Meal Prep Tips - Love of Food Network

Our Top Ten Meal Prep Tips

Meal Planning does not have to be difficult. It does however take some time and practice before you get good at it. Think of it as more of a sport than it is a hobby and you will be on the right track.

We clearly see people fall into two distinct categories: Just Starting Out Meal Prepping or Needing To Get Better At Meal Prep.

Let’s address each seperately

Just Starting Out Meal Prepping Tips

Handling and Storing Food

Have a plan for storing your meals. Select the container sizes that stack for easy storage and are shallow enough to allow hot foods to cool quickly. Understand the danger zone numbers between 40F and 140F and what those mean to your health and the health of others.

Cooking Food Safely

Knowing what temperature to cook foods is one of the most overlooked important rules of food safety. Get a good meat thermometer and know the proper temperature for cooking poultry, pork and beef.

Start Small

Be realistic, don’t try to prepare an entire weeks worth of meals. Try just cutting up some veggies and fruits. You can also just marinate the meat you plan to cook over the next two-three days.

Know Your Motivation

People are motivated to meal prep for many reason. Some want to save money, some want a healthier lifestyle, some are trying to gain or lose weight, some are trying to manage hectic family schedules. While many of these may apply to your situation you need to be clear about your reasons for meal prepping in order to weed out distractions, stay on target and reach that goal. The other benefits of meal prepping will happen over time.

Stick With Recipes That You Already Know

Many who are new to meal prepping download a whole lot of new recipes to get started. This can be a recipe for disaster. If you are just starting out it is better to meal prep one or two meals that you have made before and that are easy and liked by everyone in your household.

Need To Get Better At Meal Prep Tips

The Freezer Is Your Friend

When you cook a meal always make more than you need so that you can freeze for later. We always have things like breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, chili and more on hand.

Talk a walk down a grocery store’s freezer section to expand your mind to the possibilities of the meals you can freeze.

Give Yourself Days Off

If you try to meal prep for every meal, every day of the week you will likely find that you waste both food and time. This can be a costly mistake. Remember to realistically factor in dinners out and takeout meals into your meal prep plan.

Add Variety

Eating the same thing everyday is boring and can lead to meal prep burn out. Instead try different recipes that can add some excitement to meal times

Schedule Time To Meal Prep

Setting aside the proper amount of time in your schedule is crucial. If Sunday you can spare an hour or two and on Wed morning a dedicated hour that can really go a long way. Find the time that works best for you. If you can recruit another household member you can cut the time by half- just saying…

Always Know The Answer To" What Is For Dinner? "

If you start looking at what you have on hand to cook for an evening meal that same evening, you are setting yourself up for failure to plan. If you make a menu and a shopping list for the week. You will always be in control.