How to Meal Prep: Tips For Getting the Most Out of Your Meals

Meal prep tips might seem easy, but learning how to meal prep for the best quality meals takes time and planning. For many preppers, a day out of their week is dedicated to getting all of their meals ready for the following 5-7days. What most preppers might not realize is that the quality of the meals they prepare today won't be the same 5 days later. It's time to tone up the time spent prepping your meal management bag, so dig into these meal prep tips to ensure you get the most out of planning ahead.

Protein

Eggs, ground turkey, lean ground beef, chicken breast, and salmon.

Why?

All of these options are protein packed, versatile, and easy to cook, making them staples for any meal management bag.

Storage Length

According to the USDA, ground beef, poultry and seafood should be cooked or frozen within two days of purchase. If you choose to freeze your ground beef or poultry, you can store them up to four months before their quality begins to diminish.

Meal Prep Tips

Cook your proteins and store them in individual containers for the days you're prepping for. Next store them in your freezer, so when you're packing your Elite Originator 500 in the morning, your meals will be thawed and ready for cooking by lunch.

Carbohydrates

Quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, and sweet potatoes.

Why?

When selecting good carbs, you want to choose those that have high nutritional value and will keep you satisfied for longer. These options are great healthy choices for your meal management system.

Storage Length

Knowing how to meal prep your carbs can make or break their nutritional quality and taste. The USDA suggests that cooked sweet potato and rice should be stored in a sealed container for no more than three days.

Meal Prep Tips

When preparing sweet potatoes, remove the skin to preserve freshness. To prevent sweet potatoes and rice from becoming too soggy, leave the lid off of your containers until the meal has completely cooled. This prevents your potatoes and rice from being watered down and soggy because of the condensation from your hot food.

Vegetables

Asparagus, zucchini, green beans, Brussels sprouts, and eggplant.

Why?

Green vegetables are known as superfoods for their high magnesium content and low glycemic index. They also provide major sources of iron and calcium, which play an important role in improving immune function.

Storage Length

The best meal prep tips for your vegetables include cooking them within two to three days of purchase. After cooking, they can be stored in containers for a maximum of three to four days in your refrigerator before losing their quality.

Meal Prep Tips

Just like your carbohydrates, you want to let your vegetables cool in their container before storing them in your refrigerator. Most vegetables do not take well to being frozen because of their high concentration of water. Avoid freezing any leafy greens and take care to give some thought about freezing others. Learn how to get the best nutritional quality out of the meals you prepare by using these meal prep tips with your original meal management bags, gym totes, gym backpacks, sports duffle bags, or any other organizational tools in your fitness routine. Get motivated with these tips for your next meal prep day and browse all our How to Meal Prep guides for even more specific lessons, such as Vegan Meal Prep, Paleo Meal Prep, and Gluten-Free Meal Prep! Header image courtesy of @cowboymiss.