A Dietitian’s Information to Meal Prep: Getting Wholesome Meals on the Desk Quick

[ad_1] <img width="800" height="534" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Foodprep_tupperware_broccoli_rice_chicken_tongs_femalehands_AW_2021_10_29_my_fitness_pal_commercial1900-1-copy-1024x683.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Hands using tongs to meal prep chicken, rice, broccoli and vegetables into glass containers" decoding="async" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Foodprep_tupperware_broccoli_rice_chicken_tongs_femalehands_AW_2021_10_29_my_fitness_pal_commercial1900-1-copy-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Foodprep_tupperware_broccoli_rice_chicken_tongs_femalehands_AW_2021_10_29_my_fitness_pal_commercial1900-1-copy-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Foodprep_tupperware_broccoli_rice_chicken_tongs_femalehands_AW_2021_10_29_my_fitness_pal_commercial1900-1-copy-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Foodprep_tupperware_broccoli_rice_chicken_tongs_femalehands_AW_2021_10_29_my_fitness_pal_commercial1900-1-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Foodprep_tupperware_broccoli_rice_chicken_tongs_femalehands_AW_2021_10_29_my_fitness_pal_commercial1900-1-copy.jpg 1800w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> Meal prepping is a simple method to save time every week getting ready meals. It’s an awesome thought for anybody who has a busy schedule or for many who prefer to plan forward. It’s additionally an efficient software to remain on observe along with your weight-loss targets. Having the “what to eat” query already answered at mealtimes helps scale back senseless or impulsive consuming.

For those who’re new to meal prep, it’s vital to have the fitting mindset. It’s straightforward to get caught up within the planning a part of the method, however with regards to the prepping half, it could really feel like a chore. If this sounds such as you, give your self a break. Don’t fall into the “perfectionist” entice, pondering you must prep and plan for each. single. meal. This will result in main overwhelm, particularly in case you’re brief on time or not the strongest cook dinner.

The purpose of meal planning and meal prepping is to save lots of you time and convey ease to your life, not stress and overwhelm. All the time maintain that in thoughts!

That will help you get began, listed here are my finest dietitian tricks to get you right into a wholesome meal prep mindset and assist you create straightforward, scrumptious meals that assist your well being targets in a sustainable manner.

Have A Plan

Step one for meal prep is making a meal plan. Figuring out what recipes you’ll be prepping and gathering all of the components you’ll want makes meal prep an entire lot simpler and rather more organized.

It’s additionally vital to take a look at your calendar and set cheap targets for the week. Determine which meals you need to prep prematurely, how a lot time you must cook dinner every day, and what your dietary targets are for every meal.

For instance, I like to start out my day with easy-to-assemble, satisfying breakfasts that additionally work for post-workout restoration. My afternoons are busy, so I would like lunches which are gentle, wholesome and straightforward to seize and eat whereas on the go or at my desk. For dinner, I desire easy, veggie-forward meals full of taste, recent produce, and nutrient-rich components.

Make investments In Your Gear

Having the fitting tools readily available for meal prep is crucial for fulfillment! A pointy knife, correct storage containers, a number of sheet pans, and a set of chopping boards is a superb begin. A sluggish cooker and a giant Dutch oven are additionally good.

I like to prepare my fridge with bins and baskets for unfastened objects and use glass Mason jars with lids to retailer salads, soups, sauces and dressings, pre-cooked grains, reduce up veggies and chia pudding. I additionally like utilizing two-sectioned glass storage containers for prepping lunches (these are straightforward to warmth up within the microwave, too). For freezing meals, like chili or smoothie luggage into grab-and-go parts, you’ll want zip-top storage luggage or freezable containers and a few masking tape up to now and label the contents.

Wholesome meals is nice, however provided that you eat it! Utilizing clear glass containers you may see inside might help get you excited to seize all that wholesome ready-to-eat meals!

Create Some Area

Organizing your fridge and freezer to suit per week’s price of meals could take somewhat forethought, particularly in case you have a small fridge. That is another reason why meal planning first is so useful. To maintain issues organized and uncluttered (and lower your expenses), solely purchase what you want for the week. It additionally helps to do a fridge clean-out earlier than you begin meal prepping to verify nothing is hiding within the again or went uneaten from final week.Clearing time in your schedule can also be vital! Meal prep doesn’t must take all day, but when this can be a wholesome behavior you need to maintain, it does require taking the time to buy, wash, chop and cook dinner some meals! If Sunday is just too busy a day for you, select a weeknight as an alternative. You can even prep for two–3 days of meals and do a mid-week prep session for the remaining days. And if prepping all of your meals forward of time appears daunting, simply go along with the one meal that journeys you up essentially the most!

