3 Simple Meal Prep Recipes for Freeing Up Your Week (2024)

FAQs

What are 3 keys to successful meal prepping? ›

A freezer is an ace option for meal preps that will be eaten more than four days later. This includes pizza, pasta, meat, and veggies. The main drawbacks of storing batch meals in the freezer are that they can be hard to reheat and may lose taste over time.

One important note though: as long as you cook meals properly, food will be perfectly safe to eat within seven days. However, by day five, it might not be as tasty. If there's one number to remember from this cheat sheet, it's four. Most meals are good (safe AND tasty) in the fridge for up to four days.

While it might be tempting to try to cook for seven days at a time, you'll have a lower risk of your food spoiling if you plan two prep days a week. Because nobody wants to waste a pretty lunch — or eat a stinky one.

A three-course meal traditionally consists of appetiser, entree and dessert. A mistake that many people make is mixing too many styles of cuisine. If you're cooking Italian for example, make sure each course matches that theme.

In ancient Rome, the custom was to eat one large meal, plus two small, light meals. In the US, our eating habits are now typically organized around our workdays or school days. But cultural norms aside, there's no scientific reason for you to eat exactly three meals every day.

The military diet requires people to follow a low calorie diet for 3 days and then return to regular eating for 4 days. Across the first 3 days, daily calorie intake is restricted to 1,400, 1,200, and 1,100 calories. The diet is high in protein and low in fat, carbohydrates, and calories.

On your meal prep day, focus first on foods that take the longest to cook: proteins like chicken and fish; whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and farro; dried beans and legumes; and, roasted vegetables.

Lean ham, turkey, or chicken can be low in fat, high in protein, and a flavorful way to enhance any meal or snack. Add to a salad kit, make a hearty sandwich or wrap, or simply pair with some cheese, crackers, and fruit for an easy meal kit. Most options last for about five days in the fridge.

Can you meal prep scrambled eggs? ›

A: Eggs are one of the quickest products to meal prep. Find out how many portions you need for the week ahead, cook the eggs (cooking scrambled eggs only takes ca. 15 minutes), and then divide the food into individual portions to store in the fridge.

Whole, unprocessed foods that are high in protein and fiber will generally leave you more sated, which means you feel full for a longer period of time. Some of the most filling foods include boiled potatoes, oatmeal, eggs, fish, Greek yogurt, and popcorn.

On your meal prep day, focus first on foods that take the longest to cook: proteins like chicken and fish; whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and farro; dried beans and legumes; and, roasted vegetables.

Chicken is one of the best meats for meal prep because it's inexpensive and lasts for up to four days in the fridge after you've cooked it, so we're here to make sure that when it comes to chicken, your prep is perfect.

For a single person eating three meals a day, you can expect to pay at least a bit north of $100 per week on food for meal prep. This number may change widely based on your circ*mstances. Compared to eating out, good meal prep can save you immense amounts of money in the long run.