Meal prepping can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. You can make meal prepping a breeze with some planning and prep work. Together, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started with meal prepping, including why you should start meal prepping, how to get started, and some tips and tricks for making meal prepping easier.

Here’s how to get started:

Why You Should Start Meal Prepping

There are plenty of reasons to start meal prepping, but here are a few of the most compelling ones:

Meal prepping can help you save time.

If you’re short on time during the week, meal prepping can help you get dinners on the table quickly and easily. Simply cook a double batch of your favorite recipes on the weekends and portion them into individual servings. Then, when you’re ready to eat, all you have to do is heat and eat.

Meal prepping can help you save money.

Cooking at home is almost always cheaper than eating out, and meal prepping can help you take advantage of that by cooking in bulk and portioning out individual servings. This way, you can avoid those takeout menus and take control by cooking your meals at home.

Meal prepping can help you eat healthier.

If you’re trying to eat healthier, meal prepping is a great way to ensure you get the nutrients your body needs. When you cook at home, you have complete control over what goes into your food. This means you can avoid processed foods, unhealthy fats, and excess sugar that you may be unaware of while eating out.

How to Get Started Meal Prepping

Now that we’ve gone over some of the reasons you should start meal prepping, let’s talk about how to get started. Here are a few tips:

1) Choose your meals in advance. Part of why people dread meal prepping is that they don’t know what they’ll make ahead of time. To make things easier on yourself, choose your meals for the week in advance. This way, when it comes time to start cooking, you’ll know exactly what ingredients you need to buy and won’t waste any time debating what to make.

2) Make a grocery list. Once you know what meals you’ll make, make a list of all the ingredients you’ll need so that you don’t forget anything at the store. It’s also helpful to group similar items on your list so that you can easily find them when shopping.

3) Prep your ingredients ahead of time. One of the most time-consuming parts of cooking is prep work, like chopping vegetables or marinating proteins. To save time, prep your ingredients by chopping vegetables or portioning items on the weekends. Then when it’s time to cook during the week, all you’ll have to do is throw everything in a pan and heat it.

Meal prepping doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. With some planning and prep work, anyone can become a master meal prepper.

Whether you’re pre-cooking all of your meals for the week ahead or just pre-portioning things and pre-cooking some of your meals, you’ll save a tremendous amount of time while freeing up a lot of mental space.

Fiber is an essential part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. It is a prebiotic, which means it acts as food for the good bacteria in our gut. These bacteria, known as gut microflora, are critical for every organ system in the body, affecting everything from our immune system to our moods. They need fiber to survive and maintain a large and diverse population, which, in turn, keeps us healthy. Fiber also helps keep us full and satisfied, which is beneficial if you always feel hungry after your snacks and meals. Because fiber isn’t digested, it doesn’t contribute to blood sugar levels.

Many fruits, veggies, whole grains, seeds, beans, and legumes are high in fiber. Here is a list of six high-fiber foods that you can incorporate into your diet.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are known for their high fiber content. These tiny seeds contain 10 grams of fiber in just two tablespoons. The daily recommended intake for fiber is at least 25 grams, meaning you can get a good portion of this from chia seeds. Make a chia seed pudding for a snack, or sprinkle these seeds in your oatmeal, smoothie, or salad.

Lentils

Most beans and legumes are rich in fiber, so you can’t go wrong with any of them. However, lentils are also high in protein, making them the perfect legume to add to dinners or lunches. There are approximately 16 grams of fiber in a cup of cooked lentils. Next time you want to make a nutritious vegetarian meal, swap out the meat for lentils.

Quinoa

Quinoa is a wonderful whole grain— it is high in both fiber and protein. It contains far more nutrients than white rice. For your next meal, try to swap your usual carbohydrate for quinoa. One cup of cooked quinoa contains 5 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein.

Raspberries

You might not expect berries to be high in fiber, but they contain even more fiber than a medium-sized apple. For example, one cup of raspberries contains almost 8 grams of fiber, which is pretty impressive for these low-calorie fruits. Raspberries are the perfect fiber-rich snack, especially for those who watch try to limit their sugar intake.

Avocado

Need one more reason to obsess over avocado? This popular food is also rich in fiber. An average-sized avocado contains about 13 grams of fiber, which is already half of the recommended daily intake. Avocados are also a source of unsaturated fats, which lower cholesterol levels and are essential for heart health. Add sliced avocado to your salads or make a delicious avocado toast with eggs for breakfast.

