Meal Prep is one of the single biggest hacks I know of to hit your nutritional goals, eliminate decision fatigue and —for busy parents like me— help keep you organized so you can be intentional about what your family is eating.
I don’t manage to do it every weekend, but when I do, it makes such a big difference in the flow of our week. So if you’re curious, here is a picture of my actual fridge from about 5 min ago and some of my favorite things / ways to meal prep for the week.
Here’s How I Meal Prep
Pre-Chop Your Veggies: I typically grocery shop on Saturday and then prep the veg on Sunday. My two youngest still take their lunch to school, so washing and pre-slicing things like cucumber and bell pepper really help when I make lunches. I always keep sliced lemon in the fridge because we all love it in water. Carrots are something I buy pre-cut but still put into containers so it stacks with the other snacks. When you can see things every time you open the fridge, you’re way more likely to eat/use/cook with them.
Hard Boil Eggs: We go through waves with hard boiled eggs (and right now we’re in the phase where we eat them rather than prep and forget 😂) So until we get tired of them again, I’ll have them in the fridge for an easy snack.
Overnight Oatmeal: I ate the last of my oatmeal this morning so it’s not in the pic, but it’s a longtime addition to prep for the week. My favorite recipe has been on my website for years and you can find it HERE.
If you’re not in the mood for cold oatmeal (which OO is) I’ve also been known to make a big batch of oats on the stove and then store the extra in a container to warm up the micro later. It’s not as good as a fresh pot (which is so dang easy to whip up) but it does save a ton of time or thought process.
Leftovers as “Prep”: You’ll notice in the picture up top, I have a ton of leftovers in the mix… some roast chicken, a burger patty, grilled steak and some venison spaghetti sauce and pre-cooked pasta. This is absolutely crucial for me to have healthy lunch options for myself or hearty choices from my usually “starving” 6 year old when she gets home from school. It’s super simple too: I always double dinner recipes that make good leftovers. I never needed to do this when my kids were younger but now that I have two teenage boys in the mix, doubling up is absolutely vital.
Add Flavor with Condiments: You cant see my fridge door in the pic, but if you could you’d find it packed with condiments that add flavor. This is important when I cook but also essential so I don’t get sick of eating the same flavors. See the big jar in the top right corner that’s filled with a bunch of veggies? I’m trying out a new recipe of Pikliz (a Haitian topping of vinegar and spicy cabbage). It needs 3 days to marinate so I’ll let you guys know how it turns out.
Homemade Nut Butter: This one is 100% NOT necessary and truly reserved for nerds like me who love experimenting in the kitchen. I started making my own nut butter several months back because I wanted to utilize it for seed cycling. I now prefer my version over anything I can find in the store.
I dream of buying an industrial nut butter machine so it can blend at room temp 😂(using a food processor heats up the nut butter and once it gets hot it’s never quite as creamy)
Cute Containers: It’s worth mentioning that I have a lot of cute little containers to hold and store things. That’s a preference but in no way, a necessity. I love a cute little package for anything (even cucumbers!) but prep can be stored in any container that you’ll actually use. And for my young Mamas, remember, I’m 41 and have been collecting these things for well over 20 years. You don’t need to buy anything to be more organized. Work with what you’ve already got. Then, keep an eye out when you pass a garage sale or a thrift store for super inexpensive containers to make your prep prettier as you go.
Hope those ideas were helpful for y’all. I’ll be back soon with more ideas to share! Until then, as always, I love you and I’m rooting for you.