Meal Prep Concepts And Information For Busy Mums

If you happen to’re a busy mum (examine) with a to-do checklist so long as your arm (examine) who desires to eat properly however hasn’t bought hours to spend within the kitchen (examine examine), this meal prep information is for you.

We do speak an terrible lot about meal prep concepts and ideas right here on the Wholesome Mummy and on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem, however we perceive that a few of you have got by no means tried it earlier than.

So you could be feeling slightly overwhelmed with the way it all works.

Key takeaways:

• An enormous number of meal prep ideas and recommendation 
• The best containers for meal prep
• Recipe options that may work properly for you 

All aboard!

Leap forward to seek out out extra:

So….what’s meal prep?

If you happen to consider the time you spend within the kitchen every day or night time making ready meals, it rapidly provides up by the top of the week. And if there’s one factor that us busy mamas don’t have sufficient of – it’s TIME.

That is the place meal prep is available in. By spending a while a couple of times per week (or no matter works for you and your loved ones) chopping, cooking, and packaging up your meals and snacks, you possibly can slice a TON of hours off your weekly meal prep and cooking schedule.

However you don’t should really feel overwhelmed. Meal prep might be made up of straightforward duties like chopping components and storing them in hermetic containers, making a batch of wholesome meal prep recipes from the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem, or cooking a double batch of your favorite wholesome meals forward, so you possibly can freeze some for one more day.

What are the advantages of meal prep?

Oh, so many…

1. No extra cooking within the kitchen each single day. By cooking in batches (for example, you may make a double batch of Bolognese, one to make use of this week and one to freeze for one more household meal subsequent week).
2. Lower your expenses by shopping for your components in bulk – it’s usually less expensive should you purchase 3kg of rooster breast as a substitute of 500g. Identical goes with components like 2kg luggage of potatoes, 1kg luggage of rice and many others. Each little bit of cash saved is cash in your pocket.
3. You’ll have spare time to hold with the youngsters within the witching hour (once they simply need to snuggle up and browse a guide or play a recreation), as a substitute of getting emotional children pulling at your legs when you attempt to cook dinner dinner.
4. Keep away from the temptation to seize a takeaway if you’re drained and hungry, understanding there’s a wholesome meal already made at residence.
5. You employ much less electrical energy and water as you don’t must cook dinner as usually. You’ll have much less washing up as you’ll make one BIG mess as a substitute of a multitude EVERY DAY!

What’s going to I must get began?

You don’t want loads of kitchen tools, however these are the fundamentals to make it slightly simpler.

Meals processor, blender, kettle, sharp knives, chopping boards, pots and pans, sluggish cooker (optionally available, however we find it irresistible), and meal prep containers for the completed product.

And, after all, don’t neglect the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem app!

What ought to I make for my first try?

Don’t go too onerous too quickly! To begin with, why not simply put together two 28 Day Weight Loss Problem dinners (doubling the recipe to make 4 household meals) and two double batches of snacks?

As an example, you would make a double batch of Sluggish Cooker Asian Rooster after which a double batch of Mexican Lasagne.

Then as soon as they’re cooking, you would make a double batch of the Raspberry Muffins, and a double batch of the Weetbix Slice. That may make FOUR entire household meals and THIRTY SIX serves of some wholesome snacks!

How do I start?

Getting began with meal prep doesn’t should be this big factor the place you spend each weekend planning and doing all your weekly meal prep. Relying in your freezer house and the dimensions of your loved ones, you are able to do weekly meal prep or simply pre-prep the meals for the times you’re all making an attempt to eat more healthy. No matter you resolve, getting began with meal prepping begins by taking step one.

Step 1. Determine what you want to cook dinner throughout your session. 

You possibly can select to cook dinner a dinner meal prep recipe (an amazing begin!) or add in lunch meal prep concepts too (why not simply use dinner leftovers for lunch?), you may need to meal prep some snacks too.

Leap on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem app and kind in an ingredient you need to use (e.g. mince), and see what wholesome meal prep recipe pops up that you simply just like the look of. You possibly can customise your meal plan after which hit the ‘buying checklist’ button.

Step 2. Make a buying checklist (or use the one on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem) and buy groceries.

Make a buying checklist (or use the one on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem) and buy groceries. Test the cabinets to see you probably have fundamentals like oil, flour, pepper and many others.

Many mums discover it helpful to make use of on-line buying in order that they’ll see what their whole spend will probably be and make adjustments if wanted to suit inside their finances.

Step 3. Carve out a while (relying on what you’re cooking and what number of recipes you have got) to spend within the kitchen cooking

A lot of our 28 Day Weight Loss Problem members swear by the Sunday afternoon cook-up, however do no matter works for you. Many mums do meal prep twice per week.

Step 4. Begin chopping and getting the components prepared

The meals processor might be useful right here to cut onions, carrots, cabbage, and many others. Why not strive utilizing the oven, stovetop and a sluggish cooker so to put together a number of meal prep meals?

