Meal prep ideas to save you time

Is your never-ending to-do list making it tough to prepare healthy meals during the week? Well, meal prepping might just be your time (and taste!) saviour! Not only does it help you make better eating choices, but it also encourages portion control and helps to save money and reduce food waste! We’re giving you 3 ways meal prepping can change your life, as well as our 5 top tips to getting you started!

Less, But Better Choices
Meal prepping ahead of time is great for saving you time and stress. It can help make you more conscious and mindful of your nutritional needs and can lead to healthier eating habits. According to a study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, people who plan their meals in advance tend to make better food choices, ultimately reducing their intake of processed foods and added sugars.                                                                                                                                    

Size Really Does Matters
One of the biggest perks of meal prepping is portion control. Preparing your meals in advance, but counting up your meals and snacks, means you can control exactly what and how much goes into each dish! This is especially important when it comes to managing your sugar intake. Instead of quickly grabbing a sugary snack when you’re low on energy and running to school pick-up, you’ll have healthy options readily available that will keep your health goals on track! Lakanto’s new Energy Balls in Mocha Cocoa and Vanilla Chai are tasty, bite-sized, can be made in advance, stored in the fridge and are perfect for that 3pm boost! With no added sugar, and star ingredients providing magnesium for energy, protein for muscle strength and vitamin E for cell health, they’ll satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping your blood sugar stable. Head to Woolies to get them now!

The Cost of Choosing Well
Planning meals in advance allows you to shop smarter, reduce food waste, and keep your grocery bill in check. With the current cost of living crisis (particularly in food and groceries!) and almost 80% of Australians concerned about food prices, it’s more important than ever to budget effectively. By planning for and making your meals ahead of time, you’ll save those extra coins while also enjoy delicious, healthy, homemade dishes throughout the week. Roll up your sleeves and start prepping, your taste buds, health goals and your wallet will thank you!

So, how do you get started with this meal prepping business? Here are our top tips!

1. Make a Plan
   Take some time each week to plan out your meals.  Take your schedule into consideration, count up how many meals and snacks you need to make, and choose recipes that are easy to prepare and store well! 
   
   
2. Batch It Out – for your snacks and meals!
   Prepare larger quantities of key ingredients, like grains, proteins, or roasted vegetables. This allows for easy mixing and matching throughout the week and saves time on cooking! Or get that slow cooker out of storage and bulk cook your favourites.
   
   
3. Cook Extra for Dinner
   Add an extra serving of chicken or salad to your dinner prep to have leftovers for lunch the next day! 
   
   
4. Stack and Store
   Use clear, stackable containers to store your prepped meals to keep your food fresh and it makes it easy to see what you have available. Label your containers with the contents and the date they were prepared. This will help you keep track of freshness and ensure you eat the oldest meals first.
   
   
5. Be Budget Conscious
   Buy real food that’s on sale at the supermarket. Go to your local farmers market and buy local fresh and seasonal produce. Go with friends to your meat wholesaler and buy in bulk to save money. 
   
   
6. Try Something New
   Dust off that rarely used kitchen equipment you have and discover some fresh new dishes so you are always inspired. Have you joined the Air Fryer or Ninja Creami tribe yet?

Be conscious of your food choices and mindful as well to not over prep and create food waste by preparing too much (remember you can always freeze some items in portion size to defrost for later)!