What are Healthy Meal Prep Ideas?

First, let's talk about the benefits of healthy meal prep. Preparing your meals in advance can give you better control of the ingredients and portion sizes of your meals. Planning your grocery shopping can help you save money. You may be less likely to buy items you don't actually need. 

This can be especially helpful if you're trying to eat healthier or lose weight. Healthy meal prep can also save you time and money, as you can cook in bulk and have ready-to-eat meals on hand for busy days. 

Nutrimeals loves to help people when they are looking for healthy meal prep and don't necessarily want to do it themselves. 

Now, let's get to the meal prep ideas. One easy and healthy meal prep idea is to cook a batch of grains, such as rice, quinoa, or pasta, and pair it with a variety of proteins and vegetables. It's very basic, but when it comes to healthy meal prep, it's best to not over complicate the process! Making meals ahead of time can make eating healthy much easier!

For example, you can cook a batch of brown rice and pair it with roasted chicken, steamed broccoli, and sautéed bell peppers, paired with your favourite sauce on the side. Or, you can cook quinoa and mix in black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes for a taco bowl style meal. 

The possibilities are endless and you can customize your healthy meal prep to your taste preferences. Having these ingredients on hand, will make assembling your own healthy meal prep very easy and quick!

Another healthy meal prep idea is to make a big batch of soup or chili. Soups and chilis are easy to make in large quantities and they are also freezer-friendly, so you can portion them out and save them for later. Plus, soups and chilis are a great way to get in a variety of vegetables. Some healthy meal prep recipe ideas include:

• Tomato basil soup with chickpeas and spinach
• Minestrone soup with kidney beans and kale
• Chicken and sweet potato chili
• Black bean and quinoa chili

Making soups and chilis is a great way to clean out your fridge or pantry of leftover ingredients that you need to use up. Throw these soups or chilis into mason jars if you are bringing your chili or soup to work, you can include a bun or sandwich to go with it for a more complete meal to keep you full. 

Another easy and healthy meal prep idea is to make a batch of protein-packed muffins or energy balls. These snacks are great for on-the-go and can be made with a variety of healthy ingredients such as oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Some healthy muffin and energy ball ideas include:

• Oatmeal muffins with mashed banana and walnuts
• Blueberry muffins with white whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt
• Peanut butter energy balls with rolled oats and chia seeds
• Chocolate chip energy balls with dates and almonds

Having healthy snacks on hand will decrease the chances of reaching for a over processed, unhealthy snack that is full of sugar and simple carbohydrates. If you are wanting to do healthy meal prep for the week, make sure you include snacks in your plan so that you can stay full throughout the day and avoid the 2pm crash in the afternoon.

If you're short on time, another healthy meal prep idea is to make a batch of marinades or sauces in advance. Having a variety of marinades and sauces on hand can help you add flavor to your meals without adding a lot of extra calories. It will also make your meals much more exciting and flavourful. Many people assume that if you are going to do healthy meal prep, you are only allowed to have chicken, rice and broccoli, which is not the case! You can make all of these simple dishes full of flavour with some simple and easy sauces and marinades. Some healthy marinade and sauce ideas include:

• Lemon herb marinade for grilled chicken or fish
• BBQ sauce for pulled pork or chicken
• Teriyaki sauce for stir-fries or grilled vegetables
• Peanut sauce for noodles or salads

In addition to these meal prep ideas, here are a few general tips to help you get started with meal prep:

1. Plan ahead: Take some time to plan out your meals for the week and make a shopping list. This will help you stay organized and avoid unnecessary trips to the grocery store.

2. Invest in good storage containers: Investing in a set of good-quality storage containers will make it easier to portion out and store your meals.

3. Prep in advance: Set aside a few hours on the weekend to prep your meals for the week. You can also prep certain ingredients, such as chopping vegetables or cooking grains, in advance to save time during the week.

4. Don't be afraid to mix and match: It's okay to reuse ingredients or mix and match different meals.

Nutrimeals is a great option if you are looking to use a meal prep company instead of cooking the food yourself. Using a meal prep company can be a convenient option for healthy meal prep. 

Nutrimeals has a variety of meal plans and options to chose from that fit different dietary needs and preferences. You can order breakfast, lunch and dinner with Nutrimeals. Using Nutrimeals can be a good option for you because each meal is pre-made and already portioned which can help with portion control and calorie counting, making it easier to reach your health and fitness goals. 

Nutrimeals will deliver your fresh and healthy meal prep right to your door. While using a meal prep company can be more expensive than preparing your own meals, it can be a great solution for busy individuals who don't have the time or energy to meal prep on their own. Click here to view the healthy meal prep options that Nutrimeals has to offer!