The process of cooking food can end up taking quite a bit more time than most people would like. With schedules filled with work, exercise, friends, and that pesky need for sleep, finding the time for cooking healthy meals can start to seem impossible, leading to quick and unhealthy food choices. With meal prepping, the idea is to take care of the time-consuming work of cooking for multiple meals at a time, allowing you to simply reheat your meals throughout the week to save time and money. Here are some tips on how to get started.
Figure Out The Meals You Love
In order to effectively meal prep, you will need to start with a list of simple, healthy meals to start with. Make a list of proteins, vegetables, and carbs that you enjoy to go off of; this will likely grow over time as you discover new foods and recipes.
Invest in Some Storage Containers
It will be well worth it to find storage containers that will last you a long time. Be sure to purchase a decently sized set from the same brand, that way you won’t deal with mismatching lids and containers in the future. Buy BPA-free plastic containers in order to avoid contamination or irritants in your food. This is one of the reasons every Helimix bottle is BPA-free. Resealable plastic bags are also a must for storing items in the freezer. Make sure you are stocked with dry erase markers and permanent markers to properly label everything.
Cook for Multiple Meals ahead of Time
When you have your list of essential foods written out, and have made sure you know your plans for the week, find a time to cook your desired foods for your meals throughout the week. While you may start with just one protein, vegetable, and carb at one time, you can easily work your way up to cooking multiple varieties of food at a time to change things up throughout the week. As a rule of thumb, most cooked meats and vegetables last 3-4 days in the refrigerator, while cooked rice or quinoa will last 3-5 days.
Prep Your Shakes
In addition to preparing meals in advance, you can use some of your down time to assemble the necessary ingredients for your protein shakes. Measure out your servings of protein powder, and any types of fruits or vegetables you will include, and store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days of use. This way, all you need to do is quickly add any types of milk or yogurt, along with ice, to the mix when you want to make a healthy meal replacement while saving on time. If you're just mixing supplements you can always grab your HELIMIX to help shake stuff up.
