Meal Prep for Beginners

Prep components, not full meals, initially. Focus on batch cooking individual ingredients like proteins or grains that can be combined later. "If prepping full meals seems overwhelming at first, try just prepping components."

Don't try to prep every meal for the entire week immediately. Begin with one or two meals, such as lunch, and slowly increase as you get comfortable. "Don't overdo it at the beginning. You don't have to prep 21 meals per week to be successful. Start simple with a few lunches or something like that."

Focus on meals you genuinely enjoy. You're more likely to stick with meal prepping if the food is appealing, rather than forcing yourself to eat bland or unfamiliar dishes. "Cook what you like to eat. There's no point in meal prepping things you're going to throw out because you never touched it."

Chicken and rice is a versatile and forgiving starting point. Chicken thighs are hard to overcook and reheat well, and a rice cooker makes preparing rice foolproof. "Chicken thighs and rice, my friend! Thighs are impossible to overcook, refrigerates well, reheats like a champ."

Soups and chilis are excellent for batch cooking. They often improve in flavor over time and are easy to make in large quantities using a slow cooker or Instant Pot. "Soup, especially if you have a crockpot or instant pot."

Burritos and pasta dishes are customizable and freeze well. These allow for variety by changing fillings or sauces without extensive effort. "I really like meal prepping burritos! I’ll make 10-20 at a time and freeze them."

Utilize kitchen appliances to simplify cooking. Ovens, slow cookers, Instant Pots, and even air fryers can handle much of the cooking process with minimal hands-on time. "Take advantage of the oven, crockpot/slow-cooker, and freezer."

Clean as you go to reduce post-prep cleanup stress. Washing dishes while food cooks prevents a large pile at the end. "Clean dishes as you go, that way there's not a mountain when you are done cooking."

Consider prepping ingredients in stages. You can chop vegetables one day and cook them the next to break up the workload. "It's OK to do mise en place and the cooking on different days! I always tried to do alllll aspects of my prep on the same day and I'd be exhausted and left with so many dishes."

Allow food to cool before sealing and refrigerating or freezing. This prevents condensation and inhibits bacterial growth. "Let them give off steam and heat, refrigerate once they’ve cooled down to be just lukewarm, and eat all week!"

Invest in appropriate containers. Glass containers are easy to clean, don't stain, and last longer than plastic, but plastic is lighter and more budget-friendly. "The most common recommendation for meal preppers who are tired of plastic is to switch to glass."

A microwave is generally best for quick reheating. While an air fryer can improve texture, a microwave offers speed and convenience for daily meal reheating. "I think a microwave is more practical for you than an air fryer."