Meal Prepping to Save Time and Energy

Meal prep can mean a lot of different things for different people. It can be a way to feel more comfortable with cooking when you’re just starting out. It can be a tool to keep the cost of groceries in check. It can be a way to ensure a smoother week ahead — just by having meals ready and waiting for your family to dig into. No matter what your motivations are, meal prep can be a real winner!  AND it can also save time and energy!

What is Meal Prepping?

Meal prepping is simply the act of preparing a meal or recipe, then portioning it out to create grab-and-go meals for later. If you’ve ever packed up your leftovers from dinner to take with you for lunch the next day, then you’ve already mini-meal prepped! Generally, meal prepping refers to preparing 3-7 days of food at a time. Think of it like packing your lunches for the week all at once instead of packing your lunch each morning. You can use this same technique for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. 

How to Meal Prep

The first thing you need to do is invest in some good quality containers – these can be plastic or glass variety. Keep in mind that if you are going to be reheating your food in these you want to choose ones that are BPA free and won’t fall apart in the microwave/oven. If you are going to be prepping for a few days in a row, it can be a good idea to buy containers that are the same sizes so they can be easily stacked, and you aren’t playing Tetris in your fridge.

When deciding on recipes, think about A. how long they take to make; B. what pots and pans you’ll be using; and C. if the ingredients in the meals can be mixed and matched so you aren’t eating the same thing every day.

If you are new to the meal prep concept, I would recommend preparing a few days’ meals at a time. How much time that you dedicate to this is completely up to you! You can choose to dedicate a whole day to this or spread it out nightly. Remember: It is SUPER important to write down a clear plan and do what works for you.

Meal Prepping and Saving Energy

Here are a few ways meal prepping is helping you save energy:

Less Days of Cooking with the stove and oven will reduce your cooling system usage to cool down the house when the cooking heats up.  It also always you to use fewer appliances during peak hours.

Dish Duty.  Meal Prepping cuts out the cleaning part of cooking for the week.  Your dishwasher will run less, saving on energy consumption.