Meal Prep Madness

Wholesome, healthy options prepared and ready to go for the entire week may seem out of reach for a college student.  Don’t be fooled, meal-prepping can be taken on by anyone.  I’m here to share just how easy it is to get started.

First things first, plan.  It’s a good idea to have an idea of meals you would like to prep.  Fellow bloggers, Pinterest, and Facebook are great places to start when searching for meal ideas to borrow.  If you’re not sure where to start, The EveryGirl has a great list of 20 lunches that can easily be prepped on Sunday.

When planning meals for the week, it is important to think about what ingredients are going into each dish.  Begin with the staples – grains, fruits, vegetables, and protein.  Whole grains can be found in ingredients such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole grain pasta.  Fruits and vegetables add color and vitamins to the meal.  According to Olivia Kasten, an avid health food lover and student at UNC,

“If your meals are all on the same color palette, you are doing food wrong.  A colorful meal leads to a colorful lifestyle.”

Quality protein is also necessary and can be found in chicken, beef, eggs, seafood, beans/legumes, and tofu.  Protein can also be found in dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.  These ingredients offer a plethora of meal options for your week.

When you’ve decided what sounds good for the week, and the ingredients for each of those meal ideas, it is time to go shopping.  Choosing one day as your “shopping day” will make the activity a regularly scheduled part of your week.  This makes it easy to work around and will keep you on top of your meal prepping. 

I, personally, enjoy meal prepping on Sundays.  However, you can start your meal prepping on any day of the week.  No matter when you start, be sure to begin with the ingredients that take the longest to cook/prepare.  For example, roasting chicken and baking potatoes will take longer than cutting up fruits and vegetables. 

Alina Moreau, a college student at UNC and second-year resident of on-campus living elaborates,

“Residence hall kitchens are small, but you can utilize space by preparing certain foods on the stovetop while preparing the rest on a cutting board in the counter space beside the stove.  If you need to cook veggies, this can be done in the same pan as, say, your chicken.  It’s a great way to prepare food while living on-campus.”

Once all food has been cooked and prepared, it is time to put the meals together.  I would recommend doing so in food storage containers that sit flat and seal tightly for transportation to and from school or work.  Also, make sure to mix and match your dishes so you aren’t eating the same thing every day.  Place your meals in the refrigerator/freezer and remove as necessary throughout the week to enjoy.

Bon Appetite!