Top 10 Meal Prep Hacks That Will Change Your Life

When you start fuelling your body with nutritious food, you will start seeing incredible differences in your overall health and appearance.

1. Start Small

If you’re new to preparing meals in advance, don’t go out and buy fancy containers and coolers or make really ambitious plans for elaborate meals. Try prepping snacks or a few lunches, then get a little more ambitious if meal prep is working for you.

2. Pick Simple Ingredients

Cook up some brown rice, roast a sheet pan of your favourite vegetable, hard boil a handful of eggs, cut up some celery, and a big batch of steel-cut oats…these are really simple, really easy ways to make weeknight dinners a breeze, snack-time a snap, and breakfast easy. Just having some prepared ingredients on-hand can be the difference between making a nutritious choice that makes you feel great or an unplanned cheat.

3. Choose Containers that Help with Portion Control

One of the biggest favours you can do for yourself is pick containers that are of good quality and fit the right portions of protein, whole grains, and vegetables. Stackable containers are great for saving space in your lunch bag and in your cupboards.

4. Pick a Time & Stick to It

It’s important to schedule time for a workout and it’s important to schedule time to prepare your fridge for the week to come. “We tend to do our shopping on Saturdays, then cut up some veggies, steam some grains; then on Sunday we prepare lunches for the week and prep some protein for dinners,” our client Andrew, a busy dad of 3 boys, told us. “If we miss our Sunday prep, our whole week is thrown off.”

5. Ensure Food is Cooled Before Storing

Set food aside to cool down before you pop a lid on it or wrap it up and stick it in the fridge/freezer. If you place still-warm food in the fridge, it can end up mushy when you warm it up later.

6. Label Your Food

It’s nice to know what you’re eating and when you made it! This will help when your fridge is packed with yummy prepped meals or if you make too much and need to freeze some of your containers.

7. Use Sheet Pans for Cooking

Roasting your favourite protein, an assortment of veggies, and seasoning with a little olive oil and spices couldn’t be an easier way to prepare a few days’ worth of dinners or lunches that are delicious and packed with the nutrients you need to fuel your days.

8. Spices Are Your Friends

Sometimes meal prep can feel a little uninspired; we are creatures of habit and tend to stick to what we know works. An easy way to beat boredom is to experiment with different spice blends. The nice thing about spices is that they don’t have the sugar and calories many sauces contain.

9. Prep Things You Want to Eat

If you do a ton of meal prep but don’t eat any of it, then it wasn’t a success. Think about what your favourite, nutritious foods are and make those. Don’t experiment with products or foods you’re not sure you like—save that for Saturday night dinner.

10. Take a List to the Grocery Store

Once you figure out what it is you’d like to prepare for snacks, meals, etc., make a list and stick to it. This will help you keep your kitchen stocked with healthy, ready-to-go ingredients and noshes.