Meal prep ideas and tips
For those who don’t know, meal prepping is cooking food in advance. Perfect for busy people, or those who don’t enjoy cooking that much, you just take some time where you cook a couple of meals for the week, store it in the fridge and you are done!
1· Change it up
Try out different recipes and change up your meals. If you
do five batches of the same meal, you will be tired by the second day and end
up hating it or choosing an unhealthy option. Prepare different smaller meals
and change them up during the week! You can prepare a couple of vegetable
options, one for protein, two options of complex carbs, and mix up your
containers.
2· Make a plan and multi-task
If you don’t have a clear idea, meal prepping can take quite
a long time. Save yourself some time and stress and have a clear game plan.
Write down the recipes you want to cook and the cooking time. Start with the
ingredients that take longer and multi-task.
Pro-tip: if you have time, plan the whole month. Think of
all the recipes you want to make, create a shopping list, and buy in bulk. This
can be both time-saving and budget-friendly.
3· Smart snacking
Did you know that meal prep doesn’t have to be lunch and
dinner only? You can also prepare snacks and breakfast beforehand. Boil a
couple of eggs, cut vegetables, or store hummus in some containers. With
everything in hand, ready to eat, you are setting yourself up for success.
4· Label and organize
Safe yourself some sorting and searching, and label all your
containers so you can easily find what you are looking for. Include the date on
the container to make sure nothing goes to waste. Are you planning on meal prepping
freezer meals? Remember to label them with the name and date you are cooking
them.
5· Meal prep ideas
Need some extra encouragement and ideas? Here is a weekly example:
· Quinoa and chickpea salad. Add your favorite fruit and vegetables. Looking for some extra flavor and texture? Add some feta cheese as an extra ingredient.
· Chickpea and roasted vegetable curry. Load it with vegetables and leafy greens like spinach. You can add some broccoli to the curry or serve it with some beans or brown rice for added complex carbs.
· Roasted vegetables with black beans. Easy and convenient, use any vegetables you may have in your fridge and roast them.
You only need to cook some quinoa and roast veggies. Make
one or two meals of each recipe, and you are good to go!
In need of a breakfast idea? Overnight oats can be the way
to go. Mix some oats with your milk of choice or yogurt and put it in the
fridge (overnight). Choose your favorite ingredients and toppings. Check out one
of our favorite new recipes using SmartMeal.
SmartMeal overnight oats with summer berries
60 gr of rolled oats
1 scoop of SmartMeal
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
A pinch of cinnamon
150gr of berries of your choice
180ml of the milk of your choice
180ml of Greek yogurt
Pro-tip: Pace yourself! There is nothing worse than spending
hours in the kitchen to then have too many leftovers. Start with 2-3 recipes
and go from there.
