Prep School: 4 Simple Steps To Meal Prep
We know, we know. Meal prep seems like the kind of thing reserved for Type-A hyper-organizers, right? But here’s the thing: if there is one way to stay on track with the kind of healthy, delicious food that makes you feel good all week, it’s preparing meals in advance. The best part? It’s easier than you might think.
4 Simple Steps To Meal Prep
1. Pick a day that works for you.
Sunday is Funday in our Good Clean Kitchen. The most important thing is figuring out when you can devote a couple of hours to meal prep. For us, Sunday is key. Once you get the hang of it, 2 hours start to finish is about all you’ll need.
2. Get your tools ready.
We love using glass containers and jars in various sizes. Organize your fridge, and throw out any old food. And while you’re shopping for those pretty new glass containers, make sure you get a high quality food processor and blender. Dicing and chopping in the kitchen is so much easier when you have great tools to help you do it.
3. Create your meal plan and get shopping.
Meal prep is all about cooking in bulk and eating leftovers. We recommend preparing up to 4-5 days worth of food at a time. Your meals should consist of protein, whole grains, healthy fat and tons of veggies. Having a meal plan and grocery list keeps you focused at the grocery store and keeps you from filling your cart with junk food.
4. Get comfy in your kitchen and get cooking!
Here are our some of our favorite meal prep recipes and tips:
Keep breakfast simple by getting creative with overnight oats in mason jars. Fill 5 jars each with ½ rolled oats, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon protein powder and enough nut milk to cover your mixture.
Bag up ready to blend smoothie ingredients - ½ banana, ½ cup blueberries, 1 cup chopped kale, 1 teaspoon each of flaxseed, hemp seed and chia seeds. Freeze them up in individual bags. When you’re ready to enjoy your smoothie, add 1 ½ cups liquid of your choice (we love coconut water, almond milk, oat milk) to the frozen mixture and blend.
If we could live off of one thing, I’m pretty sure it would be some kind of plant-based “Nourish Bowl.” Grab a 32 ounce jar and layer 1/4 cup of seasonal roasted veggies, whole grains, beans and legumes. Topped off with a sprinkle of nuts and seeds and a homemade sauce. Try making our Sweet Tahini Dressing.
This is where the food processor comes in handy! Cut-up raw veggies are great to store in individual snack containers, too.
Now that the temperatures are dropping, soup is definitely on our meal prep radar. They are super satisfying and an easy way to add more veggies to your day. Make a big batch of soup on Sunday for lunches all week, or to freeze for later.
Meal prep still doesn’t sound like your thing? Then let us do it for you. Order Good Clean Food today, and we will handle all the meal prep and deliver everything to your door, with love.