Step 5. Begin cooking!

Get your apron on, throw on some tunes, and get into your meal-prepping session.

It’s usually finest to get something cooking first that may take slightly longer, then work again from there.

Assume forward of time about what you can also make whereas one other meal is baking within the oven, for example.

Step 6. As soon as the meals has cooled, it’s time to bundle it up

You may select to bundle your meals into single-serve parts or into family-sized parts, relying in your wants.

Enable the meals to chill utterly within the fridge in a single day, then place it within the freezer the subsequent day. This avoids freezer burn. Label the whole lot so to see at a look what you have got within the freezer.

What if I don’t have sufficient room to retailer a great deal of containers?

That’s OK! Not everybody has a giant freezer or numerous meal prep containers. Right here’s what you are able to do:

• Make your lunch for the week – place some cooked rooster, rice and greens, or some pre-chopped salad into 5 containers (no dressing) which you can simply pull out every day.
• Kind breakfast out to make mornings a breeze. As an example, you may make these Chia Puddings (or there are a great deal of recipes in the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem) or a batch of the Gluten Free Granola to maintain readily available for the week.
• Meal prep your snacks for the week and retailer them within the fridge. Assume Zucchini Carrot Cake, or Lemon and Coconut Bliss Balls. These don’t take up a lot room.
• Simply cook dinner and freeze the primary element of the meal, which you’ll then add simply with a facet of rice or veggies. You can make a triple batch of Chilli con Carne or Bolognese to make use of with pasta one night time, then tacos one other night time, wraps, or on prime of a jacket potato. Simply freeze it in household sized parts and defrost it within the fridge in a single day earlier than you propose to make use of it.

Which containers ought to I take advantage of for meal prep?

Selecting the best meal prep containers could be very a lot a private selection.

However the primary choices for freezing meals are a budget and cheerful takeaway-style containers from the grocery store (round $3 for 10), which are sometimes single-use;

Or the dearer however higher high quality plastic tubs equivalent to Décor, Tupperware, Ikea or Sistema.

It’s also possible to use ziplock luggage for issues like bliss balls or muffins, as they take up much less room.

Which dinner recipes work properly for meal prep?

Listed below are among the favorite wholesome meal prep recipes of the Challenge members that love meal prep. All of those wholesome meal prep concepts and recipes can be found to members of the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem. If you happen to’re in search of inspiration and for hundreds of meal prep concepts for weight reduction you’ll find loads on the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem and Wholesome Mummy web site.

Meat

Listed below are a few of our favorite meal prep concepts for the meat-eaters who want to eat more healthy:

Seafood

If seafood is extra your model, try these wholesome meal prep recipes excellent for the entire household:

• Fish & Vegetable Curry
• Coconut Fish Sizzling Pot
• Tuna Pasta Bake (pictured above)
• Salmon & Zucchini Patties
• Chilli Tuna Patties with Asian Coleslaw

Vegetarian

We even have an amazing vary of wholesome recipes excellent for the subsequent weekly meal prep which might be excellent for vegetarians:

• Baked Cheese & Tomato Risotto
• Spinach & Pumpkin Curry
• Straightforward Fried Rice (pictured above)
• Pesto, Spinach & Ricotta Rolls
• Zucchini & Corn Fritters
• Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

Household Pleasant

As busy mums it may be so onerous to seek out scrumptious, wholesome recipes that the entire household loves which is why The Wholesome Mummy has hundreds of family-friendly heathy recipes prepared so that you can meal prep:

Snacks

When in search of meal prep concepts for weight reduction, some of the necessary meals to incorporate in any meal prep is snacks as a result of everyone knows how simple it’s to seize a less-than-healthy snack. Listed below are our favorite snack recipes prepared to your weekly meal prep:

Why do these mums like to meal prep?

Sascha Farley (proper) misplaced an unbelievable 34kg following the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem.

Sascha says, “Figuring out I’m making the best selections, particularly relating to ‘treats’ has been the largest studying for me. I’ve at all times bought 2-3 wholesome treats prepared for my candy tooth hits. With training comes freedom, and The Wholesome Mummy program has given me that.”

Kaitie Purssell (left) misplaced 21kg with the 28 Day Weight Loss Problem and credit her weight reduction to her newfound love of wholesome meals.

Kaitie says, “Being ready and getting organised doesn’t solely save money and time, it additionally makes your life a lot simpler. The Wholesome Mummy life-style was made for busy mums like myself.”

Rhian Allen (centre) is the founding father of the Wholesome Mummy. As a busy mum of two, she is aware of that a meal prep routine is an effective way to assist those that are struggling to eat properly.

Rhian says, “Meal prep offers you peace of thoughts, understanding that on the finish of a busy day, you’ve bought a wholesome meal able to go at residence.”