3 Tips for Meal Prep Success

It's time to start a new series!So many of you have asked for resources to help your clients with meal planning  that we've decided to set up a new series, just for you. Get It Prepped is all about how a little advance planning can make it so much easier to get healthful meals on the table.Here's what you can look forward to over the next few weeks.

  • Fresh recipes that lend themselves well to meal prepping
  • Equipment that might come in handy
  • Storage tips and tricks for your prepped ingredients
  • Pantry staples that make meal prep easier
  • Tips and tricks

Let's start with 3 Tips for Meal Prep Success:

  1. Plan a Menu for the Whole Week: Make a reasonable plan for meals and snacks for the whole week. This plan should be achievable -- not necessarily aspirational. This means allowing space for a frozen pizza or takeout or dinner at a restaurant.
  2. Try Complementary Meals: If you can overlap some ingredients, you can stretch your prep work farther. Think about cook once, eat twice options like roasting two chickens -- one for dinner and one to throw into sandwiches and salads throughout the week. Or whirling up some pesto for pasta one night and shaken into salad dressing the next. There are lots of possibilities!
  3. Do One Big Shop: Nothing can derail a meal plan faster than yet another last-minute trip to the store. When you plan your meals out for a whole week, you can do one big grocery shopping trip and get everything you need in one fell swoop. Then your ingredients will be ready when you are. Note that if you follow this part of the plan, it's wise to make the meals that use produce that doesn't last as long at the start of the week, saving sturdier options like cabbage, cauliflower, apples, and potatoes for the end of the week.

These are just a few tips to help your clients get started! And here's a handout with the highlights. There are lots of other amazing handouts in the Nutrition Education Store -- check them out! #BEST21Food Diary HandoutMyPlate Basics HandoutFood Label Handout

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Stephanie Ronco

Stephanie Ronco has been editing for Food and Health Communications since 2011. She graduated from Colorado College magna cum laude with distinction in Comparative Literature. She was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 2008.

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Meal Prep Recipe Spotlight: Chicken Fajita Salad

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Tips for a Lighter Vacation