Meal planning and meal prepping can be a game-changer - you'll eat healthier, save time, and you'll save money since you’re less likely to waste food with a solid meal plan. Here are six tips to help you get it done.
1. Schedule Time and Make it Happen
Meal prep takes planning. Schedule it into your week to make it happen. It could look something like this:
- Before Saturday afternoon - Set aside 30 - 60 minutes to come up with next week's menu and shopping list. Take into account the days you’ll be eating your Thistle meals, getting take-out, or going out to eat. Really, this step can happen anytime before you do the grocery shopping.
- Saturday evening or Sunday morning - These are good times to go grocery shopping. Avoid Sunday evening if you can, as that’s when most people are scrambling to get ready for the week ahead.
- Sunday afternoon or evening - Time to meal prep. If you’re planning meals with other people you live with, make sure that they’re helping out and sharing the tasks with you.
The schedule is going to be different for everyone, so figure out what works best for you, but the most important thing is that you make it happen. It takes time and planning, but it’ll save you time during the week since everything will be ready and planned out.
2. Create Your Meal Plan
If you’re like most people, you might have an idea of just a few meals you want for the week. A good place for inspiration is your own kitchen. Look for any ingredients that are already there and that need to be used - like all those cans of fire-roasted tomatoes.
Okay, let’s say you want to make chili for one meal and lasagna for another meal. Even though that’s only two meals, it’s a great place to start. Look at the recipes and see what ingredients you’ll need.
- For the chili, some of the ingredients you’ll need are cans of fire-roasted tomatoes, spinach, and pinto beans.
- For the lasagna, you’ll need broccoli and mushrooms.
Now look for other recipes that share some of the same items. Our Enchilada Bake recipe calls for spinach, broccoli, fire-roasted tomatoes, pinto beans, and mushrooms. So now you’ve just added a third meal to your plan. Go online and type in some of the main ingredients and see what comes up.
3. Make Your Shopping List
This is essential. Take inventory of your freezer, fridge, and pantry to see what you already have on hand. If you need the same item for several different recipes, make sure you include the total amount you need on your list (for example, write “one pound of mushrooms”, instead of just “mushrooms”).
4. Go Grocery Shopping
Make sure you go in with your list and keep to the list. If you don’t have time or don’t like going to the grocery store, it’s so easy to order online to get everything delivered. Also, remember to bring your reusable bags from home - the Thistle delivery bag is great for grocery runs!
5. Prep Your Meals
There are a couple different approaches you can take:
- Make one recipe at a time - This will take more time than prepping all the ingredients in batches, but it might be easier to stay organized and wrap your head around this process if you’re just starting out.
- Prep the ingredients in batches - Wash and chop/prep all of a certain ingredient at one time and put it in a big bowl. Then when you’re assembling individual recipes, you can just pour out what you need for that recipe. Another good thing about this method, is that you could prep ingredients and put them in the fridge so they’ll be ready to go and you can make meals at different times throughout the day.
Start with the ingredients that take the longest to prep. Do you need to prep quinoa? Get that started first since it takes a while.
6. Store Food in Glass Containers
Why glass containers? They’re easier to clean than plastic (ever notice how tomato sauce stains plastic containers?). And, your food will be less likely to be forgotten in the back of the fridge if it’s in a clear glass container so you can see what’s in it just by looking at it.
This will save you time (and money) in the long run. Having healthy meals and snacks on hand and ready to go will save you so much time and will eliminate the times you’ll eat something unhealthy because it’s the only thing around. If you need to start small, like with 2 meals a week, do it. You can add in more meals when you’re feeling more comfortable with this. We’re rooting for you!
Meal planning and meal prepping can be a game-changer - you'll eat healthier, save time, and you'll save money since you’re less likely to waste food with a solid meal plan. Here are six tips to help you get it done.
1. Schedule Time and Make it Happen
Meal prep takes planning. Schedule it into your week to make it happen. It could look something like this:
- Before Saturday afternoon - Set aside 30 - 60 minutes to come up with next week's menu and shopping list. Take into account the days you’ll be eating your Thistle meals, getting take-out, or going out to eat. Really, this step can happen anytime before you do the grocery shopping.
- Saturday evening or Sunday morning - These are good times to go grocery shopping. Avoid Sunday evening if you can, as that’s when most people are scrambling to get ready for the week ahead.
- Sunday afternoon or evening - Time to meal prep. If you’re planning meals with other people you live with, make sure that they’re helping out and sharing the tasks with you.
The schedule is going to be different for everyone, so figure out what works best for you, but the most important thing is that you make it happen. It takes time and planning, but it’ll save you time during the week since everything will be ready and planned out.
2. Create Your Meal Plan
If you’re like most people, you might have an idea of just a few meals you want for the week. A good place for inspiration is your own kitchen. Look for any ingredients that are already there and that need to be used - like all those cans of fire-roasted tomatoes.
Okay, let’s say you want to make chili for one meal and lasagna for another meal. Even though that’s only two meals, it’s a great place to start. Look at the recipes and see what ingredients you’ll need.
- For the chili, some of the ingredients you’ll need are cans of fire-roasted tomatoes, spinach, and pinto beans.
- For the lasagna, you’ll need broccoli and mushrooms.
Now look for other recipes that share some of the same items. Our Enchilada Bake recipe calls for spinach, broccoli, fire-roasted tomatoes, pinto beans, and mushrooms. So now you’ve just added a third meal to your plan. Go online and type in some of the main ingredients and see what comes up.
3. Make Your Shopping List
This is essential. Take inventory of your freezer, fridge, and pantry to see what you already have on hand. If you need the same item for several different recipes, make sure you include the total amount you need on your list (for example, write “one pound of mushrooms”, instead of just “mushrooms”).
4. Go Grocery Shopping
Make sure you go in with your list and keep to the list. If you don’t have time or don’t like going to the grocery store, it’s so easy to order online to get everything delivered. Also, remember to bring your reusable bags from home - the Thistle delivery bag is great for grocery runs!
5. Prep Your Meals
There are a couple different approaches you can take:
- Make one recipe at a time - This will take more time than prepping all the ingredients in batches, but it might be easier to stay organized and wrap your head around this process if you’re just starting out.
- Prep the ingredients in batches - Wash and chop/prep all of a certain ingredient at one time and put it in a big bowl. Then when you’re assembling individual recipes, you can just pour out what you need for that recipe. Another good thing about this method, is that you could prep ingredients and put them in the fridge so they’ll be ready to go and you can make meals at different times throughout the day.
Start with the ingredients that take the longest to prep. Do you need to prep quinoa? Get that started first since it takes a while.
6. Store Food in Glass Containers
Why glass containers? They’re easier to clean than plastic (ever notice how tomato sauce stains plastic containers?). And, your food will be less likely to be forgotten in the back of the fridge if it’s in a clear glass container so you can see what’s in it just by looking at it.
This will save you time (and money) in the long run. Having healthy meals and snacks on hand and ready to go will save you so much time and will eliminate the times you’ll eat something unhealthy because it’s the only thing around. If you need to start small, like with 2 meals a week, do it. You can add in more meals when you’re feeling more comfortable with this. We’re rooting for you!
