5 Meal Prep Time Savers

5 Meal Prep Time Savers

Meal prep. Do those two words make you think of countless hours in the kitchen? Not only time spent in the kitchen cooking, but also loads of dishes to clean up afterwards? Meal prepping doesn’t have to be complicated, and with these simple meal prep time savers, you’ll have a little wiggle room to squeeze in a workout, spend time with your family, or just catch up on your favorite Netflix show:

  1. Take a Quick Inventory. Look in your pantry, fridge and freezer to see what ingredients you already have to make good use of your resources. Taking inventory can help you save money on your groceries, reduce clutter in your fridge, freezer, and pantry, and it can help you to avoid buying duplicate ingredients.
  2. Pre-cut Your Veggies. Cutting your vegetables in advance will make it easy to pair them with a protein for a quick sheet pan meal or a stir fry!
  3. Utilize Frozen Veggies. Opting for frozen vegetables is a huge time-saver because you don’t have to fuss with any peeling, slicing, or dicing. Most frozen vegetables are flash-frozen when they’re fresh, meaning they’ll still have the same vitamins and minerals as fresh versions without all the extra preparation time!
  4. Individually Wrap Your Proteins. Individually wrapped proteins like chicken breasts or fish filets can make those busy weeknights a lot easier. Simply take out your protein in the morning and thaw it in the refrigerator for a quick & nutritious meal.
  5. Canned Tuna is Your Best Friend. Canned tuna is a great protein source and can be made into quick wraps or tuna melts paired with a soup or salad. Not only is canned tuna great for your busy nights, but it’s affordable as well!

Meal prepping is all about organization and strategy. Use these 5 tips above to get organized, save time, and start enjoying healthy meal prep every week!

 

Maryann Walsh, MFN, RD, CDE
Registered Dietitian/ Consultant