Beginner's guide to meal prepping

Meal prepping is becoming more and more popular, with people starting to realise that it's not just for the gym-goers or the super organised. Meal prepping can save you so much time and money, and if you do it right, chances are you'll be eating a lot healthier too. 

The great thing about it is that it's a lot easier than you think, it just takes a little planning. 

Here are some tips on how to make the most of meal prepping. 

1. Make a Plan

Meal prepping doesn't mean you have to plan your dinners weeks in advance, especially if you're just getting started. Instead, start by just planning some meals for the week ahead. Whether you're looking to prep all your meals, or just wanting to make some uni lunches, or post-uni dinners, do whatever works best for you. 

When you've decided what meals you're going to prep, you'll need to choose what it is you'll be eating. It's important to give yourself some variety here, as otherwise, you might end up bored with your chosen menu which will make you less likely to stick to your plan.

Once you've done this, write it down so you have a clear idea for the week ahead, and whilst you're doing this make sure you get down a shopping list too. There's nothing worse than coming back from your weekly shop and realising you're missing some key ingredients.  

2. Prep for your prep

Now's the time to get yourself organised, and make sure you have everything you need to get started. It's all good getting all your ingredients together, and knowing what you'll be cooking up, but if you've not got some of your basics you might struggle a little.

Get together all the cooking and storage equipment you'll need, and take inventory of what you already have. This might mean taking a trip to Wilko for some tupperware or freezer bags or adding a few basic ingredients to your shopping lists but you'll be grateful that you did it once you're saving yourself time and money. 

3. Get cooking

Here comes the most important part of meal prepping, the cooking. Try to make sure that you don't do this too far in advance, especially if you know you don't have the freezer space. It's probably best to prep your foods on a weekly basis to avoid wasting anything. 

It's also best to make sure you're prepping all your food safely, and follow all the necessary food hygiene tips. This includes things like storing your food safely after cooking and being careful with what foods you're reheating and how you reheat them. You can find an in-depth guide on how to meal prep safely here. 

Hopefully, you'll start to see that meal prepping isn't too difficult, as long as you plan ahead and find a routine that works for you. If you're looking for some meal prep inspiration, click here to read our easy meals articles.