The Easy Guide to Meal Prepping
The Easy Guide to Meal Prepping
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What is Meal Prep?
How to Meal Prep
Step 1: Set Your Goals
Start by identifying your meal prep goals. Are you aiming to eat healthier, save time, or reduce food waste? Consider your dietary preferences, such as vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, or high-protein. Then, determine how many meals you want to prep for each week (e.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks)
Step 2: Plan Your Meals
Create a meal plan for the week by selecting recipes that align with your goals and dietary preferences. Ensure variety to avoid monotony and promote balanced nutrition.
Step 3: Make a Shopping List
Based on your meal plan, create a detailed shopping list. Organise the list by categories (e.g. produce, protein, pantry items) to make grocery shopping efficient. Be sure to stick to your list to avoid impulse purchases.
Step 4: Gather Supplies
Invest in quality food storage containers, both for refrigeration and freezing, and get any handy kitchen tools such as measuring cups to make portioning easier. Check you have enough refrigerator and freezer space.
More Steps on How to Meal Prep
Step 5: Set Aside Time
Dedicate a specific time each week for meal prep. This can be a weekend afternoon or any time that suits your schedule. Block off this time in your calendar to ensure consistency.
Step 6: Batch Cooking
Start with recipes that can be easily scaled up and cooked in large batches. Cook your proteins (such as chicken, tofu and beans) grains (like rice and quinoa) and vegetables in advance. Use various cooking methods such as baking, grilling, steaming, or sautéing.
Step 7: Portion and Store
Divide your cooked components into individual or family-sized portions. Use airtight containers to store your meals in the refrigerator or freezer. You could even label containers with the date to keep track of freshness.
Step 8: Mix and Match
Create meal combinations from your prepped ingredients throughout the week. Use your prepped vegetables, proteins, and grains to assemble balanced and tasty meals. Then, customise each meal to your liking with sauces, seasonings, or additional fresh ingredients.
Meal Prep Ideas
There are countless recipes and cuisines you can cook in one go. Here are some of the best easy and healthy meal prep ideas:
- Risotto and Pasta: Italian recipes are so easy to portion and make in big batches
- Curry: Take a look at some of our tasty Indian curry recipes and make ahead
- Stews: You’ll find plenty of stews in our Irish Recipe Collection which are perfect for batch cooking
- Lentil Recipes: Lentils have a long life and are so easy to make. Find tasty lentil dishes amongst our vegetarian recipes
- Roast Chicken and Vegetables: Chicken and veggies is a popular meal prep dish because it’s healthy and easy to make
Save money and time meal prepping with HelloFresh
If you’re interested in using a meal plan and prep service in Ireland, why not choose HelloFresh? When you order a food box from us, you’ll get all the pre-portioned ingredients you need delivered to your door, alongside easy-to-follow recipes. You choose the recipes you’d like each week, as well as the number of meals and servings you need. Serving Dublin, Cork and the rest of Ireland with family-friendly, low calorie and veggie options, HelloFresh can make meal prep a breeze.
How to meal prep for a vegetarian diet
Meal prepping when you’re a vegetarian is just as easy as meal prepping meat meals. Make recipes such as veggie curries, burrito mix, stews and salads ahead of time and portion them into containers. You can also meal prep batches of ingredients and mix and match throughout the week, with roasted veggies plus protein-packed legumes and grains. At HelloFresh, we have a range of tasty vegetarian recipes that are so easy to make. When you order a vegetarian recipe box, you’ll get pre-portioned ingredients delivered to your door so you can whip them up in no time.
How to meal prep for one person
Meal prep for one person is simple because you can opt for two or four person recipes and eat them across the week. We recommend dishes like pasta, risotto, stew, soup and those with healthy grains, as these store beautifully and are so easy to heat. With HelloFresh, you can opt for a two person recipe box and pack up half your meal for lunch the next day. It’s a great way to ensure you’re eating nutritious, balanced meals throughout the day, plus it’ll take the hassle out of cooking. It’s up to you which recipes you choose, so you’ll get to pick the ones that suit you best for both lunch and dinner.
Meal prep techniques for families
Meal prepping for families can be tough because there’s so much to prepare, plus you want to keep everyone happy. If you’re meal prepping for three or more, get everyone in your house to sit down and plan your weekly meals together. Getting the little ones involved in the prep will not only make it easier for you to choose dishes they’ll like, it’ll also get them excited about dinnertime. You can even get them to help in the prep and cooking process too!
Choosing a family-friendly meal delivery service like HelloFresh is a great way to do this too - the whole family can choose meals each week, while the simple recipes make it easy for kids to follow along too (with the help of a grown up, of course).
What are the benefits of choosing a meal prep service like HelloFresh?
Pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes
A wide range of delicious recipes
Healthy, nutritious meals
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I meal prep with HelloFresh?
With HelloFresh, you can plan and pick your meals ahead of time. All the pre-portioned ingredients you need will then be delivered straight to your door, so you can cook them as quickly as possible with easy step-by-step instructions.
Are HelloFresh meals freezable?
What does a HelloFresh food box come with?
Can HelloFresh meals be reheated?
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