By Karla Walsh

Meal Prep for beginners

 

You need not sacrifice an entire Sunday—or totally rewrite your menu—to master how to meal prep. Dietitians (who are real home cooks like you!) dish up realistic and sustainable advice about how to start meal planning and prep.

When you hear “meal prep,” you probably think of a hyper-organized parent or bodybuilder filling, labeling, dating, then stacking matching food storage containers in meticulous rows in the refrigerator. Each of the creations is a strategic way to stay well-fueled, true. But for those who are not well-versed in the world of meal prep, each of the meals can also look like a major investment in time and effort; neither of which are things that many of us have in surplus.

Despite their somewhat-fussy reputation, it is possible to master how to meal prep for the week without eating up an entire Sunday or spending all week leading up to that plotting your gameplan. 

“Meal prepping can sound intimidating especially if you never spent a significant amount of time in the kitchen, much less batch-cooking your meals. Most people consider meal prep to be a scary and arduous task involving copious amounts of storage containers,” says Caroline Thomason, RD, CDCES, a Washington, D.C.-based registered dietitian. “While that might be the glorified version we see on the internet, meal prep for beginners can be much simpler.”

Read on for our no-sweat guide for how to start meal planning.

What is Meal Prepping?

Meal prepping is essentially preparing components that make meals and/or snacks easier for you—and your household, if applicable—throughout the week, explains Elizabeth Shaw, M.S., RDN, CPT, a registered dietitian nutritionist, founder of Shaw Simple Swaps and the author of the Air Fryer Cookbook for Dummies.

 

Typically, the process of meal prep entails preparing entire meals like a frittata or chicken casserole, then doling that out into single servings. However, meal prep can also simply entail getting a headstart on certain components, such as roast chicken and vegetables, or making a double batch of dinner one night so that you can enjoy round two (with far less effort) later.

Many meal-preppers carve out time on the weekends to set the foundation for a flavorful and low-fuss weekly menu. If that works for your schedule, terrific. But don’t feel handcuffed to doing so then if that timing isn’t ideal or if you’d rather break up the task into smaller bites throughout the week.

The Benefits of Meal Prepping

If you employ the tips below about how to start meal planning, over time, you will likely:

      • Save time

      • Slash stress during busy or indecisive days

      • Decrease your grocery and restaurant spending

      • Create more balanced dishes than if you felt rushed or forced to resort to takeout or restaurant meals

    “The beauty of meal prep is that you can make it work for your schedule and lifestyle,” Shaw says.

    How To Meal Prep for Beginners

    Now that you’re well-versed about why you might want to take up meal prep, let’s dive deeper into how to meal prep for the week.

    “Generally speaking, I would say around a week’s-worth of meals would be a sweet spot to aim for,” says Molly Bremer, M.S., RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and the director of Mosaic Nutrition in Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. “You want to be cautious of food safety while also reaping the benefits of preparing food in bulk.”

     

    Most prepared foods are good in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days, Shaw continues. If you meal prep beyond that, consider transferring freezer-friendly meals to that icier area. Or plan ahead to cap off the week with a Blue Apron Prepared & Ready  or meal kit or dinner out. 

    As far as how many servings of each recipe to whip up, Shaw says this is all up to how you and your fellow diners feel about leftovers. She sticks to 2 “rounds,” or servings of each recipe per person, so that she only needs to choose about 3 lunch recipes rather than 6 (assuming that one meal will be enjoyed at a restaurant). If you don’t mind a bit more repetition, feel free to plan on 3 servings of each recipe per person; then you’ll only need 2 meal prep recipes to cover that meal for the week.

    Invest in Gear

    Before you start planning your meal prep menu, it’s wise to stock up on gear that can make preparing and storing your creations easier. Shaw recommends an Instant Pot or slow cooker to clients and friends, since “both can make cooking both plant-based and animal proteins easier,” and can help make full meals like soups and stews a breeze.

     

    Beyond that, you should be all set with your basic cooking tools—a skillet, 9- x 13-inch pan, Dutch oven, sheet pan, measuring cups and spoons, and heat-safe spatulas—and a set of high-quality reusable storage containers.

    “I recommend buying glass so that you can safely microwave your food in there and reduce hand-washing,” Bremer says.

