Make meal-prepping work for you: Checklist from a registered dietitian

Meal-prepping can save money and time, and it can lead to some health benefits, too.

It can be hard to get started without some planning, though, so here’s some advice on meal-prepping and a checklist to get you on the road to success.

What’s meal-prepping?

Meal prep can include washing and chopping fruits and vegetables, cooking whole grains or making sauces or dressings ahead of time. This helps everything come together quickly when it’s time to actually cook the ingredients or assemble the meal.

It also includes make a planned menu so that you can best use the food you’ve bought.

How meal-prepping benefits your health and your wallet

Getting the right nutrients into your diet can take planning, especially when it comes to fruits, vegetables and other ingredients with a limited shelf life. When I was younger, I bought lots of produce without a plan, assuming I’d just figure it out. I wasted so much food and money this way, because I hadn’t developed a sense of how much I needed or how to use it.

Planning and prepping your meals ahead of time helps you buy only what you know you’re going to use. I also eat more fruits and vegetables now that I’ve given thought to how I’m going to use and prepare them.

How to meal prep

Choose which meals of the day will be prepped

Which meals are the biggest struggle for your household? Are your mornings too hectic to put together a nutritious breakfast before getting out the door? Do you get home too close to dinnertime to start a long cooking project and have it ready before everyone’s hangry? This will help you choose which times of the day could really benefit from meal-prepping.

Note which days you won’t be eating at home

Look at your weekly calendar. You might have plans to eat out for lunch or dinner some days, which is fine – you don’t have to approach this with an all-or-nothing attitude.

Save easy meals for busy days

What days will be busiest? Choose the easiest meals for the days packed with work or kids’ activities and have a meal completely ready or close to being prepared so that it all comes together easily at mealtime.

Start small

You don’t have to start by planning and prepping for seven dinners a week. Consider starting with three dinners or lunches per week and observe what helps your household and what doesn’t.

Write it out

Really plan out what it is you want to make, include everything you need, and stick to the plan to avoid unnecessary expenses.

Make it fun

Once you have your plan written out and you’ve gone grocery shopping, set aside an hour or so. I usually pick a time on Sunday afternoon and prep foods while listening to music, a podcast or an audiobook. I look forward to this time because I pair it with something else I enjoy.

Stick with it

This practice will get easier with time. I notice that once people stick with it for at least a month and realize how they’re eating healthier and how much time and money they’re saving, they’re motivated to keep up a meal-prep habit.

Cook some things in batches

I like to roast a big tray of vegetables, put them in a container in the fridge and use them in different ways throughout the week. I might choose some of my favorite veggies and add them to whole wheat pasta, whole grain rice with peanut sauce, in a salad and so forth.

Have salad ingredients ready

Do you like salads when they’re easier to make? I always have lettuces, shredded cabbage, broccoli, shredded carrots, snap peas and other salad fixings washed and chopped so that I can quickly throw them together as a side dish.

Make sure you have storage containers

If you’re not used to having lots of prepped ingredients separated in your refrigerator, you might be surprised by how many containers it takes. I like to use simple mason jars for sauces and dressings. For washed and chopped produce, you may consider containers that have a vented lid. This releases naturally occurring ethylene gas, which hastens ripening (and spoiling). You can also find containers that have an insert that keeps the produce from sitting on the bottom where moisture collects and can cause spoilage.

Take advantage of frozen produce

Frozen fruits, veggies and even grains are usually just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts. I like to use frozen, shelled edamame for salads, in stir fry or in soup as an inexpensive protein source. Frozen fruits work great in smoothies or thawed for a side dish.

Multiply a recipe for more uses

When I make soups or stews, I double or triple the recipe to freeze leftovers for a quick meal later. You can freeze them in single-serving containers.

If you’re trying to find recipes to get started, the internet is a great place. If you have specific health concerns, many of the major health organizations offer recipe ideas that are appropriate. For example, the American Heart Association website has a nutrition section with tips and ideas. You can even check out one of their cookbooks from the library.

Other things to keep in mind

Not everything can be prepped the same

Some ingredients spoil faster if you wash them too far ahead of time. Mushrooms, for example, or bell peppers, need to be used within a couple of days if they’ve been cleaned and chopped.

Meal-prepping with kids

When dealing with picky eaters, it’s OK to have a few rotating safe foods to provide them. Even if your child won’t eat what’s being served, watching you eat it is still exposure. See if they’re open to putting it on their plate to start. Eventually, they may take a bite.

Are you too busy to meal-prep? Probably not

When you think about setting aside hours in one chunk to devote to meal-prepping, it can seem overwhelming, especially if you have a busy schedule. It often does save time in the long run, though, and it’s worth it if you’re trying to eat a healthful diet. It helps prevent you from resorting to meals that don’t have as much nutritional value in an effort to make something quick.