How to Meal Prep Like a Pro
Between new baby (Jess) and yoga teacher training (Kate and Jen) - aint nobody in this B+YND fam got time to cook regularly. Since we all love creating and cooking, we are so used to the ritual of cooking then consuming and have never been big advance meal preppers. But one too many hangry, busy days lately had us feeling the meal prep vibe.
We chatted with Sarah Benken of Metro's Other Woman to talk meal prepping. Here are her tips for making meal prep easier, and more importantly, FUN!
MEAL PREPPING TIPS:
Meal prep shouldn't be a drag session! Get creative!!
1. Mix it up! Try new things every week so you never get bored.
2. Make a grocery list so you don't stray to unhealthy foods while shopping, OR if you are short on time, try online grocery shopping. (We love INSTACART).
3. Invest in containers of various sizes. (We especially love glass containers, like THESE, so you can pop the lid and slip it right in the oven - no extra dishes required).
4. Mason Jars are perfect for salads - keep the wet ingredients on the bottom, followed by crisp veggies and THEN your greens. All the flavor, no sogginess.
5. Meal prep with a friend! Split the cost, split the work.
6. Let the technology work for you. MyfitnessPal makes it easy to record recipes and reuse.
7. Crockpot meals are your best friend - set it in the morning, portion it out at night.
8. Repurpose leftovers. Last night's roasted veggies make for a great morning omelette.
9. Throw some fun music on to make it more enjoyable.
10. Plan a weekly menu. Know what you're having in advance to avoid last minute panic.
11. Make sauces/salad dressing ahead of time so it's ready to go on meal prep day - whenever you have time, make extra! It makes dinner prep a breeze.
12. Plan one easy/cheat meal to fall back on when you need a break from the meal prep food.
Here's my (Sarah's) new personal favorite make ahead meal:
Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats:
Grab a mason jar and add:
1/2 a cup of rolled oats, 1/2 cup of almond milk, 2 tbsp. of strawberry jam, 1/4 cup of vanilla yogurt and 3 sliced strawberries.
Cover and let sit over night.
Such an amazing breakfast!!!
ABOUT SARAH:
https://www.metrosotherwoman.com/about
SOCIAL CHANNELS / WEBSITE:
-IG: @SarahBenken
-IG: @MetrosOtherWoman