In the event you’re a busy mum (test) with a to-do checklist so long as your arm (test) who desires to eat nicely however hasn’t bought 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 Challenge, however we perceive that a few of you could have by no means tried it earlier than.
So chances are you’ll be feeling slightly overwhelmed with the way it all works.
Key takeaways:
- An enormous number of meal prep ideas and recommendation
- The best containers for meal prep
- Recipe solutions that may work nicely for you
All aboard!
Soar 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 night time getting ready meals, it rapidly provides up by the tip 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 few 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 need to really feel overwhelmed. Meal prep might be made up of easy duties like chopping components and storing them in hermetic containers, making a batch of wholesome meal prep recipes from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, 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 (as an illustration, you may 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 components in bulk – it’s usually less expensive in the event you purchase 3kg of hen breast as a substitute of 500g. Identical goes with components like 2kg luggage of potatoes, 1kg luggage of rice and so forth. Each little bit of cash saved is cash in your pocket.
- You’ll have spare time to hold with the youngsters within the witching hour (after they simply need to snuggle up and browse a ebook 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 whenever you’re drained and hungry, understanding there’s a wholesome meal already made at residence.
- You utilize 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 multitude EVERY DAY!
What is going to I must get began?
You don’t want lots of kitchen tools, however these are the fundamentals to make it slightly simpler.
Meals processor, blender, kettle, sharp knives, chopping boards, pots and pans, slow cooker (elective, however we adore it), and meal prep containers for the completed product.
And, after all, don’t neglect the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge app!
What ought to I make for my first try?
Don’t go too onerous too quickly! To start out 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 may make a double batch of Slow Cooker Asian Chicken after which a double batch of Mexican Lasagne.
Then as soon as they’re cooking, you may make a double batch of the Raspberry Muffins, and a double batch of the Weetbix Slice. That may make FOUR complete household meals and THIRTY SIX serves of some wholesome snacks!
How do I start?
Getting began with meal prep doesn’t need to be this big factor the place you spend each weekend planning and doing all 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 attempting to eat more healthy. No matter you determine, getting began with meal prepping begins by taking step one.
Step 1. Resolve what you want to prepare dinner throughout your session.
You may select to prepare dinner a dinner meal prep recipe (an excellent begin!) or add in lunch meal prep concepts too (why not simply use dinner leftovers for lunch?), you may need to meal prep some snacks too.
Soar on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge app and sort in an ingredient you need 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 checklist’ button.
Step 2. Make a procuring checklist (or use the one on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem) and buy groceries.
Make a procuring checklist (or use the one on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge) and buy groceries. Verify the cabinets to see in case you have fundamentals like oil, flour, pepper and so forth.
Many mums discover it helpful to make use of on-line procuring in order that they’ll see what their whole spend can be and make modifications if wanted to suit inside their funds.
Step 3. Carve out a while (relying on what you’re cooking and what number of recipes you could have) 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 components prepared
The meals processor might be useful right here to cut onions, carrots, cabbage, and so forth. Why not attempt utilizing the oven, stovetop and a slow cooker unexpectedly to be able 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 greatest to get something cooking first that may take slightly longer, then work again from there.
Suppose forward of time about what you can also make whereas one other meal is baking within the oven, as an illustration.
Step 6. As soon as the meals has cooled, it’s time to bundle it up
You may select to bundle your meals into single-serve parts or into family-sized parts, relying in your wants.
Enable the meals to chill utterly within the fridge in a single day, then place it within the freezer the subsequent day. This avoids freezer burn. Label all the things to be able to see at a look what you could have within the freezer.
What if I don’t have sufficient room to retailer a great deal of containers?
That’s OK! Not everybody has a giant freezer or a number of meal prep containers. Right here’s what you are able to do:
- Make your lunch for the week – place some cooked hen, rice and greens, or some pre-chopped salad into 5 containers (no dressing) that you could simply pull out every day.
- Type breakfast out to make mornings a breeze. As an illustration, you may make these Chia Puddings (or there are a great deal of recipes in the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge) or a batch of the Gluten Free Granola to maintain available for the week.
- Meal prep your snacks for the week and retailer them within the fridge. Suppose Zucchini Carrot Cake, or Lemon and Coconut Bliss Balls. These don’t take up a lot room.
- Simply prepare dinner and freeze the primary part of the meal, which you’ll then add simply with a aspect of rice or veggies. You would make a triple batch of Chilli con Carne or Bolognese to make use of with pasta one night time, then tacos one other night time, 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 exploit for meal prep?
Choosing the proper meal prep containers could be very a lot a private selection.
However the primary 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.
You too can use ziplock luggage for issues like bliss balls or muffins, as they take up much less room.
Which dinner recipes work nicely 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 Challenge. In the event you’re in search of inspiration and for hundreds of meal prep concepts for weight reduction you’ll find lots 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 wish to eat more healthy:
Seafood
If seafood is extra your type, take a look at these wholesome meal prep recipes excellent 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 excellent vary of wholesome recipes excellent for the subsequent weekly meal prep which are excellent for vegetarians:
- Baked Cheese & Tomato Risotto
- Spinach & Pumpkin Curry
- Simple 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 in search of meal prep concepts for weight reduction, probably the most essential meals to incorporate in any meal prep is snacks as a result of everyone knows how simple it’s to seize a less-than-healthy snack. Listed here are our favorite snack recipes prepared in your weekly meal prep:
Why do these mums like to meal prep?
Sascha Farley (proper) misplaced an unimaginable 34kg following the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
Sascha says, “Realizing I’m making the precise selections, particularly in relation to ‘treats’ has been the largest studying for me. I’ve all the time bought 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 Challenge 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.”
Rhian Allen (centre) is the founding father of the Wholesome Mummy. As a busy mum of two, she is aware of that a meal prep routine is a good way to assist those that are struggling to eat nicely.
Rhian says, “Meal prep offers you peace of thoughts, understanding that on the finish of a busy day, you’ve bought a wholesome meal able to go at residence.”
Uninterested in questioning what to prepare dinner?
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