Meal Prep for Beginners

I have recently started "prepping" my meals at the beginning of each week so I have conveniently portioned meals that I can take with me instead of always buying food on-the-go. I am definitely not an expert but I have found certain recipes, tips and tricks that seem to work best that I want to share with all of you. To start with, you might be asking "Why would you even worry about prepping your meals?" Well there are several reasons I started:

1. It's healthier. By planning out and pre-making your meals for the week you can make sure that you get all of the nutrients you need in your diet. Also, everything is portioned for you so you avoid overeating at meals.

2. It saves you time. If you're like me, I don't have time to run home for every meal, cook something from scratch, do the dishes etc. Having your meals ready to eat already makes meal time that much quicker and you will have minimal dishes for the remainder of the week. 

3. It saves you money. If you don't have food at home to eat that's quick, chances are you will just run to the nearest restaurant, fast food joint, or gas station to pick up something to eat. That $5 cheeseburger might not seem like much at the time but it adds up quickly. 

4. It makes eating healthy, fun. When you already have apples pre-sliced in a cute baggie with a little container with a serving of peanut butter to go with it, snacking healthy becomes a lot more fun. Eating a salad out of a trendy mason jar is way more enjoyable than having to put all the ingredients together at home. 

Below are recipes, instructions, and tips from the meal prepping I just completed for this week. I challenge all of you to give it a try. You don't have to make something for every meal. You could do every other day or just the meals you don't usually have time for or aren't home for. Whatever works for you!

Today I prepped lunch, dinner, and snack for the next four days.

Wholegrain Veggie Pasta for Lunch

One thing I think that is important to remember when you're first starting to meal prep is that you don't have to buy everything new from the grocery store and break the bank. Take a look at what you currently have in your fridge/pantry/freezer and see if there is anything that you can use. I found a box of wholegrain angel hair pasta, a pound bag of frozen veggies, and three chicken breasts. All of these I will incorporate into my meals for the week. 

Step 1: Boil 4 servings of pasta until thoroughly cooked. I used wholegrain angel hair pasta but I would also recommend veggie pasta. It's made from vegetables and tastes just like pasta but you get more servings of your vegetables in that way! You can find both in the regular pasta isle in your local HyVee. Rinse with cold water and set aside to cool.

Step 2: Steam frozen veggies until cooked and then finely chop.

Step 3: Pour pasta along with one serving of marinara sauce each, evenly into four separate containers. 

Step 4: Add chopped veggies on top of pasta.

Step 5: Add chopped, fresh mushrooms to the top and seal containers.

 

Italian and Garden Salads with Chicken for Dinner

I am not huge salad fan. If I'm going to eat a salad it has to have a lot of flavor and "stuff" in it. This can get expensive when you have to buy all the separate ingredients and a lot of them go bad pretty quick. My solution is the prepackaged salads by Taylor Farms. You can get a bag at HyVee for like $3 and there's 3-4 servings in each. They come with different combinations of greens, dressing, and toppings that all match to taste great together. I also like to put mine in mason jars because they are cute and keep the toppings separated better.  If this isn't your style for a salad, try making your own! You can still prep them the same way though.

Step 1:Put dressing at the bottom of the jar. You want it the farthest from the greens so that they don't get soggy.

Step 2: Put in your protein, chicken, fish, eggs (just make sure they are pre-cooked). I put in some pre cooked, shredded chicken breasts. Being at the bottom near the dressing lets them marinate a little too until you are ready to eat the salad.

Step 3: Put in your greens. The majority of your jar will be filled with this so make sure you pack them in and leave just a little space at the top. 

Step 4: Put in your toppings, For the salads I made, the toppings consisted of cheese crumbles, craisins, and sunflower seeds. 

Step 5: When you are ready to eat, just shake the jar up real good and tadaa! You have a gourmet salad in seconds.

Snacks

People tend to think that snacking is bad for you, but it actually is just what your body needs--as long as it's the right kind of snack. Eating little snacks or "meals" throughout the day helps to keep your hunger under control and your metabolism working properly. Making yourself healthy snacks ahead of time will help you to avoid snacking on something unhealthy like a candy bar or pizza rolls (which I am SO bad at). I mean honestly, having to peel an orange or cut an apple takes so much more time than grabbing a muffin at the nearest bakery. BUT, if you've already got the snack put together you will be much more likely to choose that instead.

Step 1: separate a serving of carrots into a ziplock baggie and label as to which day it is designated for.

Step 2: scoop a serving of humus into a little container.

= Baby Carrots and Humus Snack!

Step 1: cut up apple into slices and place in a ziplock baggie, labeling it as to which day it is designated for.

Step 2: put a little lime juice in the baggie to keep the apples from browning. Because brown apples are gross looking, you don't want brown apples.

Step 3: scoop a serving of peanut butter (almond butter.. etc) into a small container.

= Apple Slices and Peanut Butter Snack!

Final Tips:

• If you make meals such as pastas dishes that you can freeze, these can easily be taken to class without having to haul around a cooler or a lunch box because they will stay cold long enough until you can get to a fridge or a microwave to heat it up.
• If all you do is pre-cook your proteins, that will help a ton! Defrosting meet or fish and then taking the time to cook it properly is very time consuming. Bake a whole pan of chicken breasts seasoned with the spice of your choice and a lemon wedge. Then you can cut them up how you want store them in ziplock bags in the freezer and when you need them all you have to do is defrost them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes! So much simpler. 
• If you're not sure what to make, sometimes simple is better. Get yourself a protein, a complex carb/wholegrain, and a vegetable and freeze them in a compartmental Tupperware container. There's a perfectly well rounded meal!
• Experiment! Don't be afraid to try new things. Find out which foods work best for you, your favorite recipes, what containers you like etc. Personalize your meals so that they are just right for you. You might have a few not so good meals until you find something that is just Oh-So-Delicious! 

Let the Meal Prepping Begin! Good Luck :)