Why You Suck at Meal Prep

So, you’ve tried to master meal prep and you suck. It’s a common problem. Not only can meal prep become tedious and boring, it can often feel like a chore. Nobody has time for that! So, today I am here to give you some tips on how to change your approach to meal prep. It’s time to move away from repetitive meals, it’s time to stop running out of food. We need to look at it from a new and refreshing angle. Let’s get excited about cooking again. I’m here to save you time, energy and I’m here to save you from that bland chicken and rice you cook every Sunday.

So, why are you failing? A lot of people see meal prep like the image above. Where they make whole meals and pop it all in tubs. Then it sits in the fridge and they eat the same thing for four days. No wonder you’ve given up, I couldn’t eat the same thing every day either. Great meal prep is about having different elements that you can pull together to make different meals. To cut down your time in the kitchen without giving up on flavour. Following these steps will help you stop calling the take-a-way mid week.

How to nail meal prep

When it comes to meal prep, we need to break it down into elements instead of physical meals. You need to look at the base ingredients you reach for when it comes to cooking. Approaching it from this angle will help you figure out what you actually need to prep. Things like an all round dressing or a spice blend mix. It might not seem like traditional ‘meal prep’ but it will highly benefit your cooking. Saving you time and energy. You also want to remember these few things; make it fun, get a helper, look at it as an experiment, a way to try new things. You could listen to your favourite podcast or an audio book. Get someone to help you with the chopping or washing up as you go along. Also try and remember who it’s benefitting. It’s not only going to save you time and be delicious, but it’s great for your family or your own peace of mind.

Have a stocked pantry

Here in the UK, we don’t necessarily have a ‘pantry’ but make sure your cupboards are stocked with all those dry and tinned things you might need. Things like dried or tinned beans, a good range of spices, oils, grains, rice, flours and nut butters. It really will benefit you in the long run and they help to create the base of so many dishes. What I will say, is to check your cupboards thoroughly before you go shopping. We want to use up all of the things we have before buying more. I talk about this in my how to stop food waste post. I used to never do an inventory before going shopping and I’d end up with 12 cans of chopped tomatoes.

Make a spice blend

I always have two spice blends in my cupboard at all times. A sweet version like a chai spice mix and a savoury one. They are usually made up of lots of different spices, so it saves me time by making a big batch to store. This can then be added to puddings, baked goods, meat, fish, curries etc. Without the time faff mid week. A great thing to prep and keep around.

Have a cooked grain/pulse on hand

Batch cooking something like rice, pulses, grains or beans is a great base to work from and opens you up to a wide range of meals. You can add them to curries, bolognese, stir fry, salads. The possibilities are truly endless. A lot of people say not to cook and keep rice, but it’s all in the cooling. As long as you cook it and then cool it instantly, the bacteria can’t thrive. Simply lay it out flat on a plate in a single layer.

Freeze fresh fruit

Chop, wash and freeze fresh fruit. Not only does it save it from spoiling, it’s a great base for a number of things. Smoothies, sauces, ice cream, compote. Simply wash it thoroughly, chop it into bite size pieces and lay it flat on a baking tray in a single layer. Allow to freeze and then you can add it all to a container without it sticking together. I love having pineapple, apple, banana and blueberries especially.

Make a base sauce

Whether it’s a tomato sauce, salad dressing or creamy sauce. Making a batch and having it in the fridge will save time and be a great base element to meals. Add it to pasta, salads, meat, fish, roasted veggies. A fresh sauce can be packed with flavour and is a great way to use up a lot of loose ends you may have in the fridge. I like to roast any random veggie odds and ends and blitz them into a tin of chopped tomatoes with fresh herbs. A great thing to have on hand.

Make a stock or bone broth

Having a stock or bone broth in the fridge opens you up to a world of possibilities. You can obviously buy them already made, but making your own means you can add all the personal flavours you like. You can then add it to ramen, noodle soup, normal soup, curries, sauces or drink as is. I love to add lots of aromatics to mine, so I can make a pretend Pho.

Get your bake on

Having some sort of baked good around is always a good idea. Be that some muffins, a banana bread, flap jacks. They can be as healthy as you like and are a good way to use up any odds and ends or fruit that might be wasted. I like making bean bars from Green Kitchen Stories, so delicious! They are a great, healthy snack which will help with that mid afternoon sugar slump.

Make a batch of granola

Granola is so easy to make. Not only is it amazingly adaptable, but it has so many uses. You can add it to yoghurt, ice cream, milk, pop it on top of crumbles, trail mix or simply eat it as a snack. You can also make huge batches that last you a super long time. As soon as I started making my own, I never bought it from the shops again. I love adding nut butters to mine for a dose of healthy fats.

utilise your kitchen gadgets

All those kitchen gadgets in your cupboards and on the surfaces that never get used? Use them! Especially pressure, slow or instant pot cookers. They save you so much time and are great at batch cooking. The Instant pot can make so many things. Yoghurt, bread, cakes, big batches of soup, rice, broth, pulses. Utilising these things will help save you time and act as another pair of hands. Grating and chopping attachments will also save you energy and time. I would be lost without my mini chopper.

Make a great salad/pickle/salsa or slaw

I live for crunchy vegetables. I also really adore a condiment and can’t live without them in the fridge. Things like pickled onions, or a great salad are awesome to have on hand. They can take a sandwich or a plain piece of meat or fish to the next level. Add them to wraps, glow bowls, grain dishes, tacos. They are always great to prep and have on hand.

Make healthy snacks

The main reason people fall off the meal prep/healthy eating train is because they don’t think about snacks. Having a decent snack prepped will significantly reduce your need to run to the corner shop for a Twix. I’m talking about this from personal experience, it’s why I no longer keep chocolate in my house. Sacrilege, I know. Prepping things like granola, muffins, banana bread, flapjacks, chopped fruit, chopped fresh crunchy veggies, a hummus or some sort of glorious dip will help take the edge off. You can introduce things like sweet potatoes into brownies or beans into bars. It’s a good way to stabilise blood sugars and release energy slowly.

Shop SEASONALLY

Shopping in season is not only tastier, but cheaper. It means that you will grabbing the best fruit and vegetables or fish that are at their peak. This makes for more delicious meals and is exciting when you head into the kitchen. Freezing or preserving the in season ingredients is a great way to make them last longer too.