Taking the Mystery out of Meal Prep
Why Prep?
When I mentioned I’ve been meal prepping weekly for over four years, a friend of mine exclaimed, “Wow, you’ve really got your sh*t together!” In reality, I’m so busy with everything else that food is often an afterthought. If I don’t prepare healthy food in advance, meal times often look something like this:
• Mournfully peer into an empty fridge, hoping food will appear.
Sigh and wait a little longer, just to be really sure there’s nothing there.
Resignedly cobble together a mutant omelette (or just scarf a pickle).
If I’ve prepped? Grab and go. Maybe nuke it for a minute or two. Eat. Get back to work. Veggies consumed; adulting managed. As it is said, “Efficiency is intelligent laziness.”
There are many advantages to meal prep, like reduced food waste, time savings, and cost reduction. There are also some disadvantages, like finding a block of time to plan and prep and significant food waste if you accidentally ruin a batch cook. Generally, I’ve found that there are four factors that contribute to successful meal prepping, and they largely depend on the person doing the prepping: quantity, nutrition, calories, and cost.
Quantity
When considering the quantity of food to prep, you should take into account how many days you can eat the same thing, or something similar, in a row.
Before I continue, I feel I should mention that food is not a motivator for me. That is, if there was a Wonka pill I could take that would give me a full day’s complete nutrition and satisfy my caloric needs (albeit without turning me into a giant blueberry), I would take it in a heartbeat. I’m also a leftovers fiend. Nothing is safe in the fridge if it’s in a Tupperware container. These two factors mean that I have absolutely no issue eating the same thing for five or six days in a row. That may not be true for you!
Be honest with yourself about how many of the same meals you can stand to eat in a row. If you’re new to meal prepping, start with one meal a day and prep for two days, and then ramp up to three or four days if you’re feeling good. Experiment with it! Over-prepping only leads to sunk costs, food waste, and despair.
Nutrition
All hail the macronutrients! Every meal should have a reasonable balance of carbs, protein, and fat. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating within the following ranges:
• Carbohydrates: 45–65% of calories
• Fat: 25–35% of calories
• Protein: 10–30% of calories
Or, roughly 2 parts carbs, 1 part fat, 1 part protein.
Second disclaimer: I am a lactose-intolerant vegetarian. Since I avoid meat and most dairy, the majority of my diet is carbohydrate-based. This is almost definitely different for you.
When I’m planning meals, I start with the bulk carb and work from there. Let’s say I’m going to make a buddha bowl. I’ll throw in brown rice as a base, then add some sweet potatoes for flavor and that glorious Vitamin A. Both rice and sweet potato have a little protein, but I’ll add some crispy chickpeas for more. Then I’ll top it off with snap peas and red cabbage, and half an avocado for some healthy fat. Add some seasoning, and you have a fantastic meal!
Quick tip: Varying the colors of your vegetables is a rough hack for making sure you have a variety of vitamins on your plate. I aim to have three vegetables of different colors per meal. Eat the rainbow!
Calories
I originally began meal prepping to aid my weight loss. Meal prepping was instrumental in the early days because it took all the stress and temptation out of meal times. The food was already there, and I had already ensured that I was eating the calories that I needed to stick to my diet. After I reached my desired weight, I stuck with meal prepping due to the convenience but began supplementing with snacks as needed.
Calorie calculations when meal prepping are important because multiple days in a row of over- or under-eating can take a toll on your body. Finding that sweet spot can be tricky, but there are several online calculators that can help you estimate your caloric needs. From there, figure out how many calories you tend to eat per meal, then aim for that value when prepping. Easy!
Cost
Meal prepping is great for reducing food costs because it allows you to buy in bulk. Food waste is also reduced because you’re more likely to use everything in one go. However, there are a few other things you can do to save money:
Buy in bulk: Dry goods like rice, pasta, legumes, and oats are cheaper in bulk but, especially in the case of dry beans, may take more time to prepare. If you’re short on time, however, going for convenience, like using canned beans, can sometimes be better than grabbing the cheaper dry ingredients.
Cost comparison: Tofu is a staple protein in my diet. At Target, it’s $4.95 per package, but it’s only $0.99 at the Chinese market down the road. Certain vegetables, like gai lan (Chinese broccoli—super tasty), are also exceptionally cheap. Poke around your local markets! You might be surprised.
Frozen foods: Frozen vegetables, especially, are often cheaper than fresh ones. When in doubt, compare them! They also last longer, for obvious reasons, and frozen veggies are just as healthy for you as fresh ones.
Dietary choices: In terms of cost per calorie, meat is very expensive. For a dollar of 88/12 ground beef, you get about 260 calories; for a dollar of dry pinto beans, you get over 1000. If you’re meal prepping to cut costs, you might consider adding a vegetarian meal or two to your rotation.
That being said, there are some things you should invest in:
• Good quality storage containers
• A crock pot (the ultimate low-effort cooking tool)
• A variety of oils and spices (highly recommended—Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning from Trader Joe’s)
Final Thoughts
Peace of mind has been my greatest benefit from meal prepping. I never have to think about making food, apart from the four hours every Sunday that it takes to plan, shop for, and make meals for the week. It’s also easy to make sure I’m eating a varied and balanced diet.
Money is also a factor. My monthly grocery bill averages between $125-150, depending on how many impulse fruit purchases I make. Coffee is my most expensive recurring purchase, at about $15/month. My costs also tend to be lower because, as previously stated, lactose-intolerant vegetarian. In general, though, meal prep is cheaper than cooking every day. That (vegan) buddha bowl that I mentioned above, for example, comes out to less than $2/serving (33% of that is the avocado, but let’s be real: avocado is non-negotiable) and 650 calories/serving.
It’s essential to find balance. Start small! Even if you make two or three servings of a meal, that counts as meal prep, and I guarantee you’ll see a difference in your bank account even if you only do it a few times a month. In addition, if you’re meal prepping to stick to a weight loss goal, you’ll likely see a change in your waistline. Also, make it into something you enjoy! Prep with friends or housemates, and crank up some music. And finally, don’t shop when you’re hungry.
Happy prepping!
