In the event you’re a busy mum (test) with a to-do listing so long as your arm (test) who needs to eat effectively however hasn’t acquired hours to spend within the kitchen (test test), this meal prep information is for you.
We do discuss an terrible lot about meal prep concepts and ideas right here on the Wholesome Mummy and on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem, however we perceive that a few of you have got by no means tried it earlier than.
So you could be feeling a bit overwhelmed with the way it all works.
Key takeaways:
- An enormous number of meal prep ideas and recommendation
- The proper containers for meal prep
- Recipe solutions that can work effectively for you
All aboard!
Bounce forward to seek out out extra:
So….what’s meal prep?
In the event you consider the time you spend within the kitchen every day or evening making ready meals, it shortly provides up by the top of the week. And if there’s one factor that us busy mamas don’t have sufficient of – it’s TIME.
That is the place meal prep is available in. By spending a while a couple of times per week (or no matter works for you and your loved ones) chopping, cooking, and packaging up your meals and snacks, you’ll be able to slice a TON of hours off your weekly meal prep and cooking schedule.
However you don’t must really feel overwhelmed. Meal prep may be made up of easy duties like chopping elements and storing them in hermetic containers, making a batch of wholesome meal prep recipes from the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem, or cooking a double batch of your favorite wholesome meals forward, so you’ll be able to freeze some for one more day.
What are the advantages of meal prep?
Oh, so many…
- No extra cooking within the kitchen each single day. By cooking in batches (for example, you would possibly make a double batch of Bolognese, one to make use of this week and one to freeze for one more household meal subsequent week).
- Lower your expenses by shopping for your elements in bulk – it’s usually less expensive should you purchase 3kg of rooster breast as a substitute of 500g. Similar goes with elements like 2kg baggage of potatoes, 1kg baggage of rice and so on. Each little bit of cash saved is cash in your pocket.
- You’ll have spare time to hold with the children within the witching hour (once they simply wish to snuggle up and skim a guide or play a sport), as a substitute of getting emotional youngsters pulling at your legs whilst you attempt to prepare dinner dinner.
- Keep away from the temptation to seize a takeaway while you’re drained and hungry, figuring out there’s a wholesome meal already made at residence.
- You employ much less electrical energy and water as you don’t must prepare dinner as usually. You’ll have much less washing up as you’ll make one BIG mess as a substitute of a large number EVERY DAY!
What’s going to I must get began?
You don’t want quite a lot of kitchen gear, however these are the fundamentals to make it a bit simpler.
Meals processor, blender, kettle, sharp knives, chopping boards, pots and pans, gradual cooker (non-compulsory, however we find it irresistible), and meal prep containers for the completed product.
And, in fact, don’t neglect the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem app!
What ought to I make for my first try?
Don’t go too onerous too quickly! To begin with, why not simply put together two 28 Day Weight Loss Problem dinners (doubling the recipe to make 4 household meals) and two double batches of snacks?
As an illustration, you can make a double batch of Gradual Cooker Asian Rooster after which a double batch of Mexican Lasagne.
Then as soon as they’re cooking, you can make a double batch of the Raspberry Muffins, and a double batch of the Weetbix Slice. That might make FOUR entire household meals and THIRTY SIX serves of some wholesome snacks!
How do I start?
Getting began with meal prep doesn’t must be this large factor the place you spend each weekend planning and doing all of your weekly meal prep. Relying in your freezer house and the dimensions of your loved ones, you are able to do weekly meal prep or simply pre-prep the meals for the times you’re all making an attempt to eat more healthy. No matter you resolve, getting began with meal prepping begins by taking step one.
Step 1. Determine what you want to prepare dinner throughout your session.
You may select to prepare dinner a dinner meal prep recipe (an amazing begin!) or add in lunch meal prep concepts too (why not simply use dinner leftovers for lunch?), you would possibly wish to meal prep some snacks too.
Bounce on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem app and sort in an ingredient you wish to use (e.g. mince), and see what wholesome meal prep recipe pops up that you simply just like the look of. You may customise your meal plan after which hit the ‘procuring listing’ button.
Step 2. Make a procuring listing (or use the one on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem) and buy groceries.
Make a procuring listing (or use the one on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem) and buy groceries. Examine the cabinets to see you probably have fundamentals like oil, flour, pepper and so on.
Many mums discover it helpful to make use of on-line procuring in order that they will see what their whole spend shall be and make adjustments if wanted to suit inside their price range.
Step 3. Carve out a while (relying on what you’re cooking and what number of recipes you have got) to spend within the kitchen cooking
A lot of our 28 Day Weight Loss Problem members swear by the Sunday afternoon cook-up, however do no matter works for you. Many mums do meal prep twice every week.
Step 4. Begin chopping and getting the elements prepared
The meals processor may be useful right here to cut onions, carrots, cabbage, and so on. Why not attempt utilizing the oven, stovetop and a gradual cooker all of sudden in an effort to put together a number of meal prep meals?
