Meal prepping is an easy way to save time preparing meals each week. It’s a great idea for anyone who has a busy schedule or likes to plan ahead. It is also an effective tool for keeping track of your weight loss goals. Answering the question “What should you eat” at mealtime helps reduce mindless or impulsive eating.
If you’re new to food preparation, it’s important to have the right mindset. It’s easy to get caught up in it planning Part of the process, but when it comes to preparation it can feel like a chore. If this sounds like you, give yourself a break. Don’t fall into the “perfectionist trap” and think you have to prepare and plan for everything. single. Have a good meal. This can become very overwhelming, especially if you’re short on time or aren’t the strongest cook.
The point of meal planning and meal preparation is to save you time and add ease to your life, not stress and overwhelm. Always remember this!
To get you started, here are my top nutrition tips to get you in a healthy mindset about food preparation and help you create easy, delicious meals that will sustain your health goals.
Have a plan
The first step in food preparation is creating one Meal plan. Knowing which recipes to prepare and gathering all the ingredients you need will make meal prep a lot easier and more organized.
It’s also important to take a look at your calendar and set reasonable goals for the week. Decide in advance what meals you want to prepare, how much time you have to cook each day, and what your nutritional goals are for each meal.
For example, I like to start my day with an easy-to-put-together, filling breakfast that also helps with post-workout recovery. Since I have a lot to do in the afternoon, I want a light, healthy lunch that I can easily grab and eat on the go or at my desk. For dinner, I prefer simple, vegetarian dishes full of flavor, fresh produce and nutritious ingredients.
Invest in your equipment
Having the right meal prep equipment on hand is critical to success! A sharp knife, appropriate storage containers, a few baking sheets, and a set of cutting boards are a good place to start. A slow cooker and a large Dutch oven are nice too.
I love organizing my refrigerator with bins and baskets for loose items and using glass mason jars with lids to store salads, soups, sauces and dressings, precooked grains, chopped vegetables, etc Chia pudding. I also like to use split glass storage containers for lunch prep (these are also easy to heat in the microwave). To freeze meals like chili or smoothie bags in grab-and-go portions, you’ll need zip-top storage bags or freezable containers, as well as some tape to date and label the contents.
Healthy food is great, but only if you eat it! Using clear glass containers that you can see inside can increase your anticipation of healthy, ready-to-eat foods!
Make some space
Organizing your fridge and freezer for a week’s worth of meals can take a little forethought, especially if you have a small fridge. This is another reason for meal planning First is so helpful. To stay organized (and save money), buy only what you need for the week. It also helps to clean out the fridge before you start meal prep to make sure nothing is hiding or left uneaten from last week. It’s also important to free up time in your schedule! Meal prep doesn’t have to take all day, but if it’s a healthy habit you want to keep, then go for it does Take the time to do some shopping, washing, chopping and cooking! If Sunday is too busy for you, choose a weekday instead. You can also prepare meals for two to three days and have a mid-week prep session for the remaining days. And if you prepare all Eating your meals in advance seems daunting, just pick the one meal that upsets you the most!
Quickly prepare healthy meals: tips to get you started
OK, now that you’re in the mindset to start meal prepping each week, here are some helpful tips to get healthy, delicious meals on the table quickly while supporting your weight and wellness goals.
DISTRIBUTE IT
One benefit of meal prepping is that you can portion your food before you’re ready to consume it. This is helpful because sometimes when we’re in a hurry or too hungry, it’s easy to overeat. Having your meal already portioned not only saves you time, but it can also save you calories.
Think vegetables first
To create a healthy eating style in the long term, try building your meals around vegetables and greens! Instead of focusing on protein as the star, make nutrient-dense and seasonal vegetables the “hero” on your plate! Not only will this make you more creative in the kitchen, you’ll also eat more vegetables, leading to a healthier body (1). Salads are an easy win here, as are roasted vegetables grain bowls, Fajitas And Tacos, baked pasta dishes And Vegetable based soups.
Another advantage? Seasonal produce is readily available, cheaper and full of flavor.
COMFORT IS KEY
Not every meal you prepare has to start from scratch. While it’s more cost-effective to chop and prepare food yourself, there’s nothing wrong with buying ready-made meals to save time! Canned beans are a staple in my shopping cart, as are prepackaged salads, perfect for a weeknight meal paired with canned salmon or leftover grilled chicken. Frozen vegetables and pre-made sauces for pasta are also an easy win.
DON’T FORGET BREAKFAST
When you run out of the house hungry on busy mornings, a little meal prep can help! Smoothies are a great way to get fiber, antioxidants, and protein first thing in the morning, and pre-made smoothie bags from the freezer will save you tons of time. Simply add your favorite smoothie ingredients to a zip-top freezer bag, add your liquid in the morning, blend, and drink!
Grab-and-go breakfast also makes it easy to eat healthy on the go. Stay away from the Starbucks drive-thru by making a batch of this Mini muffins, Overnight oats or Frozen Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches every week so that you always have a quick and healthy breakfast.
Put a lid on it!
Many parents spend their evenings driving their children to and from sports practice, meetings, or other school events, making dinner an afterthought. Using a mason jar when preparing food can make for a quick and easy lunch or add a nutritional boost to your dinner (and you have something to do while you’re on the soccer field!). Portion the quinoa salad, Soups, pasta and cereal bowls in mason jars save space in the fridge and make for a quick grab-and-go meal.
DINNER BAR
From potato bars to taco bars and everything in between, “dinner bar” nights are a fun way to feed your family and are perfect for getting dinner on the table quickly. If you prepare all the bar work in advance, dinner will be as easy as opening the fridge door! Creative bar dinner ideas include:
- Pasta bars with sautéed vegetables, frozen peas, chopped chicken, dried vegetables or a side salad
- Mediterranean flatbread bar with hummus, roasted vegetables, sautéed vegetables, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and olives
- Salad bar with all the trimmings (pre-chopped and ready to go!)
- Taco bar with pre-made ground turkey, roasted vegetables, salsa, guacamole and canned beans
- Sweet potato bars with roasted vegetables, canned beans, steamed vegetables and salsa
- Omelette bars with sautéed mushrooms, steamed spinach, salsa and black beans
Pack it up!
Lunch has never been easier than with one wrap! Instead of just reheating leftovers, add them to a high-fiber tortilla for a quick and easy lunch wrap. For a low-carb version, you can use cabbage, chard, or romaine leaves in place of the tortilla. You can also make a batch of chicken, egg, or tuna salad and put it in wraps for the week.
HAVE FUN!
We tend to make time for things we enjoy. For this reason, I suggest making preparing your meals as enjoyable as possible. Use your prep time to binge on a podcast or audiobook, crank up the music and have some fun, or even watch a show on your iPad while you hack. I love being in the kitchen with my favorite playlist and preparing healthy meals that will nourish me for the week ahead.
The conclusion
Meal prepping can be a big time saver, but that doesn’t mean you have to create a rigid structure that you can’t change. Keep an open mind and allow for flexibility – switch up meals and get creative! If you’re new to meal planning and meal preparation, remember: you’re learning a new behavior, and when you develop a new habit, it’s important to keep an open mind while learning from your experiences. There will be meals that miss the mark and some mishaps along the way. This is completely normal and will only help you better refine your own unique process.
If you keep an open mind when preparing food, the experience may feel more like self-care than a dreaded chore. And you never know: you might even be looking forward to it!
Originally published August 25, 2021; Updated February 11, 2026
The post A Dietitian’s Guide to Meal Prep: Getting Healthy Food on the Table Quickly appeared first MyFitnessPal Blog.
