I get it, you’re busy.  You don’t have the time to put a lot of thought and energy into meal prepping but you want to have healthy meals on hand. 

I got you…

Why does the thought of meal prepping seem so agonizing?  Let me tell you, it doesn’t have to be!

It’s this evil necessity that comes every Sunday.  Yet, once it’s done, aren’t you glad you did it?

Meal prepping truly makes life the rest of the week so much easier when time is your most valuable resource.  

The key is to keep it simple by breaking down what you really need.

You need NUTRIENTS

Macro (protein, carbs, and fat) and micro (vitamins and minerals).  A basic meal consists of a combination of all of those. 

A simple macro breakdown for me is as follows:  30-40 grams protein, 30-40 grams carbs, 10-15 grams fat for three meals a day.  Check out this calculator for your recommended intake. 

For micro – eat your veggies and fruits.  I recommend using a calorie counter like MyNetDiary or MyFitnessPal when you are first starting out to get an idea of your nutrients. 

Now that you know you need nutrients, think of the types of foods you like to eat.  This should be easy.

Here are examples:

chicken breast, brown rice,
extra-virgin olive oil (for cooking and dressing), arugula

OR

salmon, sweet potato,
coconut oil (for cooking),  asparagus

So what does a lazy / easy / fast meal prep look like exactly?  Let me break it down for you…

1.  Have a list prepared weekly. Tip, use your iPhone notes to maintain your grocery list.  Here’s the trick, it doesn’t change much.  If you want a fancy meal, you will have to get all the fancy ingredients.  Let that go and life becomes simple, easy, and fast.  Update this list throughout the week or toward the end of the week once you know what you are low on.  If you’d like the easy button on this, download my free grocery list below.
2. Buy all your groceries on Sunday.  They will stay fresh through at least Friday if you plan it this way as long as you cook everything by Wednesday.  You may need to do some spot runs throughout the week potentially (or just order imperfect produce to deliver) but once you get the hang of it you’ll start to realize what you eat the most. 
3. Cook all your food groups at once.   
   • Rice, potatoes, quinoa, oatmeal, etc all at once.  Choose only what you will eat that week to cook in bulk. Potatoes go in the oven, rice in the rice cooker.  Throw on a timer and boom, done. 
   • Chicken breast (or whatever protein) is seasoned and cooked all at once.  If you have a grill this step is a breeze. Run two – three pans at a time to knock this out.  Get your cast iron and instant read thermometer out and go to work.  A simple season when you don’t have the time is kosher salt (my opinion: kosher > sea salt, better texture and flavor), black pepper, and turmeric.  Or just the salt and pepper.  Always use fresh ground pepper and it makes the biggest difference.  Fave pepper mill here.  Pro tip – make a lot, more than you think you’ll need.  You want this for lunch and dinner.  Maybe make two types so you don’t get sick of the same thing.  I.e. chicken thighs and your favorite white fish or chicken breast and salmon. 
   • Cook your veggies.  You might be able to get away with cooking them the same time as your protein.  If you want to play it safe for your first few go-arounds I’d suggest just waiting until after the meat is done and using some of the remnants on the pan to add flavor to your veggies.  My go-to is asparagus or broccoli.  
4. Portion control.  Have a set of microwave and freezer safe meal prep containers on hand.   Get dishwasher safe containers, because who’s got time for that.  Get together 5 containers for lunch, 10 if you need a quick meal at night, and 15 if you are doing breakfast as well.  Eyeball or measure, you choose.  I don’t always measure, I know for the most part how much food I need.  Which also means a lot of protein.  That being said, if it’s your first time and you want to measure, I’d recommend it.  Grab a kitchen scale and use the macro calculator. 

Tip – If you don’t have time to cook veggies.  Use leafy greens such as arugula, spinach, or kale.  You can throw that in your meal prep container after your rice and chicken, a dribble (tsp) of EVOO, salt and pepper and you’re done.

Tip – prioritize cooking protein and starch as those take the longest.  It’s easy to throw together a salad at night

Do I wish I had everything made hot and fresh?  Obviously, yes.  But that’s not reality with my schedule so I’ve let that go.  The truth is, if you want easy, fast, convenient, and healthy, the key is to think in terms of macro-nutrients that get the job done.  Save the fresh, gourmet meals for the weekend.

A few items to have on hand to make meal prepping easier:

• Salt cellar
• EVOO
• THE BEST pepper mill
• Tumeric 
• 12 inch cast iron
• Olive oil dispenser (tip: the color of the glass matters!)
• Instant read thermometer
• Large cutting board
• Large mixing bowl
• Chopping knife
• Meat cutting knife
  

Comment below – I’d love to hear any meal prep tips you have and what works for you busy schedule!

Disclaimer:  All opinions are my own.  This post is intended for educational, inspirational, or entertainment purposes only.  I am not a doctor, the content on this blog is not intended to be substituted for medical advice.