How to Meal Prep: 6 Tips for Beginners, Plus Meal Ideas
Key takeaways:
Meal prepping is easier than you might think.
Some of the benefits of meal prepping include saving time, saving money, and having a healthier diet.
Start with two to three meal ideas per week and make sure you make enough for leftovers.
Table of contents
You may have heard of meal prepping, but haven’t tackled it yet. Misconceptions about what meal prepping is and how to do it might be holding you back from trying it.
Thankfully, meal prepping doesn’t have to be complicated. When practiced it can both benefit your health and make some parts of your life easier. Here are the basics on how to meal prep along with some easy ideas to get you started.
What is meal prepping?
When you think of meal prepping, you might picture hours in the kitchen cooking up multiple recipes, and storing them away in organized containers.
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While that is one (more complicated) way to do it, it’s not the only way.
In the simplest terms, meal prepping is preparing meals in advance. It can take on different forms, such as:
Preparing entire meals for just one meal or one day at a time
Preparing entire meals for multiple meals or days at a time
Preparing individual, separate ingredients to be used in meals later on, such as cooking meats or chopping vegetables
How to meal prep (on a budget)
Now that you understand what meal prep is, you’re likely wondering how to make it work for you.
Meal prepping doesn’t have to be daunting or take as much time as you may think. Anyone can learn basic meal-prepping skills, no matter how busy they are or how tight their budget is.
Here are some of the best meal prepping tips for beginners.
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1. Plan for it
One of the best ways to succeed with meal prepping is to be consistent with it. To do this, you may need to plan it into your schedule just like you would an appointment.
Think of a day and time that you generally have available and consider how much time you are willing or able to dedicate to doing some prep work. It’s OK if the day and amount of time change from week to week.
Also, use your calendar as a guide so that your plan for meal prep works with your schedule. If there are nights you won't be home in time to cook, plan ahead to put a meal in the slow cooker that morning or make a larger meal earlier in the week so you'll have leftovers to eat. Be flexible and focus on doing what you can.
2. Choose a variety of meals you want to make
Start with a list of two to three meal ideas for the week (such as tacos, a casserole, and a stew). Once you've practiced, include more. But the list generally shouldn’t exceed 5 to 7 days’ worth of meals to help prevent spoiling of fresh ingredients.
The meal ideas should consider things like dietary needs and preferences, as well as how much time you’ll have to cook. It is important to keep meals simple, especially when first starting out.
Create your grocery list around the meals you came up with, and be sure to also include staple items you know you and your family like to eat throughout the week. To save more money, see what ingredients you already have in your kitchen and base your meals on those.
3. Make the most of your cooking time
Batch cooking (cooking large portions at one time) is a great way to maximize cooking time. You can make the ingredients for the dishes ahead of time and store them. That way you can mix and match them throughout the week. Some common ingredients that can be batch cooked include whole grains, hard-boiled eggs, and vegetables.
Cooking double or triple batches of favorite meals is also an excellent way to save time later in the week. Extras can be frozen and reheated when needed.
Also, think about what cooking methods you will be using, and try to keep things similar between recipes and ingredients. For example:
If you’re already planning on using your oven, think about another item you can roast along with it.
If you are chopping veggies for dinner, consider chopping for tomorrow’s meal while you’re at it.
While you are waiting for food to cook in the oven or water to boil, you can clean as you go to lower the time you spend in the kitchen.
4. Ensure you have enough meal prep storage containers
You will need an appropriate place to store ingredients, meals, and leftovers. Choose glass or silicone containers to reduce exposure to BPA and other toxins found in plastic (which should never be heated). Mason jars and glass bowls or glass Tupperware work well, and stackable ones add even more convenience.
5. Keep a well-stocked kitchen
Over time, come up with a list of a few “go-to” meals that you will always have ingredients on hand for (such as ingredients for your favorite soup, a chicken casserole, or a stir-fry). You’ll want to re-stock these ingredients as they are used to ensure you always have the basics for at least one to two meals that your family enjoys. Frozen versions of the ingredients are great for convenience.
In addition, there are some staple items that you can include on your grocery list, which can be made into a wide variety of meals. These items may include:
3 to 4 protein sources (such as fish, beans or lentils, and eggs)
3 to 4 types of fruit (fresh or frozen)
3 to 4 veggies (fresh, pre-chopped, or frozen)
2 to 3 whole grains (such as brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat bread)
2 to 3 multipurpose dips, spreads, and sauces (such as hummus, tahini, and salsa)
2 to 3 snack items (such as nuts, popcorn, or healthy granola bars)
2 to 3 dairy products or plant-based dairy alternatives (such as yogurt, milk, and cheese)
6. Repurpose leftovers
Eating leftovers doesn’t have to mean eating the same thing for multiple days in a row. Switch up ingredients, garnishes, or sides to create multiple versions of a similar meal. You can also freeze extra meals for when you’re really strapped for time.
