Meal Prepping – Lettuce be Honest, Clean-up is the Hardest Part

I’m sure we can all relate to those busy days when we reach dinner time and have not taken something out to make for dinner. This is a great opportunity to consider meal prepping. What exactly is meal prepping? It is the act of preparing a meal or recipe, then portioning it out to create grab-and-go meals for other days of the week. Let’s talk about the 4 C’s of meal prepping: cost effective, convenient, calorie-controlled, and colorful.

Meal prepping allows us to follow sales and plan our menu around food items which are in season and more cost-effective. If menus are planned for the week, we can purchase food items which may be used in more than one recipe which will help to decrease food waste. We will also be able to decrease our frequency of ordering out or picking up prepared foods on our way home. On average, meals which are prepped at home cost between $3 and $5 per portion. If we purchase meals from local restaurants, meals can cost significantly greater than $10 per meal.

Although meal prepping requires time to plan menus, follow sales in grocery flyers and time to prepare meal ingredients, it is very convenient to put a meal together throughout the course of the week. Grains, such as quinoa, brown rice and whole wheat pasta can be prepared in advance. Vegetables can be chopped or diced and stored in air-tight containers. Protein sources can either be cooked in advance or marinated so that cooking can take place as soon as you return home. Additional food sources which work well in meal prepping include cooked beans, cheese, whole fruits, nuts, seeds and sauces. If you prefer to maintain more variety in meal choices, you can place some meals in the freezer for later use. It is a good practice to date and label your meals to allow for proper rotation of meals and a decrease in food waste.

Meal prepping reduces temptation to eat outside your weekly menu. Meals can be portioned in re-usable containers which helps to manage portion size and total calories consumed. Snacks can also be pre-portioned in advance which helps to decrease temptation of over-indulging in treats. Studies show that eating meals prepared away from home relates to a worse quality diet and a higher percentage of body fat, demonstrating the importance of high-quality nutrients on our health.

Eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in season will bring an array of colors to your meal in addition to many vital vitamins and minerals. Nutrient-dense foods can help to decrease our risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic disease.

There is no better time than the present to give meal prepping a try! Tuesday, June 9 is National Meal Prep Day. Give it a try!