Apples

Apples have always been a perfect snack choice— they’re easy to grab on the go, contain lots of micronutrients, and they’re rich in fiber. For example, one medium-sized apple contains over 4 grams of fiber. Make sure you don’t peel the skin, as this is where most of the fiber is located.

Eat foods rich in fiber for a healthy, well-balanced diet.

We all know that sugar is bad for us, but those cravings are sometimes hard to resist. Sugar can cause health problems, such as insulin resistance and diabetes. Cutting down on sugar will make you feel more energized and lowers your risk of developing many chronic lifestyle-related conditions. There are countless benefits to cutting out sugar — it can help clear up your skin, reduce fatigue, help with weight loss, and motivate you to live a healthier lifestyle in other aspects as well. 

Here are some effortless ways to cut down on sugar.

Drink more water and less soda and juice.

Your water doesn’t have to be boring— try spicing things up by adding berries, lemon, mint or basil, cucumber, and other fruits to your water that will add some flavor without adding any sugar. You can also make tea and coffee, but remember to stay hydrated. Add some fruity teabags to cold water for a refreshing and flavorful iced tea.

Sweeten your foods on your own instead of buying them with sugar.

Pre-packaged cereals and oatmeal are classic examples of foods that contain lots of added sugars in the store. Instead, buy plain oats and make your oatmeal at home. Then, you are in control of how much sugar you add. You can drizzle some honey, maple syrup, or stevia— a natural sugar-free sweetener.

Check your ingredient labels.

Most of the sugar we consume is hidden in foods you wouldn’t even expect, such as bread and condiments. Check the ingredients on any store-bought foods and try to find sugar-free alternatives. Stick to simple ingredients and make your sauces at home. They are much healthier, and they usually taste much better!

Don’t buy those sweets!

Possibly the easiest way to cut down on sugary food is to stop buying it. If you don’t have it in the house, you’re much less likely to think about it and crave it. Even if you do, it’s not easily attainable. Stock up your kitchen with other delicious snacks that are low in sugar so you can still grab something when you’re hungry. If you crave sweets and restrict yourself completely, you’ll end up giving in and most likely overindulging. Balance is key!

Swap out the candy for fruit.

It is difficult to cut it out completely, so making healthier choices that still satisfy your cravings can help. Instead of eating candy or chocolate with added sugars, try eating some fresh fruit. Berries are especially low in sugar and are full of antioxidants and other vitamins. You can also make fun desserts with fruit— instead of a sugary artificial popsicle, blend some frozen fruit and water and pour it into popsicle molds for a refreshing treat.

Prepare some snacks that you can quickly grab when you’re feeling hungry or craving sweets so that you can honor those cravings in a healthier way.

Healthy fats are one of the main macronutrients and have many essential roles in the body. These healthy fats are known as unsaturated fats, which include both mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats play a role in hormone production and make up the cell membrane. Unsaturated fats reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels while increasing HDL, the good cholesterol.

Here are some excellent sources of healthy fats:

Nuts

All nuts contain healthy fats, but some have more than others. Walnuts are especially high in omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat. Omega-3 fatty acids are great for skin, hair, and nails. More importantly, they play a role in brain and heart health. Omega-3s are great for cognitive functioning and helping you focus.

Seeds

Much like nuts, seeds also contain healthy fats. Flaxseeds and chia seeds are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids because they are also high in fiber. Hemp seeds contain 5 grams of healthy fats per tablespoon, and they are high in protein. Some other seeds that are high in healthy fats include sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Avocado

Avocados have been getting all the attention recently, for good reasons. Avocados are excellent sources of healthy fats and are so versatile— you can add them to sandwiches, salads, and even smoothies. The fats will keep you satisfied for a long time because they digest slower than carbohydrates.

Vegetable Oils

Olive oil, avocado oil, and sunflower oil are full of healthy fats. Cooking with these oils can help increase your daily intake of healthy fats. You can also use olive oil and avocado oil for salad dressings. Try to limit your consumption of coconut oil as it is high in saturated fat, which is not as good for you.

Fish

Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel, are high in polyunsaturated fats. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain and heart health.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is full of healthy fats and antioxidants and tends to be lower in sugar than milk chocolate. Check the nutrition labels to make sure there aren’t too many added sugars, and have yourself some healthy chocolate treats!

With the range of options available for healthy fats, you can find something on this list to add to just about any meal of the day. For lunch, you can pair your salad with fresh avocado slices and homemade dressing with high-quality olive oil dressing. For snacks, create your own trail mix with some nuts, seeds, and dried fruit pieces. And for dessert, enjoy a bit of delicious dark chocolate.