Prepping your meals each week is so important nowadays. Our grocery shopping is very limited and should only be done when our lists are larger. No more quick trips to the store for one or two items. We’re all eating more meals at home so being prepared and knowing what you’re having every day for every meal is more important now more than ever. We want to support the local restaurants, but it’s become easier and faster to prepare your meals at home rather than wait for takeout or delivery. Meal prepping not only saves you money but can also help you stay healthy during this time of uncertainty.

While some may have more time than usual with the stay-at-home order, meal prepping is still a huge, time-consuming task. As a full-time working-at-home mom of two, I’ve come up with five easy steps that will save you time during your meal prep.

Meal Prepping tips and tricks

Use Frozen Veggie Bags Instead Of Cooking Raw Veggies

You see those in the freezer section every time you go to the store, but have you ever taken advantage of them? They are amazing! Whether you choose one veggie or a mixture of veggies, these one-step veggie bags save you a ton of time. All you need to do is place the bag in the microwave, set the right time, and voila! While you’re waiting for the veggies to heat up, you can work on something else. BAM! Multitasking, who knew?

Have the Right Tools In Your Kitchen

Having the proper tools in your kitchen is vital. If you’re spending time individually slicing, chopping, or spiraling every fruit, vegetable, and meat, it takes up a lot of your time. Having a few key components can save you loads of time. Here are a couple of tools I have in my kitchen that cuts down on prep time.

1. Mandolin Kitchen Slicer: it cuts, slices, and juliennes your fruits and veggies. This three-in-one tool saves you time and effort during your meal prepping; it’s even small enough to leave on your countertop for easy access.

2. Food Processor: easily chops food into fine pieces. Three pulses are all it takes to get your veggies chopped to perfection. I’ve also used the food processor to make ground meat even finer after cooking it. 

Have An Ingredient List Made Before Meal Prepping

There have been many-a-times when I’ve gotten everything ready and set out to meal-prep, then realized my meats are still frozen and uncooked. Dang, why didn’t I get them out of the freezer last night? Through time, it’s helped me save time to go ahead and thaw and cook my meat while I’m already working on the stove or oven. I’ve got water in the pot boiling for my meal that night, so I might as well toss my meat in the microwave to thaw. Rice is cooking, let’s throw the chicken in the oven to cook. That way, when it’s time to prep my meals for the week ahead, I’ve got the chicken or beef cooked and ready to go. 

Thaw and Cook Your Meat Ahead of Time

There have been many-a-times when I’ve gotten everything ready and set out to meal-prep, then realized my meats are still frozen and uncooked. Dang, why didn’t I get them out of the freezer last night? Through time, it’s helped me save time to go ahead and thaw and cook my meat while I’m already working on the stove or oven. I’ve got water in the pot boiling for my meal that night, so I might as well toss my meat in the microwave to thaw. Rice is cooking, let’s throw the chicken in the oven to cook. That way, when it’s time to prep my meals for the week ahead, I’ve got the chicken or beef cooked and ready to go. 

When All Else Fails, There’s Always Leftovers

I constantly make sure to prepare more than enough food for my family so that we have leftovers. If there’s a week that you couldn’t quite get your meals prepped, make a little bit extra for dinner that night, and the nights to come, and you’ve got lunch the next day. It’s one of the easiest meal-prep steps ever taken, and who doesn’t love leftovers? 

I hope these time-saving tips will help you in your healthy eating journey.

We are all going through our own struggles right now and hopefully, these tips and tricks help keep you and your family on track. If you prep and portion out your food, you avoid overeating. Not focusing on portion control plays a large part in a lack of results, so it’s important to prep your meals ahead of time. Genesis is committed to helping you reach your goals whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or maintain. GeoMeals is a great resource you can use on those days you just didn’t have time to prep your meal. It happens, and we’ve got you covered. Visit their website for delivery options!