    The see-through vessels are especially helpful if you’re aiming to eat more fresh produce, Shaw adds. 

    Compared to opaque plastic, “glass containers placed front and center in the fridge can remind you that you’ve got the fresh veggies or fruit already sliced; inviting you to enjoy that for a snack over something less nourishing.”

    If you think you might confuse the different meals, would like to delegate them to individual household members, want to track the date for food safety purposes, or simply would benefit from a reminder of how to reheat your meal-prepped fare, a roll of removable tape and a permanent marker can also come in handy for labeling.

    Take Stock 

    Before you select and shop for recipes, “start by surveying your kitchen pantry, freezer, and fridge,” She recommends. “Utilize those items you have on hand to plan your meals.”

    If you have pasta in the pantry, for example, add a package of frozen spinach, a jar of marinara sauce, and lentils in bulk to prepare a simple lentil bolognese for an easy, fuss-free meal. Or if you notice a surplus of canned tomatoes, search for a tomato stew recipe to enjoy with store-bought sourdough bread or pita.

    Plan Your Meals

    Now the actual fun begins, Thomason explains. Sit down with pen and paper, a calendar, or a digital note or document to plot out what you’re going to eat throughout the week. Use those initial pantry pull items as the foundation, then search online or in cookbooks for recipes with easy cooking techniques so that you can knock them out in a reasonable amount of time.

     

    “Going into the week with a plan can help you feel confident and less stressed when it comes to meals and snacks,” Thomason says.

    Bremer recommends searching on Pinterest or Google for topics like “make-ahead breakfast recipes,” “meal prep recipes,” or “easy lunch meal prep” to gather inspiration and instructions. If possible, seek out recipes with overlapping ingredients (say, fajita bowls and taco casserole) to make the most of perishable items like fresh cilantro. 

    As you peruse, keep in mind that the following ingredients and categories tend to be among the best recipes for meal prep, according to Thomason:

        • Casseroles

        • Soups and stews

        • Slow cooker meals

          • Proteins, like chicken, ground beef, pork, and lamb

          • Whole grains, such as like rice, barley, bulgur, couscous, quinoa, pasta, and oats

          • Lentils, beans, and chickpeas

        Frozen vegetables, root vegetables, bagged salad kits, sturdy fruits (such as apples, oranges, bananas, pineapple, and pears) are wise investments to round out and diversify the side dishes to sprinkle across your meal prep menu. If breakfast and snacks are also part of your meal prep plan, quick-fix items like instant oats, cartons of cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, whole grain bread (which you can store in the freezer and toast as needed), nut butter, and high-protein frozen waffles are all stellar team players.

        Make a Grocery List 

        Once you’ve settled on your set meal prep for beginners menu for the week, craft a shopping list that includes all of the ingredients you don’t already have on hand in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer. Take note of how much of each item you’ll need to invest in to create your desired quantity of each meal and snack.

        “Planning ahead will help keep your grocery list more consolidated and focused, therefore reducing waste,” Bremer says.

        If desired, order your groceries online or plot out your list in order of the flow of the grocery store you shop at regularly. Start with produce, flow through the shelf-stable items, and finish in the freezer section to reduce the risk of premature thawing.

        Prep Your Meals For the Week

        Now it’s time to make your meal prep visions a reality. Set aside enough time to execute your selected recipes. 

        “To save time, start to cook the items that take the longest first. While those are cooking you can prep other dishes too,” Bremer advises.

         

        Multitasking is key to making the most of your time in the kitchen. Thomason adds that cooking with several different appliances at once is another wise way to decrease the time investment required. For example, as you simmer soup on the stove, roast vegetables and bake a sheet pan pancake in the oven, and pressure cook a pot roast in the Instant Pot.

        Label and Store Your Meals

        Once you have made your meals and snacks, use that tape and marker to add the name, date, reheating instructions, and name of the lucky recipient of that meal (if you’d like to allocate them individually). The latter tip can be particularly beneficial to aid in a family’s busy weekday lunch packing strategy and can really come in clutch if anyone has food allergies, intolerances, or preferences that might require customizations.

        Meal Prep Tips for Beginners

        As you dip your toe into meal prep, keep these pro tips in mind to make it a more strategic, efficient, delicious, and (dare we say it) fun project.

