Meal prep is a great option for so many different reasons. It can save you time, money, help you budget and can keep you on track with your diet. You may want to prep just one meal a day, whether it’s to take lunch to work or so you have dinner waiting for you after a long day, but did you know meal prep can be done for all three meals a day?
Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day but it can also be a pain getting up in the morning and preparing a healthy, nutritious meal while you’re still rubbing sleep from your eyes.
It doesn’t have to be a burden though! If you meal prep some simple breakfast dishes in advance, you can grab and go and treasure those precious extra moments in bed.
Overnight oats are super simple, super delicious and completely customisable, so you can mix and match any number of flavours, toppings and added extras to have a varied and exciting breakfast every day with little to no additional effort.
You’ll want to combine oats, any milk of your choice -plant and dairy both work great so it’s all about personal preference! Sweetener can also be added if you want, maple syrup and honey are delicious options, but sugar does the job too. Chia seeds can also be added for extra goodness.
Now comes the part you can really get creative with! Any additional ingredients added will work to add new flavours and textures. You can stick to healthier options and go for fruits, berries, nuts and seeds. If you prefer something more indulgent, adding chocolate chips, peanut butter, coconut flakes and even spices like cinnamon and nutmeg can make a rich and tasty meal.
Lunchtime is usually super easy as there is a whole world of options out there. You can prep cold lunches, hot lunches, pre-cooked lunches and raw lunches. You’ll want to try and keep your meals simple and tasty though if you want to minimise the amount of prep you have to do.
A simple bowl of chicken, veg and rice is a good starting place as you can customise it easily to have variety throughout the week. Preparing different courses, seasonings and mixing and matching veg can help keep boredom at bay and ensure you always look forward to lunchtime.
Salads are another way to stick to healthy eating and are super easy to prepare. You can always have some added extras like nuts, protein and even fruit to spice up your salad and keep it interesting.
While you may want to keep dinner as quick and simple as your other meals, there is more room to be adventurous especially if you will be eating from home. Try meal prep that can be heated up, or prep aspects of a meal but keep some fresh.
For example, you could pre-prepare meat or protein, stir fry, chilli or roasted vegetables but leave room to freshly make up an accompanying salad, some roasted or mashed potatoes or pasta and rice. This makes dinner time far easier but also allows you to still be flexible with what you eat.