A new year is about to begin, and a perfect time to focus more on a healthier diet. This post is all about making meal prep more manageable and helping you along the way, while also being honest about the process.
There are many benefits to meal prepping. You can quickly and easily grab a meal and eat straight from the container. We use them for lunch, so we don’t have to spend time making lunch every day. It does take time to prep. We’re two people working when we prep, and it usually takes us about 4-5 hours, plus cleaning up afterward. It’s time-consuming, but it saves you time during the week. If we have an evening when we don’t feel like cooking or haven’t had time to shop, it’s an easy and quick solution to take some meals out of the freezer and have them for dinner.
Meal Prep Ingredient Ideas
Here are some ingredient and combo ideas for your meal prep. You can mix and match them as you like. We almost always use wheat/whole grain.
Foundation:
- Ric
- Pasta
- Bulgur
- Potatoes – cut into smaller pieces and roasted in the oven—usually tossed in oil and thyme.
Vegestables:
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms – usually portobello. They are bigger and therefore easier and quicker to clean because of that.
- Asparagus
- Sugar snap peas
- Bell peppers
- Pointed cabbage
- Leeks
- Celery
- Carrots
- Baby corn
- Spinach
Meat:
- Ground beef
- Ground chicken
This is the Ingredients we’ve been focusing on over the past few months. There are plenty of ways to combine the ingredients to keep things varied. We’re always experimenting and adding new ideas to find out what works best—especially because the meals will be frozen and should remain exciting when reheated. Lately, we’ve been able to prep over 30 portions, each around 350 grams per container, per meal prep.
The process in pictures:
Chop, chop, and cook, cook. Cook the meat and season with your favorite seasoning. Chop and cook the vegetables individually.
Choose which ingredients you want to mix together, and mix it in a big bowl. We mix one dish at a time. We mix and match the foundations with different meat and vegetables, so we get around 4 different dishes.
Measure the food into containers. We measure around 350 grams.
Done!
Are you missing the right tools?
Here are some suggestions for kitchen tools that can be helpful when cooking large portions, or preparing multiple dishes for your meal prep.
Food Containers
Once your meals are prepared, it’s important to store them properly. Use containers that fit the portions you need and are freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe. This way, you can skip using a plate and eat straight from the container—fewer dishes to clean!
Mixing bowls
It’s helpful to have plenty of bowls for your prepped vegetables after chopping them to your desired size. I like to separate the vegetables and cook them individually to ensure each gets the right cooking time, so having a bowl for each type is essential for me. You’ll also need a large bowl for mixing your dishes if you choose to do like I do.
Cookware Set
When prepping like this, you’ll want a variety of bases, such as rice, pasta, bulgur etc. You’ll also need to cook large amounts of meat and vegetables. That’s why it’s essential to have equipment that can handle big portions, so you can minimize the number of batches and cook multiple things at once. At least one large frying pan and two big pots are a must—more if possible!
This set also looks great and includes various sizes, but with larger options.
Spoons for Cooking
You’ll need some tools for stirring, chopping, and more.
Meat Chopper
If you’re using different types of ground meat—like ground beef or chicken—this tool is a game-changer. Cooking large portions often means you’ll need to brown the meat in batches due to the volume and variety. Without a meat chopper or a similar tool, your arm will quickly tire from all the breaking up and stirring—I speak from experience! We had to take turns until we finally got a meat chopper, and it made all the difference.
Garlic Presser
We love garlic, and there’s nothing better than using fresh garlic when cooking meat. When dealing with such large portions, this tool can save you a lot of time and effort.
Slicer and chopper
A tool like this can be a time-saver. In my experience, chopping vegetables is often the most time-consuming part of meal prep. Having a tool like this can make the process easier, at least for certain types of vegetables.
Cutting Boards
By now, you’ve probably realized there’s a lot of chopping involved. Some vegetables won’t work in a slicer, so you’ll need to cut or peel them by hand. That’s where a set of cutting boards becomes absolutely essential.
If you prefer wooden cutting boards, these look like a great option.
I’m not going to lie. It is hard, it takes time and planning, but it is worth it. Thanks for reading, and good prepping!
This was a simple guide for meal prep.