Three Ways to Meal Prep
What is this meal prep you speak of?
Chances are, if you’ve been considering following some kind of nutrition plan or you already are, that you’ve also thought about how you would stick to the plan. For some, that might mean checking out the freezer aisle of your grocery store to see what kind of meals you can just pop in the microwave that fit your goals. For others, it could mean you’ve been eating out a lot, trying to find ways to fit IHOP into your macros (I mean…who doesn’t want pancakes).
Either way you cut it - if you’re following a nutrition plan, navigating food is one of your keys to success. So what’s one of the most reliable ways to stay on track? Meal prep.
The general idea behind meal prep is cooking food ahead of time so that you have it ready when you need it. Having things prepared and available can help us stick to our nutrition plans, avoid eating out as often since we know food is already available, and make healthier meals by cooking at home. It’s a simple tool that can help you reach your goals, but how does meal prep really work?
Let’s explore three different styles of meal prep that could work for you, your lifestyle, and your goals.
Option 1 - Weigh & Measure
Of the three options we are about to talk about, this one is likely the most common and well known.
In fact, there is a really good chance that when you think of meal prep - this is what you think about. Does the image of numerous tupperwear containers scattered across a countertop, filled with vegetables, chicken, and rice come to mind? If it does, which I’m guessing it will, that’s what we are calling the “weigh & measure” style of meal prep. How does it work?
When it comes to the weigh & measure style prep, you are cooking all of your food for the week (or a few days) in advance. For most, this means setting aside a day out of the week as “meal prep day,” and taking that day to cook all of the things you’ll be chowing down on for the week ahead. Once you’ve actually gotten around to the part where you’re done cooking, that’s where we get to go full Instagram and divide everything up into individual meals. From your fruits and veggies, to protein and carbs - if you’ve cooked it, it’s getting weighed out ahead of time so you can just pop that bad boy into the microwave when the time is right.
This is a great route for those who have the time to not only cook, but to divide up what they’ve cooked in advance. It has the advantage of complete control over an entire weeks worth of meals, all in one day. Once you’re done prepping, there’s nothing left to worry about besides eating the delicious food you’ve created and rocking along like you own this whole nutrition thing.
Option 2 - Batch Cook
The title of this option alone is a dead giveaway as to what we are going to talk about - batches.
While it might sound extremely similar to the weighing and measuring ahead of time that you would be doing in option one, it’s ever so slightly different. That difference, at least for some, can be one that helps reduce stress or the time it takes to prep everything. The key difference is that, unlike the above, we aren’t dividing things up right after we’ve cooked it.
For a batch cook style meal prep, we are aiming to leaving everything in the batches they were cooked in. Did you cook a giant thing of rice? Great! Stick all of that goodness in a big tupperware container and put it in the fridge. Maybe you whipped up some delicious chicken breasts? Excellent! Do the same as you did with the rice. By cooking everything ahead of time, you have it at the ready when you need it - just measure, reheat, and repeat.
If you’re short on time when you cook your food, or just don’t want to worry about measuring everything out on the spot, batch cooking is a great middle ground. It saves you a little bit of time after the initial cook, and it lets you take out exactly what you need, when you need it as the week goes by.
Option 3 - Mise En Place
“Uh…what does that even mean?”
Mise en place is a French term used by chefs in professional kitchens around the world. The phrase translates to “put in place,” or to gather the tools and ingredients you’ll need in order to cook a delicious meal. It helps a chef tackle the nitty-gritty aspects of preparing a meal like chopping up ingredients, or measuring out spices and proteins, so that when the time comes to cook - they’re ready to go.
It also just so happens to be an excellent concept that can be used right in your own home, especially if you dislike leftovers and prefer to eat your meals fresh. If you’ve ever ordered meal services like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh, they use a semi-similar method of shipping you ingredients that are already measured out. So how can you use this for meal prep?
Think about the foods you want to eat, and the meals you want to create with them. Take into account how many servings a recipe will make (leftovers), write down all of the things you’ll need from the store for the next few days to a week, and get shopping! From there - it’s all about preparing the things you’ll need for those recipe(s) ahead of time. Cut up your vegetables, portion out our proteins, and get any seasonings you’ll need ready to go and stored for use later.
Congratulations! You have now preprepared meals ready to go, that fit into your nutritious lifestyle. All you have to do is toss them in the oven, on the stove, or just generally whip them together when you’re ready to eat! For those of you who despise the idea of leftovers, and prefer to eat your meals fresh - this one is for you.
Do What Works For You
While there are certainly more than three ways to navigate all things food and nutrition to find success, these are three styles of meal prep that can help you stay on track. I know, I know…there’s a chance that if you are reading this you’ve thought at least once - “But what if I just don’t have the time to cook a bunch of food.” It’s a reasonable concern! We are talking about taking time to cook a bunch of food, all at once, so it’s available to you later. The good news?
It takes roughly the same amount of time to cook 10 cups of rice as it does a single cup. You can fit three or four baking sheets worth of veggies in the oven to roast for the week ahead in the same time it would take to roast just the one. See where I’m going with this? While it may take a few extra minutes here or there to get everything together, the time upfront to cook a ton of food in advance will save you time throughout the week. It’s all about getting into the habit of doing something new (which like all new habits, takes time to get used too).
But before you know it - you’ll be following a nutritious lifestyle, reaching your goals, and worrying less about what you’re going to eat for dinner.
This blog was created by Xplore Nutrition founder & nutrition coach - Sam Karoll.