How to Begin Meal Prepping

Step One: Gather the goods.

Eating healthy in college isn't easy. With classes, meetings, clubs, job... it's hard to manage. There's a double edged sword, on the one hand you could solely eat out which will consume your budget, or you could try eating at home. The downside to that is frozen meals get redundant, and it's difficult to try planning out meals in the week that are nutritious and tasteful. 

In this post, I'm going to try and help you out the best that I can. 

I'm going to outline how I got into meal prepping in college and started breaking into finding recipes that I could make on my off nights to carry me through the week. 

When I began, I had two goals in mind:
1. Eat healthy as best I can. (Keep in mind I'm dairy and gluten free)
2. Save money. 

First, find which stores are within your budget. For a select few, it may be Whole Foods, but for the majority of us, it's not. I typically shop at Kroger, Trader Joes and on occasion, Food Lion. Kroger has a good frozen veggie selection and Trader Joes always has fresh produce. 

Once you've determined that (you probably need to go to these stores to figure that out), now all you need are recipes and ingredients to cook with. Everyone has different flavors and cuisines they enjoy. I'd start with what you're used to and expand from there. 

I remember when I first began cooking for myself, all I made were tacos and sautéed veggies and chicken. It was a bleak beginning. Over time however, I began to add new recipes, tried new fruits, veggies, and spices that completely changed my meals. Indian is my favorite now.

If you have Pinterest, that's the best place to find new recipes and meal prep ideas. Google works too. Whatever you have, you ca use to search. 

Next step: Find your containers. I went to Costco to get class containers of all different sizes. I prefer glass over plastic because they clean better and last longer, but they are more expensive. Tupperware can be found at any store: Target, TjMaxx, and others. 

I've included links here and here that are online options. 

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Step Two: Find your recipes

Now that you have figured out where you are shopping and how you are going to store your food, it's time to start cooking!

If you already have recipes you've been waiting to cook, be free and do it!

If you are however, recipe-less and wanting some aid, I got you. 

Below I've attached a week's worth of recipes that should sustain you through the week. I've included two recipes that could be used for lunch or dinner, and then two options for breakfast. Making both of the breakfast recipes may be a little excessive, so I'd just stick with one unless you'd like to add some diversity. 

I'm attaching the links to all the recipes below. Each link provides the step-by-step  process to follow in order to make them. 

Here is the list of ingredients needed. Go ahead take a picture so you can have a compiled list ready to go with you to the store.

Recipe's for the Week​:

Breakfast
Egg Muffin's
Yogurt Cups

Lunch/Dinner
Southwest Chicken Casserole 
Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredient List for Each Recipe 

Southwest Chicken Casserole 

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
  
• Olive Oil
  
• Salt 
  
• Black Pepper
  
• Garlic Powder
• Onion powder
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Paprika
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Canned black beans
• Corn
• Bell peppers
• Red onion
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Fresh cilantro 
  

Healthy Egg Muffin Cups 

• Eggs
• Spinach
• Bell peppers
• Red onion
• Cherry tomatoes
• Feta cheese/ Goat Cheese/ Vegan Alternative 

Yogurt Breakfast Bowls 

• ​Greek yogurt/ Non-Dairy Alternative
• Rolled oats
• Almond milk
• Honey
• Vanilla extract
• Fresh fruit (such as berries, bananas, or peaches)
• Nuts or seeds (such as almonds, walnuts, or chia seeds)
• Nut butter (such as peanut butter or almond butter)

Honey Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Cornstarch
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Soy sauce
• Honey
• Sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Sesame seeds
• Broccoli
• Cooked brown rice

Combined Ingredient List for Simplicity

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Eggs
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion powder
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Paprika
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Vanilla extract
• Cornstarch
• Garlic
• Soy sauce
• Honey
• Sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Sesame seeds
• Canned black beans
• Corn
• Bell peppers
• Red onion
• Spinach
• Bell peppers
• Red onion
• Broccoli
• Cherry tomatoes
• Fresh fruit (such as berries, bananas, or peaches)
• Fresh cilantro
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Feta cheese
• Greek yogurt
• Almond milk/ Regular milk
• Nuts or seeds (such as almonds, walnuts, or chia seeds)
• Nut butter (such as peanut butter or almond butter)
• Rolled oats
• Cooked brown rice

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Step Three: Get to Cooking!

Meal prepping is no easy task. At first, it can take a lot of planning and time to get into the swing of things. I promise though, from my own experience, once you get into the groove of meal prepping, it really does make life simpler. (Not to mention cheaper). I save so much time and money knowing that I have food already set aside for me at home. With meal prepping as one of my personal tools, I have greater freedom and flexibility in my day. 

Have an assignment due that I've been pushing off but at the same time super hungry? No problem, there's already a meal ready to go for me in the fridge!

I sleep longer, hang out with my friends more, and am less stressed about finances all due to this little life hack that I think is invaluable to any college student's peace of mind. Not to mention, when you are eating healthy food at home, your body thanks you for it. You feel better, have more energy, all providing you with greater faculties to tackle your day and be present with your homies. 

​Let me know if you have any questions!