For being a season associated with vacations and relaxation, does it ever feel like summer gets a little bit…hectic? You’re not in the same routine you’re in for the rest of the year, and trying to find structure for your day can feel impossible, whether you’re coordinating childcare while the kids are on break from school, pulling double duty at work while a coworker is on vacation, or simply spending long days at the pool and coming home exhausted.
The first thing you might sacrifice is healthy eating. After all, takeout is easier, right?
Instead of pulling up your favorite delivery app on your phone, stop and consider this: Meal prepping could save you time and money while bringing your entire household together to share in the joy of good nutrition.
Why Meal Prep?
Most people rely on meal prep—the practice of preparing meals ahead of time—to ensure they have something nutritious to eat for every meal despite how busy their lives can get. And if summer is feeling a little too busy to figure out meals in the moment, then consider these five noteworthy benefits of meal prep:
1. Meal prep saves you time. By preparing and portioning meals ahead of time, all you have to do is heat and eat later. No more dedicating a half hour or even an hour to fixing something when you walk in the door. Plus, you have far fewer dishes to wash.
2. Meal prep is less expensive than takeout. Ordering something from even a fast-casual restaurant these days can cost somewhere between $10 and $20 per person. With that amount of money, you could buy groceries and prepare lunches for the entire week. Plus, you’ll be generating a lot less waste.
3. Meal prep helps you make healthier choices. When you meal prep, you’re making something with ingredients you control, so you don’t have to worry about the excess fat, sodium, or sugar you could get from takeout. You can focus on whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy, and lean protein.
4. Meal prep reduces decision fatigue. Trying to figure out what to make for lunch or dinner in the moment gets overwhelming. It’s one more choice you have to make throughout the day when you’re already worried about so much else. Meal prep allows you to plan out the menu ahead of time and portion out those meals for thought-free enjoyment later. Lunch and dinner are already made and waiting for you when you want them.
5. Meal prep can be a fun bonding activity. The only downside of meal prep is that even though you’re saving time throughout the week, you have to set aside a longer period of time—usually on the weekend—to figure out when you’re going to make everything. If you collaborate on meal prep with your partner, kids, roommate, or a friend, it becomes a bonding activity where you’re able to explore new recipes and discuss nutritious choices together.
So, How Do I Do It?
The great thing about meal prep is there’s no one-size-fits-all rule as to how you approach it. You can tailor meal prep to fit your lifestyle. Want to cook a week in advance? Go for it! Is it easier to take it two or three days at a time? You can do that too!
Here are common approaches to meal prep, and some suggestions on how you can make it best fit your needs:
Cook a large batch of a dish and portion it out in Tupperware containers—this works especially well for casseroles and similar style dishes. One batch might make enough for a dozen meals, or even more if you double it. You can even freeze some portions for longer-term storage.
Focus on the meals that are the most stressful. There’s no need to meal prep for every single meal, especially if dinner, for example, is never a problem but breakfast always seems like an inconvenience as you’re trying to get out the door in the morning. Prep the meals that you need to and forget about the ones you don’t.
Focus on preparing ingredients that you can use later. Not everyone is a fan of leftover-style pre-portioned meals, but you can always chop a week’s worth of vegetables, roast and shred chicken, cook a large pot of pasta or rice, and even whisk together dressings or sauces during your meal prep time. Then it’s easy enough to throw everything together when you’re ready to eat.
Remember snacks! Portioning out favorite midday bites can be helpful, especially if your kids are home and endlessly hungry. Baggies of apple slices or grapes, washed and cut carrots or cucumber, or tiny containers of trail mix are all great options.