        Start Small—And With Meals You’re Familiar With

        Small changes make big differences. 

        “If you’ve never ventured into meal prep territory before, don’t overwhelm yourself with a huge grocery list and multiple recipes to make. Pick one, and build from there,” Thomason says.

        Instead of trying to dive into the deep end of how to meal prep for the week, consider meal prepping one food or meal that you find to be a common “pain point.” If you rarely follow through with preparing the proteins you bought at the supermarket prior to trying meal prep, bake a pork roast so it’s ready to be sliced and served in sandwiches, on salads, and as part of grain bowls.

        If you find yourself grabbing breakfast at the coffee shop more often than you’d like, prepare a muffin tin full of veggie-spiked egg cups to pair with toast and a piece of fruit. 

        Or if you’d like to incorporate more whole grains into your diet, make a big pot of brown rice for sides and stir-fries.

        Incorporate Variety

        Bremer consults clients to mix up their meal prep menu so that it includes recipes from both of the following categories:

            • Fully-prepared dishes, such as casseroles, soups, and stews

            • Building block meals (with a prepared starch, protein, vegetable, and sauce or garnish) so that each diner can mix and match

          Not only will this diversity keep things interesting, it will also please picky eaters and cover more nutritional bases since you’ll be consuming a wider variety of foods.

           

          Score all of the benefits of that diet diversity while keeping food waste to a minimum by selecting foundational ingredients that you can repurpose in many ways. For instance, bake several sweet potatoes to enjoy stuffed with chili, to mash as a side, or to dice and transform into a quick hash.

          Or bake a sheet pan full of chicken tenderloins to showcase in a Cobb salad, Mediterranean grain bowl, chicken curry, or enchiladas.

          Fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables can also be made over into a wide variety of meals if you plan wisely.

          Consider Your Social Calendar

          If you have several personal or professional obligations or any travel on the horizon, be sure to plot this on your meal prep plan so you don’t overproduce your meal prep items. Making too much of freezer-friendly items isn’t a bad thing…

          “If you make too many meals, you can also freeze them. Your future busy-self will be grateful for this,” Bremer says.

          But if you make, say, a big set of salads, and find yourself at catered lunch meetings all week, your meal prep recipes may end up being food for your compost pile rather than yourself.

          Steer Clear of Less Meal Prep-Friendly Foods

          As we mentioned in the “Plan Your Meals” section above, there are many foods that are very meal prep-appropriate. There are a few outliers that don’t play so nicely with the concept, though, Thomason explains:

              • Fried foods tend to lose their crispness once refrigerated.

              • Cooked pasta can become soggy overtime. 

              • Shrimp and canned tuna or salmon are usually fantastic, but fish can be tricky to ace and easy to overcook during the reheating process.

             

            Make it Fun

            Unless you count cooking as one of your hobbies, meal prep can admittedly feel like a chore. To perk things up, turn on your favorite album, playlist, or podcast, tune into an audiobook, or flip on a TV series that you need not focus intently on. (Cooking and home design shows, reality series, and sitcoms are all terrific options.)

            “This makes a somewhat monotonous chore something relaxing and fun,” Bremer says.

            Learn From Experience

            As you polish off your first batch of meal prep recipes—and any subsequent meal prep menus—jot down what worked (like your favorite recipes, tools, and techniques) and what didn’t. These notes can jog your memory and help you direct your sails for future meal prep adventures.

            The Bottom Line About How to Master Meal Prep as a Beginner

            Learning how to meal prep, then executing on that plan, can feel daunting. It doesn’t need to be a stressful or Sunday-devouring task, though.

            Tap into the food waste-reducing, time-saving, and health-boosting benefits of meal prep by starting with components or one meal per day rather than every meal of the week. Creating a list for shopping and prep will help keep you on track. Don’t forget to tap into your pantry storage, compare your meal prep plans with your social obligations, and lean into ingredients that you can use multiple ways. 

            To cover your bases on the days between meal prep sessions—and to perk things up and incorporate even more variety—consider stocking up on Blue Apron Prepared & Ready meals. Or if you’re up for a bit more cooking, let us do the shopping for you; order a few meal kits to supplement your meal prep menu.