If you’re new to meal planning, what you see on social media may intimidate or confuse you. You don’t have to cook everything you’ll eat for the rest of the week in a single day, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money on new appliances. The main thing to concentrate on is learning to prepare nutritious, well-balanced meals. You can learn to prepare lunch boxes for meal prep Malaysia.
According to research, once you establish that habit, your body will thank you. According to one study, people who plan their meals are more likely to adhere to nutritional guidelines and eat a wider variety of foods. In other words, they are more likely to consume a well-balanced, healthy diet rich in a variety of nutrients. What person wouldn’t want that?
Types of Meal Prep
There are several types of meal prep, such as:
- Full make-ahead meals – You prepare an entire meal and store it in your refrigerator or freezer.
- Batch cooking or freezing – Prepare several meals, then portion and store them. This method is ideal for recipes that can be prepared in large batches, such as soup, quinoa, or mashed sweet potatoes.
- Meals for one – Prepare your food and divide it into single-serving containers. Typically, enough for a few days.
- Ingredient prep – Just prepare portions of recipes for people who like to cook and serve food at the same time. To save time when you’re ready to cook, chop vegetables, mix spices, or marinade meat ahead of time.
Next, using what you have on hand is a core principle of meal prep, which is why taking inventory of your pantry and keeping it organized to facilitate that is critical. Palinski-Wade prefers to keep a list of staples nearby so she can cross items off as they run out. “It’s a good way to keep track of what I have and what needs to be added to the shopping list,” she says. Not only will mastering this technique make grocery shopping easier, but it will also reduce food waste.
Other than that, Menu duplication is a common complaint about meal prep, but it doesn’t have to be. You have the ability to make your diet as diverse as you want without having to double your work. You’re not repeating meals until you can’t stand the sight of them anymore, and you can avoid decision fatigue. Win-win.
Learning how to meal prep not only saves time but also money and reduces waste. And, unlike ordering takeout, this method gives you complete control over what goes into your food—ideal for anyone who wants to stay on track with their health goals. It can also help to simplify a hectic schedule by taking the guesswork out of what’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
In the conclusion, you only need a meal plan, some meal prep containers to store your food in, and some dedicated time to cook and portion your meals to reap all of the benefits of meal prep. Even an hour can set you up for success in the coming week. It’s also easier to portion control and focus on healthy recipes, avoiding those midweek slumps when eating pizza sounds so much better than cooking something fresh with ingredients from your most recent grocery haul.