And even if you don’t have enough leftovers for a full meal, freezing extra ingredients — like minced garlic, pureed tomatoes, or grated ginger — can help meal prepping become a faster process. One way to do this is to use an empty ice cube tray to store leftover ingredients.
Healthy meal prep ideas
There is an endless variety of meals that work well for meal prepping. Here are a few examples.
1. Tacos, burritos, or nachos
You can batch cook some shredded chicken or ground turkey ahead of time and pre-chop veggies like onions and bell peppers. Then, as long as you have other staples on hand like canned beans, tortilla chips and/or tortillas, shredded lettuce, salsa, avocados, and shredded cheese, you can create a quick, easy, and delicious meal the whole family will love.
2. Grain bowls
These are versatile meals that can be made with whatever you have on hand. Use pre-cooked whole or ancient grains like quinoa, farro, and barley, then add in fresh or frozen cooked vegetables, a protein source, seasonings, and some sort of dressing or sauce based on preference.
For example, cook quinoa with roasted salmon, chopped cooked asparagus, a sprinkle of feta cheese, and dress with a balsamic vinaigrette.
3. Protein + starch + veggie combo
This is another staple meal with endless variety and can be customized based on family favorites or what you have on hand. Simply use a protein source (such as roasted chicken breast, fresh or previously frozen and thawed) and pair it with a starch like sweet potatoes or rice plus some vegetables like broccoli.
Each of these things could be prepped ahead of time, and you can add any combo of flavorings to suit preferences or use up leftover ingredients.
4. Casseroles
Almost any casserole can be made ahead of time. Either keep it in the fridge for 1 to 2 days before baking it, or cook it, freeze it, and store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can either make the whole casserole ahead of time or just prep certain components.
5. Oatmeal
Dinners aren’t the only meal that works for meal prep. Oatmeal is a perfect meal for prepping ahead of time and will keep in the fridge for about 4 days.
You can prep overnight oats or make a batch of baked oatmeal to use for multiple servings throughout the week.
What are the benefits of meal prepping?
Meal prepping has a lot of benefits. Some of the ways that meal prepping can benefit you include the following.
Saves time
While it takes some extra planning and up-front time, meal prepping can save significant time throughout the week by having ingredients or meals ready to be used. This also can help lower your stress levels.
Saves money
Planning meals ahead of time while cooking at home can save you money. You will be less likely to buy ingredients and items you don’t need or use, which saves money and reduces food waste. Learning how to meal prep can also help you lower your dependency on eating out — which can end up being more expensive than eating at home.
May help with portion control
It is well-known that many restaurants give larger than normal portion sizes. If you’re in the habit of finishing what you order, you might be unintentionally eating more food than you need.
Eating at home gives you more control over your meal portions and can help prevent unintended overeating. It can also make you more in touch with your fullness cues (a principle of intuitive eating). Having planned meals and pre-prepped ingredients may also result in less mindless eating or grazing all day.
Likely to lead to a more nutrient-dense diet
Meal prepping involves using home-prepared ingredients and recipes. These will almost always be less processed and more nutrient-dense than food from a restaurant or convenience items (packaged foods).
Research done in a sample of over 40,000 French adults determined that meal planning was associated with a healthier diet and lower rates of obesity. In addition, results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007-2010 showed that home-cooked dinners were associated with lower intakes of calories, sugar, and fat.
Since you get to control the ingredients, you play a larger role in the quality and nutrient density of the meal.
May teach valuable skills
As an added benefit, meal prepping can also teach important skills like:
Cooking: The more you meal prep, the more comfortable you’ll feel preparing different recipes and trying out different cooking methods.
Planning: As you get into the habit of cooking more, you’ll get a better idea of how many ingredients you’ll need to cook for the week.
Budgeting: Shopping for the ingredients you need can help you become more familiar with the cost of different foods. As a result, you can choose ingredients that best fit your budget.
Boosting your creativity: Meal prepping can help you find new and innovative ways to use items you already have in your fridge and pantry. This can come in handy when you don’t have time to make a grocery run.
Reading nutrition labels: Meal prepping can help you get into the habit of reading nutrition labels as you shop for food ingredients. Learning this skill can help you make healthy choices.
If you have a family, learning how to meal prep can also help you teach these skills to your kids or other loved ones. And in doing so, preparing food together can also double as spending quality time together.
The bottom line
Meal prepping can save time, money, and energy. It’s also better for your health than eating out or eating pre-packaged convenience foods at home. Focus on finding what works for you and your family, and be sure to celebrate any progress.
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References
Ducrot, P., et al. (2017). Meal planning is associated with food variety, diet quality and body weight status in a large sample of French adults. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. (2015). Portion distortion.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2021). Bisphenol A (BPA).
National Institute of Health. Save money by cooking smarter.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Overnight oatmeal.
Wolfson, J., et al. (2015). Is cooking at home associated with better diet quality or weight-loss intention? Public Health Nutrition.
