How to Meal Prep for the Mediterranean Diet for Beginners
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Learning how to meal prep saves you time and money, keeps you on track for your health goals, and ensures you always have something healthy on hand to eat.
Whether you are meal-prepping to eat healthier, reach a health goal, or just save yourself time on busy days, you are in the right place!
In this blog post, I’m sharing my top tips to make meal prepping for the Mediterranean diet quick, easy, and budget-friendly - even for beginners.!
I’ll be sharing:
My top 10 tips to make meal prepping a breeze
Where to find the right recipes to 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 the Mediterranean Diet - Even For Beginners!
Tip #1: Find a few go-to recipes and build from there
It can be overwhelming and overwhelming to always be looking for new recipes to try.
Instead, find 5 healthy recipes, learn how to make them, and get in the routine of meal prepping with just these recipes for a few weeks.
Once you are comfortable with those recipes, start adding one or two new recipes each week to add variety. Within a few weeks, you’ll have a collection of recipes that you love and know how to prepare 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.
In an effort to support you in your meal planning and health journey, I have also created this simple PDF that highlights some of my favorite recipes found on Beyond the Brambleberry. Using this guide, you can create a unique meal plan for your day that you can mix-and-match to ensure you never get tired of eating the same thing. Simply click on the recipe link, which will take you directly to the recipe on the blog. Get your copy here!
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 food and you won’t be getting frustrated looking deep into your cupboards for extra 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 and feta cheese) separate until I’m ready to eat.
For other meals and snacks, I love these containers.
Tip #3: Pull out all of your ingredients and supplies before you get started
Setting up before you get started makes all the difference in how smoothly your meal prepping will go. It’s tedious and wastes time when you have to stop what you are doing to find ingredients or supplies.
Instead, review your recipes beforehand and set out everything you need so they are out in the open for you to grab and keep going.
Before you start, pull out:
supplies - knives, cutting boards, pots and pans, sheet pans, Instant Pot, parchment paper, veggie peeler, meal prep containers, etc.
fresh produce - fruit and vegetables
herbs and spices, including salt and pepper
oils and vinegar
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!
For a full list of recommendations, check out my resource library where I highlight my favorite books, kitchen must-haves, supplements to support your health, and more. You can check it out here.
Tip #4: Use multiple cooking methods at once
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 days’ worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners in just 60-90 minutes.
It takes some practice and getting comfortable with recipes (see Tip #1), but you will be pleasantly surprised at how much food you can prepare in just an hour!
An example of what meal prepping might look like using recipes from Beyond the Brambleberry would be:
Roasting large batches of vegetables in the oven
Check out my blog post How to Perfectly Roast Vegetables if you are new to this type of cooking
Cooking something on the stove
Making soup in the Instant Pot
My African Peanut & Sweet Potato Soup or Instant Pot Turkey & Pumpkin Chili from 10 Soups & Stews to Make on the Mediterranean Diet
Preparing the base of salads for:
Sweet Potato, Red Onion, and Pecan Salad with Peanut Dressing
Massaged Kale, Pomegranate, and Sunflower Seed Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
If you want to be a meal-prepping overachiever….. turn on the grill and throw down some chicken thighs! Learn how to perfectly grill them here.
Tip #5: Invest in the right equipment
I am SO in love (borderline obsessed) with my Instant Pot. I love it so much that I got my Mom one for Christmas last year (with selfish intent… so we could talk about how great it is and swap recipes), and she also loves it!
If you feel like you “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 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!
For creamy soups, I recommend getting an immersion blender or Cuisinart Food Processor.
Tip #6: 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 of meal prepping! Instead, make sure the kitchen counter, sink, and dishwasher are clean and empty before you get started. Then, 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!
Tip #7: Prepare vegetables to keep in your fridge or freezer
I recently started chopping, dicing, and shredding vegetables to keep in my fridge or freezer for future meal prepping, and it has been a game-changer!
There are a couple of ways you could do this:
Right when you get home from the grocery store
At a designated meal-prep time, or
While you are cooking another meal and have some extra time
For me, chopping up a bunch of vegetables right after getting home from the grocery store is a bit much after the whole grocery-store-unpacking experience. Instead, I prefer to set aside some time to just chop up a bunch of vegetables, and it works great for me.
Having a bunch of vegetables already prepared and sitting in the fridge or freezer saves me time in the future for adding to a recipe, making a fresh salad, or roasting on a sheet pan.
For example, if you find you already have the oven on for another recipe, simply pull out a bag of cauliflower or broccoli florets and roast them on a sheet pan while your other meal is baking!
My favorite vegetables to chop up ahead of time and freeze include:
broccoli
cauliflower
onion
zucchini
sweet potato
Vegetables that keep well in the fridge for a few days include:
cucumber
tomato
bell peppers
carrots
celery
onion
Hello, delicious Mediterranean salad!
Tip #8: Double or triple recipes that you are already making
You are already in the kitchen and preparing the dish, so you might as well make a double (or triple!) batch and freeze the leftovers! You will have to plan accordingly to buy more ingredients in order to do this, but it is SUCH a time-saver!
Cook once, eat for days!
This is an especially great option for soups, stir-fries, and egg bakes as they tend to keep really well in the freezer. Get yourself some freezer-safe storage containers and either freeze the leftovers in small, individual serving-sized containers or in larger containers to serve the entire family on a busy night.
Tip #9: Cook grains in bulk
One of the easiest things you can do to save yourself time in the future is to cook grains in bulk. Instead of cooking just 2 cups of rice or quinoa for tonight’s dinner, pull out a larger pot and make 6 cups.
Quinoa and rice freeze especially well - simply put 2-4 cups of cooked quinoa or rice in a ziplock bag, lay it out flat, and place it in the freezer. Then, at a later date, you can pull it out of the freezer in the morning and place it in the sink to thaw over the day or place the bag in some warm water to be able to use it right away. Place the cooked grains in a bowl and microwave to reheat or put the grains in a pot and warm up on the stove.
Tip #10: Keep it simple
This is especially important if you are new to meal prepping.
Keep it simple, use simple recipes, and just work on getting the hang of meal prepping.
Once you are more confident and experienced, you can try out new recipes and methods of preparing healthy and delicious meals.
Other blog posts you might like:
How to Save Money on the Mediterranean Diet
10 Quick & Easy Side Dishes for the Mediterranean Diet
10 Healthier Desserts That Are Perfect for the Mediterranean Diet
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 having an understanding of what my own 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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