Make sure you have enough tupperware and containers for everything you plan on cooking! Jars are also an easy one, I never throw away a good glass jar, and have a pile of glass tupperware at home. You can also get a lunchbox such as PlanetBox, which helps keep food in it’s own section and also helps with portion control.
Start with a clean kitchen – this honestly reeeally helps, as more likely than not you’ll be making a mess (guilty!) and the less clutter you start with the better. That way you can easily lay out what you need and keep your mind straight without forgetting to make a component because it’s hidden behind a pile of dishes.
Lay out your shopping and make sure you everything you need can be easily grabbed and accessed.
Extra kit – kitchen scales, food processor, blender, spiralizer, labels. You can go full pro here, though you don’t necessarily have to. If you’re trying to be specific about macros, portions or calories then scales are super handy. Food processors and blenders are amazing to speed up chopping, make sauces, dressings and so forth.
How To Plan:
Think about the week ahead – any nights out? Do you want to prepare evening meals or do you have time do so when you get home? Every week is different, so think about what you have coming up and plan accordingly while leaving some room for flexibility, if needed.
Save recipes as you go along – Pinterest, cookbooks, blogs, Instagram collection boards (my newest obsession!). That way you have an army of recipes you can go back to and shop accordingly. It also helps you mix it up and avoid making the same few dishes week in and week out.
Sit down and plan your meals. How many meals do you need? Do you need to prepare breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner for the week? Do you count macros? It might be that you have breakfast at the office, or always cook dinner with your significant other. My weeks vary all the time, sometimes I know I’ll have time to throw something quick for dinner and sometimes I know I need to leave it ALL prepped.
Pick a day to actually cook. Mine is always either Sunday or Monday, depending on how the weekend has gone.
Meal prep as little or as much as you need. Don’t feel obligated to plan everything out, just a little already helps. Don’t want to make 10 meals? That’s fine, plan a few and go from there. Just want to prep snacks to avoid the 4-pm slump? Do it. Whatever floats your boat.
Top Tips:
Batch cook – easier and less dishes to wash. Veggies can usually all be baked in one dish, bean-based and meat dishes can yield 3-4 meals. Turn one pan into a possibility to cook a component for 3 or more meals!
Prepare a salad dressing for the week and take with you in small jars. Salad does not have to be boring, and you can try out different dressings every week. I love mixing and matching olive oil, balsamic, lemon, lime, tahini, sesame oil, tamari, tahini, mustard and mayo. Go with your flow.
Flavour, flavour, flavour! Do NOT ignore flavouring, or you’ll be lest with a sad desk lunch, which will look even sadder as it’s day-or-so food. Use herbs, spices and citrics. I love paprika, smoked paprika, zaatar, sumac, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin and mixed herb blends. For fresh herbs don’t be afraid to toss in coriander (cilantro), mint, parsley, dill and chives.
Think about what lasts – and what doesn’t. Typically food will last 4ish days in the fridge before it starts to get dry. Seafood should be eaten first, and grains tops 3 days. Chicken tends to last longer but can get a bit dry, so olive oil and yogurt can helps, and eggs can last the week, especially if boiled and left in the shell unpeeled.
What I prepped for the week:
I took into account that I plan on going to go to the gym every day this week, and am meeting friends two nights for dinner. My snacks also tend to be either protein shakes (hello MissFits Nutrition) with almond milk, or a handful of nuts and berries, or a granola bar or bliss ball.
Breakfast-wise I vary a lot, and range from rustling up a smoothie at work when I get there, or I’m currently really loving Oomf pots – especially their Golden Syrup flavour. So YUM! I’ve also been known to make my own breakfast pots – find them here.
I always add a handful of raw greens to my meals.
1 x batch Turkey meatballs (makes 12) 1 x Tuna-mayo deli filler (serves 2) 1 x batch roasted veggies (I used carrots, tomatoes, & cauliflower) 2 x boiled eggs 1 x paleo bread loaf
Monday – lunch: lunch out – dinner: Tuna-mayo, paleo protein bread with avo, courgetti and salad
Tuesday – lunch: 4 chicken meatballs, egg, beet hummus, roasted veg, avo, greens, courgetti – dinner: dinner out at Farmacy
Hi, I'm Teffy, a qualified Nutritionist and avid foodie. This blog is all about inspiring a balanced life through delicious and wholesome foods, with not a diet in sight. Healthy eating shouldn't be hard and stressful, it should be easy and fun - Working with my clients they are constantly amazed that yes, food can taste great AND be good for you!
