Most of us are pretty busy in our day-to-day lives. Whether you are a parent, student, or working full time, it can be hard (or absolutely impossible!) to cook all of your meals at home each day. This is where meal preparation (aka “meal prep”) can quickly become your best friend! Without meal prep, you increase your chances of eating junk or convenience foods if you get busy or caught out without food.

What is meal prep?

Meal prep can mean different things to each person, so it is important you find a routine that works for you. Basically, it should save you time in the kitchen and make it easier for you to eat healthier during the week. You may choose to prepare only breakfasts, dinners or even all of your meals, including your snacks. You may need to use a little bit of trial and error to get settled into a routine that suits your lifestyle and preferences. If you always find yourself in a hurry to get out of the door in the morning and your breakfast consists of a takeaway croissant, then preparing breakfast will help you. Likewise, if you struggle to get dinner together because you work late, you should focus on preparing dinners.

How to Meal Prep

The first thing you need to do is invest in some good quality containers – these can be Tupperware or the glass variety. Keep in mind that if you are going to be reheating your food in these you want to choose ones that are BPA free and won’t fall apart in the microwave/oven. If you are going to be prepping for a few days in a row, it can be a good idea to buy containers that are the same sizes so they can be easily stacked.

Check out our next posting for specific tips for planning, preparing, cooking, and finding the best time to get this done!

Download our entire meal preparation tips as a white paper to print out or save on your computer! Live Sculpted Meal Prep White Paper