The hustle and bustle of life can easily get in the way of simple everyday tasks. Sure, eating is a necessary part of our days but when you’re juggling multiple tasks at once, you barely have time to prepare your meals. You either eat unhealthy packaged or canned foods or rely on food delivery services that’ll eventually take a toll on your wallet.
So if you want to cut down on your spending and make sure you’re eating healthily, meal prep is the way to go. Not sure where to start? Here are some tips to consider:
Block time in your week to meal prep
Meal prep may be a daunting task but you really just need to get started to get into the habit of it. Before you start cooking, plan what you want to eat in the coming week. You can choose between preparing whole meals or prepare individual ingredients that you can mix and match instead. Once you know what you want to eat, prepare your meals before your incoming work week. It may take you an hour or so but you’ll be saving your future self the worry.
Combine different food groups
If you want to eat healthily, you have to consider the core food groups and make sure you they’re all accounted for in your meals. Preparing a balanced meal is important especially if you plan on repeating certain meals throughout the week. Always have your fill of proteins, carbohydrates and of course, fruits and vegetables.
Store your meals properly
All your meal prep will be for naught if your food spoils from improper storage. While the fridge will keep your meals safe for a couple of days, they will still spoil if you leave them too long. Consider whether you need to put them in the freezer instead. Don’t overpack your food in your containers and make sure your food isn’t sitting out in room temperature for more than two hours before you store them because this increases your risk of food poisoning.
Meal prep may be hard at first, but once you get into the habit, you’ll reap its benefits: you get to save money, you get to eat healthier, and you get to save time during the work week!
READ: Too lazy to prepare a meal? Green smoothies will save the day!
