’t just make one lunch and have it ready for the next day. Meal prepping is more like preparing lunch for the whole week, and dinners, or at least having all the ingredients cut up and ready to be cooked.
Why do it?
Meal prepping takes a little bit of time and energy for the “prep” work but in the end it cuts back your cooking time, gives you more life time, and is certainly more healthful for you and your wallet than eating out.
Who should meal prep?
Anyone can meal prep but it does take some time. Like so much else, the more you do it, the better (and faster) you will get. But if you don’t love leftovers or eating the same meal several times within a week, then you will not like meal prepping.
The thing is, there is full on meal prepping, where you make, prepare, cut and have everything readied for your week, or you could just do the cutting part. Having everything cut up and portioned out is still considered meal prepping and will significantly cut down on the amount of time you spend in the kitchen throughout your week.
What can be meal prepped?
What to cook and prep.
The best things to meal prep are sauces and dips including salsa, hummus, sour cream mixtures, and toppings, because these can all be made ahead (ie: meal prepped) and they all stay fresh in the refrigerator well. Win-Win.
Fruits and vegetables, for the most part, are great for meal prepping, too. You can cut vegetables like peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and cabbage to be the right size and shape for you meals, and therefore ready to be thrown in with the mix. Some fruits can be pre-prepped as well, with apples (with lemon juice on them to prevent browinning,) stone fruits, and citrus fruits being some of the best.
The great thing about meal prepping is it can work for any “diet.” You can meal prep pasta dishes, soups, salads, and even specific types of meals like Paleo or Vegan dishes. (And truth be told, meal prepping is the greatest and best way to eat specifically Paleo or Vegan, because you cook a lot more with this lifestyle the way it is.) And as it goes, the more you prep, the more you have ready to cook.
Meal prepping works great for busy families, couples, and singles alike. It will up your dinner game, provide delicious leftovers, and you will have ready-made and healthy snacks and foods to grab and eat during your week. For great meal prep ideas, watch for more!