Step 5. Begin cooking!
Get your apron on, throw on some tunes, and get into your meal-prepping session.
It’s usually finest to get something cooking first that can take a bit longer, then work again from there.
Assume forward of time about what you can also make whereas one other meal is baking within the oven, for example.
Step 6. As soon as the meals has cooled, it’s time to bundle it up
You would possibly select to bundle your meals into single-serve parts or into family-sized parts, relying in your wants.
Enable the meals to chill fully within the fridge in a single day, then place it within the freezer the subsequent day. This avoids freezer burn. Label every thing in an effort to see at a look what you have got within the freezer.
What if I don’t have sufficient room to retailer a great deal of containers?
That’s OK! Not everybody has an enormous freezer or plenty of meal prep containers. Right here’s what you are able to do:
- Make your lunch for the week – place some cooked rooster, rice and greens, or some pre-chopped salad into 5 containers (no dressing) that you would be able to simply pull out every day.
- Kind breakfast out to make mornings a breeze. As an illustration, you would possibly make these Chia Puddings (or there are a great deal of recipes in the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem) or a batch of the Gluten Free Granola to maintain readily available for the week.
- Meal prep your snacks for the week and retailer them within the fridge. Assume Zucchini Carrot Cake, or Lemon and Coconut Bliss Balls. These don’t take up a lot room.
- Simply prepare dinner and freeze the principle element of the meal, which you’ll then add simply with a facet of rice or veggies. You possibly can make a triple batch of Chilli con Carne or Bolognese to make use of with pasta one evening, then tacos one other evening, wraps, or on prime of a jacket potato. Simply freeze it in household sized parts and defrost it within the fridge in a single day earlier than you intend to make use of it.
Which containers ought to I take advantage of for meal prep?
Choosing the proper meal prep containers could be very a lot a private alternative.
However the principle choices for freezing meals are a budget and cheerful takeaway-style containers from the grocery store (round $3 for 10), which are sometimes single-use;
Or the dearer however higher high quality plastic tubs reminiscent of Décor, Tupperware, Ikea or Sistema.
It’s also possible to use ziplock baggage for issues like bliss balls or muffins, as they take up much less room.
Which dinner recipes work effectively for meal prep?
Listed here are a number of the favorite wholesome meal prep recipes of the Challenge members that love meal prep. All of those wholesome meal prep concepts and recipes can be found to members of the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem. In the event you’re on the lookout for inspiration and for hundreds of meal prep concepts for weight reduction you’ll find loads on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem and Wholesome Mummy web site.
Meat
Listed here are a few of our favorite meal prep concepts for the meat-eaters who want to eat more healthy:
Seafood
If seafood is extra your type, try these wholesome meal prep recipes good for the entire household:
- Fish & Vegetable Curry
- Coconut Fish Sizzling Pot
- Tuna Pasta Bake (pictured above)
- Salmon & Zucchini Patties
- Chilli Tuna Patties with Asian Coleslaw
Vegetarian
We even have an amazing vary of wholesome recipes good for the subsequent weekly meal prep which can be good for vegetarians:
- Baked Cheese & Tomato Risotto
- Spinach & Pumpkin Curry
- Straightforward Fried Rice (pictured above)
- Pesto, Spinach & Ricotta Rolls
- Zucchini & Corn Fritters
- Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Household Pleasant
As busy mums it may be so onerous to seek out scrumptious, wholesome recipes that the entire household loves which is why The Wholesome Mummy has hundreds of family-friendly heathy recipes prepared so that you can meal prep:
Snacks
When on the lookout for meal prep concepts for weight reduction, one of the vital essential meals to incorporate in any meal prep is snacks as a result of everyone knows how straightforward it’s to seize a less-than-healthy snack. Listed here are our favorite snack recipes prepared on your weekly meal prep:
Why do these mums like to meal prep?
Sascha Farley (proper) misplaced an unbelievable 34kg following the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem.
Sascha says, “Realizing I’m making the appropriate decisions, particularly relating to ‘treats’ has been the most important studying for me. I’ve at all times acquired 2-3 wholesome treats prepared for my candy tooth hits. With schooling comes freedom, and The Wholesome Mummy program has given me that.”
Kaitie Purssell (left) misplaced 21kg with the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem and credit her weight reduction to her newfound love of wholesome meals.
Kaitie says, “Being ready and getting organised doesn’t solely save money and time, it additionally makes your life a lot simpler. The Wholesome Mummy way of life was made for busy mums like myself.”
Bored with questioning what to prepare dinner?
Now you’ll be able to simply meal plan with our personalised plans & over 6,000 household & price range pleasant recipes catering to a variety of dietary necessities.
The Wholesome Mummy is a holistic program to nourish your physique with nutritious meals and show you how to keep energetic in your busy, on a regular basis life. Yours and your households effectively being ought to be a precedence so allow us to take the effort out of it.
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