Meal Prep 101: A Beginners Guide to Meal Prepping - Budget Bytes

• cooked grains & pasta
• cooked beans
• cooked meat
• roasted vegetables
• hearty fresh vegetables (think celery, carrots, peas, bell peppers, kale, cabbage, radishes, etc.)
• whole fruit (apples, oranges, stone fruit)
• nuts & seeds
• cheese
• sauces and dips (like salad dressings, hummus, salsa, sour cream, etc.)

An easy way to think about meal prepping is to make a formula out of it. When deciding which foods to meal prep I try to pick out one of the following formulas:

• Basic: Protein + Grain + Vegetable
• Low Carb: Protein + Vegetable + Vegetable
• Vegetarian: Legume + Grain + Vegetable

Start SMALLStart by packing up your leftovers from dinner one night and taking them for lunch the next day. Once you’re comfortable with that and you get to know what types of food you like as leftovers, you can pick one recipe to prep for the week ahead.

I suggest starting with a single recipe meal prep instead of a meal that requires two or three recipes together. Single recipe meal preps provide your protein, grain, and vegetables all in one recipe, so there is no need to make a side dish.

Plain glass containers in different shapes/sizes (eg. 3-cup rectangle and 4-cup bowl) work for just about everything.

Invest in a thermos (or 2)!!! You can take your hot tea, or ice water, or energizing soups with you..and no need to reheat your food or drink.

Divided compartment containers, are more limited because not all food can fit in the compartments. They are great for having your food organized, but they are best for non wet foods.

Metal bento boxes are also great, as long as you’re packing a cold meal and don’t need to heat it in a microwave. Plastic bento boxes are also an option.