Wholesome Meal Prep Quick: Suggestions To Get Began

OK, now that you simply’ve acquired the mindset in place to start out prepping your meals every week, listed here are some useful tricks to get wholesome and scrumptious meals on the desk quick, whereas supporting your weight and wellness targets.

PORTION IT OUT

A advantage of meal prepping is you may portion your meals earlier than you’re able to eat it. That is useful as a result of typically after we’re rushed for time or get too hungry, it’s straightforward to overeat. Having your meal already portioned not solely saves time however might also find yourself saving energy.

THINK VEGGIES FIRST

To create a wholesome consuming type long run, strive constructing your meals round veggies and greens! As a substitute of specializing in the protein because the star, make in-season, nutrient-rich veggies and greens the “hero” in your plate! By doing this, you’ll not solely get extra artistic within the kitchen, you’ll be consuming extra veggies, and that results in a more healthy you (1). Salads are a simple win right here, as are roasted veggies for grain bowls, fajitas and tacos, baked pasta dishes and veg-based soups.

One other profit? Seasonal produce is available, inexpensive, and stuffed with taste.

CONVENIENCE IS KEY

Each meal you make doesn’t have to start out from scratch. Whereas it’s inexpensive to cut and prep meals your self, there’s nothing unsuitable with shopping for your self some comfort meals to save lots of time! Canned beans are a daily in my grocery cart, as are bagged salads, that are excellent weeknight meals tossed with canned salmon or leftover grilled hen. Frozen veggies and pre-made sauces for pasta are straightforward wins as properly.

DON’T FORGET BREAKFAST

If busy mornings have you ever working out of the home hungry, somewhat meal prep might help! Smoothies are a good way to get in some fiber, antioxidants and protein very first thing within the morning, and pre-made freezer smoothie luggage prevent tons of time. Simply throw your favourite smoothie components right into a zip-top freezer bag, and within the morning add your liquid, mix it up, and drink!

Seize-and-go breakfasts additionally make it tremendous straightforward to eat wholesome on the run. Keep out of the Starbucks drive-thru lane by making a batch of mini muffins, in a single day oats or freezer bagel breakfast sandwiches every week so that you’re by no means with no fast and wholesome breakfast possibility.

PUT A LID ON IT!

For a lot of dad and mom, evenings are spent driving children to and from sports activities apply, conferences, or different faculty occasions, making dinner an afterthought. Using a Mason jar when meal prepping could make for fast and straightforward lunches or give your night meal a nutrient enhance (and it provides you one thing to do whereas on the soccer area!). Portioning quinoa salad, soups, pasta and grain bowls into Mason jars save area within the fridge and makes for a fast grab-and-go meal.

DINNER BAR

From potato bars to taco bars and every part in between, “dinner bar” nights are a enjoyable method to feed your loved ones, and so they’re excellent for getting dinner on the desk quick. By prepping all of the bar fixings forward of time, dinner is as straightforward as opening the fridge door! A number of artistic bar dinner concepts embrace:

Pasta bar with sauteed veggies, frozen peas, chopped hen, wilted greens or a aspect salad

Mediterranean flatbread bar with hummus, roasted veggies, sauteed greens, roasted crimson peppers, artichoke hearts and olives

Salad bar with all of the fixins (pre-chopped and able to go!)

Taco bar with pre-made floor turkey, roasted veggies, salsa, guacamole and canned beans

Candy potato bar with roasted veggies, canned beans, steamed greens and salsa

Omelet bar with sauteed mushrooms, steamed spinach, salsa and black beans

WRAP IT UP!

Lunch has by no means been simpler than with a wrap! As a substitute of simply heating up leftovers, throw them right into a high-fiber tortilla for a fast and straightforward lunch wrap. For low-carb choices, use cabbage, chard or Romaine leaves rather than the tortilla. You can even make a batch of hen, egg or tuna salad to stuff into wraps for the week.

HAVE FUN!

We are likely to find time for issues we get pleasure from doing. Because of this I recommend making your meal prepping session as satisfying as attainable. Use your prep time to get caught up on a podcast or audio ebook, flip up the music and have enjoyable and even watch a present in your iPad whilst you chop. I like being within the kitchen with my favourite playlist, creating wholesome meals that may nourish me for the week forward.

The Backside Line

Meal prep could be a nice time-saver, nevertheless it doesn’t imply making a inflexible construction you may’t change. Keep open and permit for flexibility — change up meals and get artistic! If meal planning and meal prep are new to you, keep in mind this: You might be studying a brand new habits, and when creating any new behavior, it’s vital to maintain an open thoughts and study out of your expertise as you go. There can be meals that miss the mark and also you’ll have some mishaps alongside the best way. That is completely regular and solely helps you higher refine your individual distinctive course of.

Preserving an open mindset round meal prepping may make the expertise really feel extra like self-care than a dreaded chore. And also you by no means know: You may even begin trying ahead to it!