All Things Meal Prep
Why meal prep? Well its a way to save you time and money, all while allowing you to hit your goals. When you make your meals at home, you can control the amount of protein, carbs, calories, and nutrients that are going into your body. Everyone’s goals are different; whether you are trying to lose weight, avoid processed food, or just save money on dining out, meal prep is the way to go.
If you need delicious breakfast ideas, check out Breakfast For Beginners, and if you need quick lunch ideas, check out Quick and Easy Lunch Ideas! And if you need inspiration on healthy meals, check out A Nutrient-Dense Plate. Next week, I’ll be posting dinner recipes your whole family can enjoy, so stay tuned.
Today, I want to talk about how long you can keep your meal prep. Every food has a unique shelf life to consider when storing your meals. This can be your catch-all space to know about the food you’re prepping. Let’s dive in!
Protein:
- Cooked chicken = 3-4 days
- Hard-boiled eggs = 1 week
- egg/chicken/tuna salad = 3-4 days
- Cooked fish = 3-4 days
- Cooked ground beef = 3-4 days
- Opened lunch meat = 3-5 days
- Cooked shrimp = 3-4 days
Produce:
- Apples = 2-3 weeks
- Avocado = 3-4 days
- Beets = 7-10 days
- Bell peppers = 4-5 days
- Berries = 4-5 days
- Broccoli = 4-5 days
- Brussels sprouts = 4-5 days
- Carrots = 2-3 weeks
- Celery = 1-2 weeks
- Cilantro = 7 days
- Corn = 3-4 days
- Grapes = 1 week
- Green beans = 3-4 days
- Lettuce = 3-4 days
- Mushroom = 3-4 days
- Onion = 2 weeks
- Peaches = 3-4 days
- Spinach = 1 week
- Tomatoes = 3-4 days
Dairy:
- butter = 1-3 months
- Cottage cheese = 2 weeks
- Cream cheese = 2 weeks
- Half and half = 1 week
- Milk = 2 weeks
- Opened cheese = 3-4 weeks
- Sour cream = 1-3 weeks
Other:
- Bread = 1-2 weeks
- Rolls = 1 week
- Muffins = 1 week
- Soup = 3-4 days
- Tortillas = 4-7 days
- Rice = 3-4 days
Meal prep tips:
- Start small: prep food for 2-4 days, testing smaller batches of recipes at a time and ensuring nothing goes to waste.
- Invest in Tupperware: check out my blog, Beginner Cooking Guide, for links to meal prep containers.
- Don’t be afraid to freeze: freeze some of your bread, veggies, or even meals to pop out at a moment’s notice; you won’t regret it.
My Personal Story:
Meal prep for me has allowed me to save money, stay healthy, and given me more time throughout my days. I love preparing meals for myself on Sundays to start my week off right. I typically prep my dinner for the week; this past week, I had chicken breast with Japanese sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli, served with some feta on top. It was easy to make and super filling- this allows me to know what is going into my food and gives me a healthy meal whenever I am feeling hungry. Another one of my go-to meals is prepping ground beef, sweet potato, and some cowboy caviar, highlighted on my lunch blog! Both extremely delicious and nutritious meals.
Meal prep will look different for everyone- because everyone’s wants and needs are different. If you are extremely busy in the morning, it might make more sense to prep breakfast and lunch rather than dinner, and vice versa- if you feel overwhelmed in the evening, try prepping dinner for the week. There is no right or wrong way to go about meal prep. Make food that makes you feel good and fuels your body.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read todays blog. I hope you found it helpful! If you have any suggestions for my recipes or blog topics, please let me know HERE. If you have any comments or concerns, please let me know HERE. Have a great day and don’t forget to fuel your body! Those particular habits matter; you got this!
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