Meal preparation, or meal prep, is a popular cooking trend that is equal parts health- and money-conscious.
You wont have to buy a ton of varied ingredientsfor different meals each night.
Forget lasagna on Monday, tacos on Tuesday and steak on Wednesday.
You alsowont risk your ingredients or your leftovers going bad.
Youll find yourselfrunning your dishwasher less frequently.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Did you know?
Alternatively, have a go at tackle three days worth of prep rather than an entire weeks worth.
You canwork up to your ultimate meal prep goals over time.
GoodHouseKeeping.comhas a few knife recommendationsto consider.
More importantly,invest in good meal prep storage containers.
Typically, glass containers are better than plastic in terms of longevity, especially if youll be microwaving.
TheSweetHome.comtested several types and brandsof meal prep containers to determine the best choice for serious meal preppers.
Ask friends for meal prep ideas, or research online forpopular meal prep recipes.
Dont go hungry.Shopping with a full belly goes hand in hand with making a list.
check that to use the calculator on your phone to calculate sales tax as you go.
This will ensure you always stay within your meal prep budget.
Buy generic and in bulk.There is no shame inbuying the generic brandfor most foods.
In fact, take pride in knowing you are a savvy shopper when you buy generic.
Likewise, if you have enough storage at home, buy food items that dont expire quicklyin bulk.
This goes for paper products, cleaning supplies and frequently used spices.
Make space in your cabinetsfor foods that do not need to be kept cold.
More Meal Prep Tips
The most important thing to remember when meal prepping is toplan ahead.
Its also possible to do a little meal prep each morning or evening.
Keep in mind,meal prepping doesnt mean you have to cook everything all at once.
Need some digital support?
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
