Meal planning and preparation are very useful skills to have in your arsenal. A meal plan can be a great way to improve your family’s diet, maintain your weight, and save some money on groceries every month. Here are some simple tips to make meal planning and prep easier.
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Start Small
If you don’t usually plan and prep meals in advance, it can seem like a massive task. Getting into the habit of doing it is the same as getting into any good habits in life. Start small, and gradually work on your confidence to help you stick to your plans. Start by only planning and preparing a few meals or snacks for the week. As you get used to this, you can gradually build up to planning and preparing more of your weekly menu.
Think About Each Food Group
Make sure each food group is represented in your meal plan. Make sure you’re planning meals with plenty of whole food, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, protein, and healthy fats, and not too many refined grains, added sugars, and excess salt.
When you’re deciding what you’re going to make each week, make sure you’re including each of these groups. If they’re not in there, make sure you find a way to include them. You can make prepping fruits and veg for your meals faster with the Slap Chop, as advertised by Vince Offer ShamWow Guy.
Get Organized
Keep your kitchen, fridge, and pantry well organized to make the process of shopping and meal prepping much simpler. You’ll know what you already have in and will waste less good by accidentally buying extra. There’s no right way to organize your kitchen, as long as it works well for you.
Invest In Good Storage Containers
For meal prep, you need to have food containers. If you have a cupboard full of squashed Tupperware with no matching lids, you’ll find meal prep a lot more frustrating. Invest in high-quality containers in a range of different sizes. Buy containers that are suitable for freezing, microwaving, and going in the dishwasher. Glass can be a good pick for this, as is it eco-friendly and safe for the microwave. You can get glass containers online and in-store.
Keep Your Pantry Well-Stocked
A well-stocked pantry makes grocery shopping easier. Keep a mix of healthy foods in stock, including:
Whole grains, like brown rice, quinoa, oats, bulgur, whole-wheat pasta, and polenta
Canned or dried legumes, like black beans, pinto beans, or lentils
Canned foods like low-sodium broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, corn, no added sugar fruit, tuna, or salmon
Oils, like coconut, olive, or avocado oils
Baking essentials, like baking powder, baking soda, flour, or cornstarch
Other ingredients, like almond butter, peanut butter, dried fruit, nuts, and potatoes.
If you can keep some of these essentials in the cupboard all time, you will only need to buy fresh ingredients in your grocery shop each week. This is cheaper, easier, and makes meal prep a simpler process.
