Meal prepping was one of those New Year’s resolutions for me – and somehow it stuck. Although I wouldn’t consider myself a super healthy person, I do try to stay conscious of what I’m eating throughout the day. Here is some of my advice for anyone that’s thinking of trying it out!
1. Set Realistic Goals
I like to look at my weeks ahead of time to see if I can actually pull together enough time to go to the grocery store, and prepare my meals. Most weeks it doesn’t take more than 2 hours combined – but some weeks, even that’s too much to ask. You just have to remember to start off small and not overwhelm yourself. I also like to look at my schedule every day to see what times/places I will be eating. I usually save my prepped meals for when I’m away from home as it prevents me from buying food on campus.
2. Look for Recipes Online
I love looking for new recipes online, and just started planning 1 recipe a week. This helps so you’re not eating the similar things for an entire month. For example, a lot of vegetarian recipes include quinoa or tofu. After eating quinoa for a week, I knew I would be tired of it, so I tried a pasta salad I found online instead!
3. Drink Your Meals
Smoothies are such a convenient creation. In one beverage, you can potentially consume all the fruits/vegetables you need for the day. This term, I started packing some staple smoothie combinations into labelled freezer bags. I now have 3 different kinds of smoothies I can whip up for a quick breakfast!
4. Buy Fun (and cheap!) Containers
I tried using fancy glass containers for a long time, but with the weight of my textbooks and laptop, it was getting hard to carry to school. After doing some online research, I came across these magnificent containers. Only $10 for 10 containers!! P.S. they’re microwaveable and dishwasher safe.
5. Take a Break
Once in a while, you won’t have the time or energy to make food. Every student (or even adult) goes through this phase. Magically, it appears around midterm or finals season. Take a break and spend those extra 2 hours relaxing.