Meal Prepping: Feed's All You Need Guide

When it comes to daily life, things can be pretty busy, and often the last thing anyone wants to do is worry about preparing their next meal. With busy schedules, long days, and too much on to-do lists, dishing out an hour or more to prepare lunch or dinner can become a stressful occasion that can ruin your views on preparing and enjoying a meal all together. Thankfully, the magic of meal prepping can help change all of this! Meal prepping, or the preparation of whole meals ahead of time, can make a difference in making your days even a little less stressful (and give you back time for the things you enjoy!). For today’s Pop All You Need Guide, we’re exploring the wonderful world of meal prepping: different methods you can use, how you can cut down on prep time, and different recipes to try! Read on to learn more.

What Methods Can I Use for Meal Prepping?

With meal prepping, there are a variety of different methods you can implement to make this as easy and effective as possible. First and foremost, it’s essential to consider your lifestyle - how often you eat, how often you eat out, your health goals, how many others you are meal-prepping for, and so on. Being able to account for the different meals you will have to prepare will make the planning stage, as well as the cooking stage, even just a bit more organized and straightforward. Additionally, it’s essential to consider making sure to cook enough for full, well-balanced meals that you can also switch up! It’s easy to get tired of the same old meal every day, so maintaining various recipes on hand will allow you to switch things up before you lose motivation altogether. Whether you choose a specific day of the week to research and plan and another for meal prepping alone (or throw them all together on the same day), thinking ahead and preparing properly can help make meal prepping a sustainable practice within your lifestyle.

How Can I Make Meal Prep Even Easier?

Now making large quantities of food can seem daunting, and you may wonder if there are easier ways to meal prep without overwhelming yourself. Luckily, there are various ways to make meal prep as easy and, better yet, fun! For starters, try to start small; whether that’s with making only a couple of meals ahead of time or even starting with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, use this opportunity to experiment with the idea of meal prepping and figure out a schedule that works best for you. 

Another good tip recommended for meal preppers is to make sure to have good containers available at all times. Whether they’re Tupperware or glass containers, being able to store food quickly and efficiently will help streamline your preparation even faster. Finally, if you find yourself struggling to make meal prepping a priority, try scheduling your meal prep time consistently on your calendar. Dedicating a specific time to meal prep each week will allow you to stay on top of getting your meals ready for the week and make for a good reminder even on the days you may not feel like it. 

Some Easy Meal Prep Ideas to Get You Started

Now for the fun part, we wanted to share with you some different meal prep ideas that should make the start of preparing meals ahead of time even more manageable. 

Breakfast ideas:

1. This English muffin breakfast box will allow you to have a healthy yet sweet treat in the morning (minus all of the prep time). Simply add an English muffin, your choice of cottage cheese, cream cheese, or any spread you like, some berries, and a bit of honey or maple syrup for an easy and healthy breakfast you can take to go!
2. Banana-baked oatmeal is the perfect dessert-for-breakfast option that’s easy to make and take with you! This decadent oatmeal only requires a few ingredients and around 40 minutes to make and is delicious when paired with yogurt or milk.
3. For a more savory option, try this delicious mason jar egg casserole. This versatile dish is the perfect way to enjoy a hearty breakfast without having to account for extra time in the mornings for prepping all of the ingredients (who has time for that?). Simply pop these in the oven while getting ready, and you’ll have a nutritious and satisfying meal in around 30 minutes.

Lunch & Dinner Ideas:

1. If there is one container that will make your meal prep much easier, it will have to be mason jars! Mason jars can allow you to prepare a variety of different meal options ahead of time and make it easy to keep them fresh and ready for when you decide to chow down! For our first lunch idea, this chicken salad mason jar meal prep option is the perfect healthy lunch you can easily take along with you during your busy day. All you’ll need to prepare ahead of time is some grilled chicken, but the rest of the ingredients are easy to prep and serve once it’s lunchtime!
2.  If you’re vegetarian or looking to adopt a more vegetarian lifestyle, this recipe is for you! This delicious stuffed pepper vegetarian meal prep is the perfect way to enjoy healthy and hearty vegetables without going through all of the trouble of preparing them each time. You’ll need a few ingredients for this meal prep, but it will be well worth the effort.
3. For our final meal prep idea, these Korean beef meal prep bowls are the perfect option if you’re looking for a filling meal that will not leave you in a food coma. Paired with a cucumber salad, brown rice, and topped with a Korean red pepper sauce, also known as gochujang, these Korean beef meal prep bowls are a great way to fit in a delicious meal when you’re short on time. 

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