I love trying out different restaurants every now and then, but eating out too often probably isn’t a good investment for both my bank account and my health. Therefore, balance is key. Meal prepping gives me good control over what I eat, which makes me enjoy it even more when I eat out. And once you begin to meal prep, it gets easier and easier, so here are 5 tips that I have for meal prep beginners:
- Block out your diary for the time to meal prep
Just as every other hobby or activity, meal prep takes up time and effort. Before meal prepping becomes a regular weekend activity, I would easily let other activities take priority over cooking and guess what, I regret it so much during the week because I either have to cook after a long day of work or bear eating takeaway food that wasn’t worth the money and experience. So block your schedule, set aside 2-3 hours to get groceries and cook (depends on how much and how fast you cook), and actually MAKE IT HAPPEN!
- PLAN your meals
What I learnt from being an ex- professional binge buyer is that – PLANNING IS IMPORTANT – you have to plan what you are having for the rest of the week, in order to avoid over buying! I got baited so many times by getting food I didn’t end up eating just because they were on specials, or that I thought I would ‘use it some time anyways’. In the end, not only did I waste the food, but I also had to buy more food to make the dish that I was actually making.
Planning my meals also made sure I have included all the nutrients I need in a meal, which again, gives me autonomy over food.
- MIX and MATCH – Prep a VARIETY of dishes
Meal preps are meant to be FUN not boring. If I was only eating the same dish every day I wouldn’t want to prepare meals either. Therefore, I try to make a variety of dishes for the week, then play mix and match depending on what I feel like for the day. It takes slightly more effort, but you’re gonna thank yourself for that!
- Veggie tips – WASH and CUT only
Unlike carbs and protein which can be prepared in bulk, I prefer to cook the vegetables fresh for dinner so they are as fresh as possible. In order to save some time after work, I normally wash and cut a big portion of vegetables (mostly leafy ones) then leave them in the fridge for a few days. Placing some kitchen paper underneath the vegetables helps absorb the water and keep them fresh for longer. Another benefit of this method is that the salad would be crispier and drier as you serve them.
However, do make sure we don’t bulk prep too much so that we couldn’t finish them before they rot.
- Prepare for snacks too!
If you want to avoid snacking on unhealthy food between meals, prepare your own snacks too! They can be as easy as chopping up carrot sticks and fruits, or baking your own cookies and nut bars. I find it a good way to gain control over what I eat, as opposed to being baited by hunger and over snacking on junk food. But of course, I wouldn’t restrict myself from having chips and chocolates if I really wanted to, as I said, balance is key.
I fancy my colleagues’ lunch boxes all the time as they always look yummier than mine, so I hope these tips would help make meal prep easier and bring onto more appealing lunch boxes! I will be posting more recipes on my blog so stay tuned!
the HRUNGRY KITCHEN 
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