4 Reasons Why You Should Start Meal Prepping This Week

Posted by The Gorgeous List on March 2nd, 2020

Meal prepping is all the rage right now and for good reason. People are saving money, saving time, and actually managing to eat healthy at home while staving away getting greasy take out every week. There are lots of ways to meal prep or meal plan, depending on what your needs are. 

For example, if you're planning on losing weight, the very first step is to check what you eat and reorganize that so you're putting healthier foods into your body.

That's where meal prepping is perfect. Because you don't have to come home and stress out about all the things you have to cook after already having an extra long day and having been stuck in traffic for hours. Instead you can walk into the house and see that your fridge is stocked with ready to warm up meals that you've made in advance (usually Sunday afternoons are perfect for this).

But as with all things, it takes practice and it takes intention to be able to have a habit like that stick. Because you never know what you're going to encounter on any give day. So you want to make sure your habit is as set in stone as possible.

First you have to remember to start small. You don't want to hurry into meal prep and think you're going to have it nailed down the first time around. Starting small can mark the difference between sticking to it or otherwise, because it eases you into a habit that takes time and effort instead of hurriedly pushing you into it.

You'll definitely want to have the right tools to start meal prepping, like mason jars, meal prep tupperware, and even bento boxes can be a fun way to meal prep breakfast ideas, meal prep snacks, or even meal prep lunches. Now, the amount of meal preps you create are up to you. Because you are the one who personally knows how fresh you like your food. Maybe you'll just want to meal prep for the week. Some people meal prep for as long as two weeks in advance. And others prefer only meal prepping for three days at a time.

It's all about experimenting and seeing what fits for you. Some of the best foods to start meal prepping are foods like legumes, yams, rice, chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, and any mix of veggies. Steaming and boiling your foods can go a long way in terms of avoiding oil and butter fats. And one of the best ways to do this successfully is to use spices to your advantage. Spices can mark the difference between a yummy meal you want to devour and a meal you don't want to eat yet again.

Sauces are also another way you can add a spin to your meals. This adds flavor, a different texture, and makes it a fresh meal for you that doesn't taste like the last three you ate. One easy way to meal prep is to use mason jars, they're great for meal prepping noodles, and meal prepping salads. Take a Sunday and start trying the meal prep lifestyle. You'll be thankful you did!