Meal prep your way to a better week (every week)
A Sunday well spent, brings a week of content.
Meal prepping is so much more than just a buzzword. Although every second Tiktokker likes to show you their state-of-the-art meal prepping routine, with millions of little containers and finicky home-made feasts, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Even the most basic meal prep (bake a batch of pre-mix muffins, or even just cooking a bunch of rice and storing it for weekday dinner) can make a huge difference to your midweek meal mood. If, however, you have the time, energy and desire to give future you a break, why not go into full out meal prep mode on a Sunday?
Before you start, we have some advice.
Be prepared.
It doesn’t help that you make enough food for your tribe but can’t store it properly and safely. We think there was a reason your mom and gogo used to hang out (and host) Tupperware parties. Having a good selection of BPA free plastic or glass containers to portion and store your prepped meals in is a necessity for successful meal prepping.
Things to take into account include size (how much quinoa can one person really eat), material (do not send your kid to school with a glass mason jar), and versatility. You want to be able to use your containers for different things without too much hassle. Something made specifically for a hard boiled egg or a boerie roll can’t easily fit an apple, or a burger bun. Clear plastic also allows you to see whats going on, in case you forget which container contains what by Thursday and end up packing yourself a lunch of rice and pasta instead of the balanced meal you had planned.
Be realistic.
This is not the time for Kale unless you love it. Despite what most Tiktokkers will have you believe, you don’t have to pack bland raw veggies and flavourless steamed chicken breast. Treat yourself to healthy but yummy food. Grain or pasta salads, bakes like cottage pie or quiche and even curries and stews are great ways to fight the midday blood sugar slump and feel that little bit special about how well you are taking care of yourself.
Be kind to yourself.
The whole point of meal prepping is to make your life better. Even if you work from home, pack yourself a “lunchbox” and take a break to eat it. Proper meal prepping and good cooked lunches can even take the stress out of cooking dinner, as no one will be completely famished come 6 o’clock.
Be food smart.
You know what your family eats and what your cooking skill level is. Use your ingredients cleverly and avoid food waste by sticking to the basics and doubling up on recipes. Today’s roast veggie bake becomes tomorrow’s quiche filling etc. Don’t start buying foreign and new ingredients unless you have a plan to finish it off before it goes off.
Go slow…
If you are new to the food prep game, start with one meal of the day. And if a Sunday spent cooking sounds like a chore rather than a challenge, you can even just plan your week’s menus ahead and do your shopping so long.
Manage your menu.
Most importantly – don’t get stuck in a rut. A spaghetti bolognaise lunchbox and a baked lasagna dinner will probably have you yearning for a less stodgy meal before the week is done.
Go local (if you can)
The whole point of meal planning instead of take-aways, or meal kits is being kinder to yourself, your pocket and the planet. One way of achieving this without too much fuss is by trying to source some of your ingredients locally. Maybe find some eggs, or honey sold at a local deli, buy your bread from a real baker instead of a supermarket aisle or become part of a veggie exchange program in your community.
We know this sounds like work, but just think how proud you’ll be to take out your home-made, locally sourced, farm to table lunch instead of a Streetwise box…
