Tips and Tricks for Meal Prepping September 28 2015

When you are crunched for time, healthy eating is often the first thing out the window. We get it, you’ve had an exhausting day – and your hangry self is not about to come home and cook a meal.

But that doesn’t mean you have to resort to fast food and take out – all you need to do is set aside some time on one of your slower days to plan and prepare your meals ahead of time. Don’t know where to begin? Try some of these tips and tricks to get started:

Start slow - If you’re just jumping on the meal prepping bandwagon, start off slow. Trying to make and plan a full week’s menu can be overwhelming, especially if cooking intimidates you. Ease yourself into the process, prep a few meals ahead of time until you are comfortable to dive in the full 7 days.

Chop in advance - Avoid losing precious minutes during busy weeknights and pre-chop what you can. Prepping your vegetables in advance and properly storing them in plastic bags or tupperware can make cooking easier while keeping things fresh. Have a stir fry planned? Pre-chop all veggies and meat in individual containers. Then on the night you want to cook it, all you have to do is take out the containers and combine everything into a skillet!

Repurpose your recipes - Think of recipes that can be used as different meals throughout the week. For example, chili one night could mean tacos the next. Choosing meals that can be repurposed is a great way to add some variety to your week’s menu.

Invest in good tupperware – Look for tupperware with compartments that can separate food within the same container. Now you can easily store your meal and its side dishes in one convenient, grab-and-go, proper portioned container. You’ll also want to be sure your tupperware of choice is dishwasher and microwave safe (and BPA free).

Add some spice variety - One common problem meal preppers face - dreading the taste of the same flavors day in and day out. So spice things up! By using aluminum foil you can divide your pan to cook two or three variations of your meat at once! 

Not only does meal prepping save you time and money – but it can help you jump back on the healthy train too. Have some meal prep tips you’d like to share? Post it to our Facebook page!

When taste is everything, La Flor is all you need to transform your everyday meal into an extraordinary culinary delight. Shop our selection of spices, herbs, and blends on the web - keep it spicy America!