A Realistic Guide to Meal Prepping

by Magnolia

Published on July 30, 2024

Wooden cutting boards with green vegetables

When life gets busy, even the smallest moments of rest can make a world of difference. If you’re looking for a way to maximize your routine while ensuring what you eat is infused with intention and nutrition, consider giving meal-prepping a try. At its core, meal-prepping is meant to improve your quality of life: It can save time and money, reduce food waste, and inspire healthy choices. Nothing beats a home-cooked meal.

Whether it’s a return to school, a new job, new habits, or something else entirely that’s motivating you to get started, meal-prepping is a little bit of forethought with a long-run payoff. Let’s jump in!

Start with a Shopping List

The first step in meal-prepping is the shopping list. It’s good to consider the tools you’ll need for each recipe before you start, like an immersion blender or a good set of knives. If you’re not quite sure where to begin, our Core Collection is full of kitchen essentials to get you started, like this affordable set of measuring spoons or a colander to clean your produce.

Wooden measuring spoons, dough, and eggs

Straighten Out Your Storage

Once you’ve picked out and prepped for your recipe, consider some ways you can store it properly. In general, most pre-prepared items will need to be frozen, so look for some freezer-safe storage containers that work well for you (and clear out some shelf space, if need be). Simplify mealtime by freezing your food in individual portions—with something like these Weck Jars—or store enough food for the whole family with this storage bowl. Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and resealable plastic bags can also be useful for freezing your recipes.

Plan Your Portions

Most people set aside a specific day and time of the week to prepare meals, but it can be based on your schedule, the food(s) you plan to make, and how quickly you plan to eat them. For example, if you’re cooking for a family of four, you will likely need to cook more food—and schedule in more time to prepare it—than if you were just cooking for one or two people. Or, if you’re on your own and decide to make a full recipe, plan ahead to freeze your leftovers so they don’t go to waste. Either way, setting aside just 30 minutes to a couple of hours for meal-prepping can save you hours of effort down the road.

Get in the Kitchen

Once you’ve scheduled some time in the kitchen, you’re ready to get started. There are two main types of meal-prepping: ready-to-go portioned meals or pre-prepared individual ingredients.

The stove’s the limit—although some meals save better than others, most foods can be meal-prepped. We’d recommend starting with making and freezing batches of recipes you already love. If you’re short on time or not as comfortable in the kitchen, you could also start by combining a few simple ingredients to make your own recipe. In general, a good rule of thumb is:

Start with a starch or carb
Add a protein
Toss in some veggies

Pre-prepared Ingredients

It’s a great idea to prepare large batches of specific, individual ingredients that you use frequently, so you can add them to another recipe whenever you need. This could be in combination with some ready-to-go meals, or on its own. Here are some classic meal-prepped ingredients to get you started:

Whole fruit
Roasted + fresh veggies
Beans
Rice
Marinara Sauce
Cooked meat
Tortillas
Hard boiled eggs

Many individual ingredients are best prepared weekly and should be stored short-term in the refrigerator, so it can be helpful to research and plan ahead to limit waste.

Tip: You could also save time by basing your recipes for the week around common prepped ingredients. For example, if you chop onions and peppers at the beginning of the week, you could start by making fajitas, rustic baked eggs, and Philly cheesesteaks—or sauté the veggies as their own side dish.

Another method is preparing one or multiple of these ingredients in bulk to freeze and use in smaller batches over time. For example, you could cook, shred, and freeze chicken breasts, pulling the meat out in portions to make multiple dishes. Here’s a few shredded chicken-based recipes for inspiration:

This is a great way to cut down on time in the kitchen while still keeping your meals diverse—and fresh. Excluding the Crunchy Chicken and Peanut Salad, each of these recipes can also be prepared ahead of time and frozen as a complete meal. Choose a method that makes the most sense for you.

Ready-to-go Meals

If there is a flavor (or two) that you can’t get enough of, prepping ready-made food is a great place to start. Adjust your favorite recipes to make as many servings as you (and anyone else you’re feeding) plan to eat in the next couple of weeks, save a few portions in the fridge to eat over the next 2-3 days, and freeze the rest. Some examples of dishes that reheat well include:

Burritos

These are a meal-prep staple for good reason. Simple to make and ready to eat after just a couple of minutes in the microwave, burritos are ideal for storing individually—simply wrap in tin foil and place in the freezer.

Soup

Few foods reheat as well as soup. Especially during colder months, it’s nice to have a comforting option ready for unexpected sick days or cold spells, like this Tomato Basil Soup.

Pasta

Pasta-based options are another great place to start when it comes to meal prepping. Most types of pasta freeze and reheat well, so try incorporating some veggies—like in this Bow Tie Pasta—for added flavor and nutrients.

Grains

For many people, rice is what first comes to mind with the words “meal-prepping.” There are plenty of balanced, grain-based dishes you could make, like these Gorgeous Chicken Grain Bowls.

Bread

Bread items should also save well. Keep a batch of frozen banana bread on hand and defrost for an easy breakfast or simple sweet treat.

Now that your fridge and freezer are stocked, it’s time to enjoy! Tip: Label every freezer meal or ingredient with a name and date to keep track of what you have on hand—and ensure that it’s safe to eat.