Get Started with These Easy Meal Prep Tips!

Meal prep and planning are a cornerstone habit for eating well. It can be very stressful making sure you have meals to eat during the week, but it is not impossible. Here are some tips to get you started on the right track! Remember, your meals don’t have to be perfect. Focus on making progress!

4 Easy Steps to Get Meal Prep and Planning Started!

Getting Started with Meal Prep

Think meal planning is impossible? The key lies in finding the style of planning that works best for your family’s usual routines and favorite foods. No matter if you’re a bunch of picky eaters, trying out a plant-based diet, or just hoping to be more organized in general, there is a way to make a meal plan that works for you.

Here’s how to set up your personalized meal plan for your family’s style and get the habit to stick.

Step 1: Discover Your Meal Planning Style and Strategize Your Week

Your meal plan will be most successful if it accurately reflects the reality of your regular schedule and family lifestyle. For most, having a freshly prepared meal on the table every single night is not feasible.

Find Your Style: Consider how much you realistically like to cook and how much time you have. Explore options like prepping individual components, making entire meals in advance, or employing the “cook once, eat twice” method.
Tackle Dinner First: If planning everything feels overwhelming, start with just your dinner plan and gradually expand to other meals and snacks.
Strategize Your Week: Think about your busiest days and plan simpler meals or utilize leftovers on those nights. Conversely, allocate more time for cooking on less hectic days.

Step 2: Implement Smart Cooking Strategies and Build Your Go-To Recipe Collection

Focus on efficient cooking methods and start building a reliable collection of recipes that your family enjoys.

Cook Once, Eat Twice: Embrace strategies that involve making double portions of certain foods (like roasting two chickens or whole cauliflower heads) to intentionally have leftovers for different meals later in the week (e.g., turning leftover chicken into tacos or soup). Spending a little more time upfront can significantly ease the rest of the week.
Build Your Repertoire: Start a list of your family’s favorite go-to, fail-safe recipes as a foundation for your rotating meal plan.
Get Inspired: Utilize platforms like Pinterest to discover new recipes you’d like to try. Once they’ve been tested and are a hit with your family, move them to your “meal category” boards (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc.). This eliminates the nightly “what’s for dinner?” dilemma.

Step 3: Organize Your Plan Visually and Make Meal Prep a Family Affair

Establish a clear system for organizing your meal plan and involve your family in the process to foster teamwork.

Choose Your Organization Method: Decide whether a visual reminder like a whiteboard or chalkboard on the fridge works best, or if you prefer the organization of digital tools like Excel spreadsheets.
Assign Categories and Days: Break down your plan by meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) and assign them to specific days of the week. Consider assigning themes to certain days (e.g., Monday is Asian, Tuesday is Taco Tuesday) for easier planning. You can even plan for two weeks or a whole month at a time once you find a rhythm.
Involve the Family: Encourage partners or older children to take on cooking at least one meal a week. Make meal prep a family affair – you don’t have to do it alone unless you really want to!

Step 4: Be Realistic, Reward Yourself, and Cultivate Consistency

Meal prepping and planning is a journey, not a destination. Be patient with yourself, build in rewards, and focus on long-term consistency.

Budget for Flexibility: Plan for a couple of takeout nights throughout the month. It doesn’t have to be an extravagant dinner every week, but ensure you’re building in a reward system for your work. Consider incorporating meal kit services you enjoy into your plan a few nights a week.
Embrace Imperfection: Not every week’s plan will be a winner. View it as a learning process and adjust your strategies based on what works and what doesn’t.
Cultivate Consistency: Think of your meal planning skill as a muscle group that you’re trying to strengthen. Don’t get discouraged after the first week or month. It takes some time to get into the groove, but the up-front work pays off in convenience and sanity down the line.

More Helpful Meal-Prepping & Planning Tips.

Still feeling overwhelmed by meal planning? Our team of registered dietitians at Walsh Nutrition Group in Boulder can provide personalized strategies and support to make healthy eating easier. Contact Walsh Nutrition Group, Inc. Today for a FREE Discovery Call!

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This Blog Post was adapted from Casey Barber’s post.