When I started meal prepping, it was a game changer. It really helped me with the healthy eating goals I had, because I had big dreams but absolutely no time.

 

If you want to start meal prepping – or get better at it – here are my 8 tips to absolutely smash your meal prep!

 

1. Be organised. Go shopping and get all of your ingredients before you start cooking. If you are meal prepping for one of our Loft challenges, we will have provided a shopping list for each week. If you are meal prepping on your own, write down ingredients as you plan out your recipes.

 

2. Get gorgeous containers. With all the amazing containers available, you never need to spend much to make this happen! Gorgeous = quality. Make sure your containers are airtight, BPA free, and glass material is also nice for not having a smell.

 

3. Set a date. Schedule your meal prepping time. Put it in your calendar and lock it in.

 

4. Clear out your fridge. Having enough room to store your food is crucial, but you can also use your meal prep day as a day to clear anything old from your refrigerator.

 

5. Prep your prep! Take all your ingredients out and place them in order at your prep station. Get all main utensils ready so you are less likely to forget to add anything crucial, and make sure you have double checked you have all ingredients!

 

6. Time is everything! Start by looking over the cooking times and whether that includes something like baking. Start with the longest cooking time first, and then work backwards.

 

7. Keep things fresh! On your meal prep days, prep your veggies/other ingredients. For anything you want to eat fresh, like marinated chicken or meat, you can still do some prep such as marinating it the night before it's needed. With the veges prepped and ready, it can be cooked in a matter of minutes!

 

8. Keep your time! Either your phone or oven will do this for you. However, if you can, use Siri or Alexa so you can use the timer hands-free.