beginner's guide to meal prep

I've been trying to eat healthier to help hit some of my weight loss goals, and meal prep has been very helpful because I know that I have food prepared and am not tempted to eat out. it's also nice that #mealprep helps me save some money too. I'm definitely not an expert in nutrition but these are the things that I've found helpful:

1️⃣ lightweight containers

If you have to go to the office, it's much easier to bring your lunch in a lightweight plastic container compared to a heavy glass or metal one. just make sure it's microwave safe! if you don't have any containers, IKEA has them at 3 for $10

2️⃣ lots of veggies 🥦

gotta get that fibre in. vegetables are generally low in calories and high in nutrients, and I've found that having veggies as the base of my meal keeps me full for longer. my favs are broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and mushrooms (honorary veggie)

3️⃣ tofu

a great source of plant based protein! also very cheap compared to meat, and I feel that it stores quite well

4️⃣ frozen meat / seafood

if you do want to use meat in your meal prep, frozen is going to be cheaper than fresh most of the time, and I don't find a difference in taste. anyway, if you're going to keep your food in the fridge or freezer for a few days before eating, what difference does it make

5️⃣ have a plan

go into the market / supermarket with a general idea of what you need to buy, so that you don't get distracted and buy random stuff you don't need. (or worse, buy a bunch of other things but forget the stuff you do need) that being said, it's always good to be flexible and keep a lookout for deals and promotions

6️⃣ multiple cooking methods vs one pan

this depends on your style! I've seen people say they use different methods of cooking (e.g. air fryer, oven, pan) at the same time so that you save time and get to season each part of your meal differently. but the downside to that is so much washing up to do! the other way is to just chuck everything into one pan, pot, oven or rice cooker, which means less washing up. downside though is your whole meal basically tastes like one flavour only.

7️⃣ spice it up!

seasoning your food makes such a big difference - my favourites are garlic powder, rosemary and Cajun spice. I usually also top my meal with a 7-11 chicken breast or hanjuku eggs (though I've heard Cheers has a similar chicken breast for cheaper)

#mindfulspending #DietJourney #easymeals