5 Benefits of Meal Prepping

I’ve been meal-prepping for almost 40 years born out of necessity and budget to feed my family.

Preparing meals at home is a great way to save money and eat healthier. This can be as simple as a one-pot meal to a more elaborate recipe. You can find recipes online, in cookbooks, or even from friends and family.

Preparing meals to cover multiple days, aka “meal prep”, is a great way to save time. No matter your skill level, cooking at home can be a rewarding experience. And it’s a lot of fun to eat delicious food you have created. 

Why home-cooked meals?

• It can help you be HEALTHIER. When you cook at home, you have full control over the ingredients in your food. This means you can choose healthier options, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. You are also more likely to stick to your meal plan because you have already invested money and time in preparing your meals.

• It can help you be MORE CONSISTENT. Meal prepping can help you be more consistent with your diet because you will have a plan for what you are going to eat each day. This can help you reach your weight loss or fitness goals.

• It can SAVE YOU MONEY. Cooking at home is much cheaper than eating out – it is less expensive to prepare a healthy meal at home. Meal prepping can save you money because you are less likely to eat out or order takeout. You are also more likely to use up all the food that you buy, which can help reduce food waste. 

• It can SAVE YOU TIME. Meal prepping can save you time during the week because you will not have to cook as often. You can also use the time that you save to do other things, such as working out, spending time with family and friends, or relaxing.

• It can help you be MORE ORGANIZED. Meal prepping can help you be more organized because you will have a plan for what you are going to eat each day. This can help you avoid making last-minute decisions about what to eat, which can help you save time and money. 

What are the steps for meal prep? There are three!

1. Plan your meals

2. Shop for ingredients

3. Meal prep 

Plan your meals

The first step is to plan out your meals for the week. This will help you know what ingredients you need to buy. You can find meal-planning templates online, or you can create your own. If you are new to meal planning, start with simple recipes. Tip: Consider what items are in your pantry and/or refrigerator that can be used when planning your meals. 

Shop for ingredients

Once you know what you need, go shopping for your ingredients. It's helpful to have a list so you don't forget anything. Tip: Always go to the grocery shopping on a full stomach and the grocery list in hand. This will just about eliminate temptations and deviations from the task at hand and ensure you go home with the items from your list. 

Meal prep 

Your meal prep will be dependent on the meals planned for the week. During meal prep you may cook something that gets portioned into individual servings (e.g., roasting a chicken), or you may marinate something (e.g., salmon or steak) that’s easily cooked on the day of with enough for leftovers. It’s also a time to chop vegetables, cook grains and prepare other components of meals ahead of time. Then, when you’re ready to cook, you’ll just have to assemble the meal. Couple Tips:

1. Don’t try to meal prep for the entire week at once. Start with a couple meals and build up as you get comfortable with the process. 

2. Pick a day of the week to meal prep and stick to it! You will be creating a habit that supports your health long term. 

My meal prep process

I meal prep twice a week, Sundays and Wednesdays. Once I have everything at home, meal prep takes about 45 to 60 minutes. Wednesday is a “mini” meal prep that considers leftovers and may include buying and prepping more protein and fresh vegetables. 

My meal planning starts with what proteins I desire for the week, then I choose recipes. Eggs, sardines and sheep yogurt are protein staples in my kitchen oftentimes incorporated throughout the week. 

For example, on Sunday I cut and store vegetables like rainbow chard, purple cabbage and kale; cube one large sweet potato; cook salmon and marinate chicken tenders. The salmon would be enough for Sunday dinner, Monday breakfast in an omelet and Tuesday dinner. The chicken tenders would be a quick stir fry Monday for dinner. There would be enough for Tuesday breakfast and Wednesday dinner. 

I add avocado (healthy fat and fiber) and sauerkraut (good for the gut) to most of my meals. And on occasion I’ll make a basil pesto that can go on just about anything. 

By meal prepping, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to prepare meals for my family during the week.

Want help?

Are you tired of constantly scrambling to put together meals throughout the week? Meal prepping can be the solution you've been searching for! With just a little bit of planning and preparation, you can have healthy and delicious meals ready to go for the entire week. Email natalie@natalievanderpump.com today to schedule a call for a free meal prep consultation and start taking control of your nutrition today!