How to Meal Prep for Beginners
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Learning how to meal prep saves you time and money, keeps you on track for your health and weight loss goals, and ensures you always have something healthy on hand to eat.
As a nurse, working 13-hour shifts for multiple days in a row, I have to plan my meals and snacks very carefully to make sure I have enough healthy meals to last me a few days. So I have become quite the master in this area of expertise! I can now meal prep 3 day’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks in about 60-90 minutes, depending on what I’m making.
Whether you are meal prepping to stay healthy, lose weight, or save yourself time in the future, you are in the right place!
In this blog post, I’m sharing my top tips to make meal prepping quick, easy, and efficient - even for beginners.
I’ll be sharing:
My top 5 tips to make meal prepping a breeze
How to find the right recipes to get started
A 30-Day Meal Plan designed to help you reach your personal goals
Let’s get started!
Get Your FREE ebook: Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes + A Free Shopping List
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How You Can Drastically Improve Your Health By Following the Mediterranean Diet
In 2018, I was struggling to make healthy food choices and experienced constant joint pain, brain fog, blood sugar highs and lows, and extreme fatigue every day. These were symptoms that had become a part of my every day and was something that I thought I would always have to live with.
However, I knew there had to be a way for me to feel better, so I started doing research on evidence-based ways of eating that supported long-term health. As one of the healthiest diets in the world, the Mediterranean diet showed up repeatedly in my searches. In 2020, I decided to make the shift toward eating a more Mediterranean-based diet to support my health.
I started applying what I learned by following a Mediterranean-based diet and immediately saw great results!
After implementing a Mediterranean-based diet, I quickly noticed my energy levels drastically improve, I was sleeping SO much better each night, and my skin had become clear and glowing (yay for no more “adult acne!”) and I did all of this in a healthy, balanced way. I was so ecstatic about my results that I put together all my recipes that I had used and developed at this time and started sharing them with others with the hopes that they would feel just as amazing as I was feeling.
Eating a Mediterranean diet restored my physical and mental health.
My goal for you is to experience these same incredible benefits. My 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan is the exact plan I used to improve my health and eat intuitively.
How to Meal Prep for Beginners
Tip #1: Find a few go-to recipes and build from there
It can be overwhelming to always be looking for new recipes to try. Instead, start with two or three new recipes, learn how to make them, and get in the routine of making them, then start adding one or two new recipes each week to add variety. Within a few weeks, you’ll have a collection of recipes that love and know how to make efficiently. If all of that still sounds overwhelming, consider checking out my 30 Day Mediterranean Meal Plan. It includes over 80 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks plus a complete 30-day meal plan.
Tip #2: Have designated containers for meal prepping
I have found it is so important to have your own designated containers for meal prepping. By doing this, you free up your other leftover containers for other things and you won’t be looking deep into your cupboards for containers.
For salads, I love using these containers. They allow me to make large, filling salads while keeping the salad dressing and dry ingredients (like nuts) separate until it’s time to eat. For other meals, I love these containers. They are great for main meals and snacks.
Tip #3: Pull out all your ingredients and supplies for your recipes before you get started
Setting up before you get started makes all the difference in how smooth your meal prepping will go. It’s a pain to have to stop what you are doing to find the ingredients or supplies that you need. Instead, review your recipes beforehand and pull out everything you need so they are out in the open for you to grab and keep going.
If you are looking for a meal plan that you can customize to fit your busy lifestyle, my 30 Day Mediterranean Meal Plan is the perfect fit! Check it out here!
Tip #4: Make use of multiple cooking methods to decrease overall cooking time
When I’m meal prepping, it’s not unusual for me to have the Instant Pot, oven, and stovetop all in use at the same time. This saves me a TON of time, and I believe this is how I manage to prepare three day’s worth of breakfasts, lunches and dinners in just 60-90 minutes. It may take some pre-planning and creativity to figure out what foods to be prepared in each way, but once you’ve found your system, you will save a ton of time!
Tip #5: Invest in the right equipment
I am so in love (borderline obsessed) with my Instant Pot. I got my Mom one for Christmas this past year and she also loves it! If you’re one of those people who feels like they “aren’t a great cook,” this is a must-have kitchen appliance! And, if you’re kinda freaked out about the whole high-pressure system, let me reassure you - there are so many safety features built in that are designed to prevent any sort of catastrophic event from happening that our creative and worrying minds can conjure up.
I have also heard a lot of people rave about their air fryer. I haven’t ventured into that world yet, but I hear great things!
Bonus Tip: Clean as you go!
The last thing you want to do is spend a half hour cleaning up the kitchen after already spending an hour meal prepping! Instead, make sure the kitchen counter, sink, and dishwasher are clean and empty before you get started. Wash dishes or load the dishwasher as you go. If you have a dishwasher, turn it on when you are done, and you’ll have a clean kitchen and clean dishes in no time! Such a good feeling!
Start Eating Healthy with the Mediterranean Diet
If the Mediterranean diet is very different from how you have been eating, I HIGHLY recommend you follow a meal plan that has already been designed to help you be successful and quickly see results. The 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan I created includes everything you need to get started on the Mediterranean diet. It includes over 80 easy and delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that you can simply follow along to and enjoy all the delicious flavors that come with the Mediterranean diet.
Once I learned how to eat a balanced Mediterranean diet, I quickly saw great results! By understanding what my body needed each day, I was able to set myself up for success and have maintained this healthy lifestyle for almost 3 years.
I want this for you too! If you are ready to fully benefit from the Mediterranean diet, I urge you to get started with my 30-day meal plan now while it’s the lowest price it will ever be! Click here to get started.
Choosing the right foods makes all the difference in how you feel. Even if you’re not yet ready to go all in, I have something that will help you make a step towards eating healthy and reaping the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet. Download my Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes ebook by using the form below to get instant access to this valuable resource. I have also included a Mediterranean Diet Shopping List to help you get started.
Get Your FREE ebook: Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes + A Free Shopping List
I have also put together a resource library containing my top recommended books, kitchen must-haves, supplements to support your health, and more! Click here to check it out!
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