Want to learn how to meal prep in 30 minutes or less?

This post is for you!

Through teaching women online, I’ve found that meal planning and meal prepping is intimidating for a lot of people; the words alone bring up feelings of overwhelm, inadequacy, and dread.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Meal prep doesn’t have to be scary and it doesn’t have to take up your entire day. A common misconception is that meal prep = preparing ALL of your meals for the week ahead and then some. While this would be great, it’s unrealistic for anyone who also wants to relax and enjoy the weekend.

I meal prep every week and can usually do it in 30 minutes or less.

I do this by truly “prepping” foods for meals, not necessarily cooking them. When I get home from the grocery store I wash, chop, prep, and store them in the refrigerator so that during the week I can either grab-and-go OR grab-and-cook.

You don’t have to prepare every single meal on Sunday afternoon to set yourself up for a healthy week. But there are a few specific things you can do that will save time, energy and stress when life gets busy.

// Wash, peel, and chop all produce. These can be used for meals and snacks throughout the week. Prepping them in advance will save time when you’re ready to eat or cook. Keep in mind that some produce will last better than others when peeled/chopped in advance.

// Take a look at your meal plan for the week and select 1-2 components that you can prepare ahead of time. Examples: quinoa, rice, roasted veggies, grilled meat, etc.

// Store all of your prepared foods in clear glass containers so that they’re easy to find when you’re in a rush. I finally tossed all of our old mis-matched plastic containers and invested in a new glass set and this small investment has TOTALLY renewed my motivation to meal prep again! Click here to see my favorite brand.

Here’s an example of what I prepped this past Sunday:

Washed and sliced fruit: watermelon and grapes.
Washed veggies: carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers.
Additional meal components: quinoa, lentils, hard-boiled eggs, roasted butternut squash.

As soon as I got home from the store, I got the quinoa, eggs, and squash going. While they cooked I washed, chopped, and prepped the produce. 30 minutes later I was done and still had time to relax on the couch before nap time ended. 🙂

Meal prep is one of the best things you can do to ensure that you stay on track with your health and fitness goals. I encourage you to give it a try. You don’t have to slave away in the kitchen all day and you don’t have to fill your freezer with meals for the month.

Keep it simple. Keep it practical.

When you go to bed on Sunday night with a fridge full of healthy food for you and your family, you will feel satisfied, in control, and ready to take on the week!

xo,