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Meal Prep Basics

What is Meal Prepping?

You’ve seen rows of those divided food containers on social media, often stuffed with chicken, rice, and broccoli. People have sworn by this combination of food, attributing their fat loss and muscle gain to eating the same handful of meals day after day. 

 Meal Prepping is simply cooking large batches of food so several meals are prepared in advance. Meal Prepping provides flexibility in your diet through home cooking, portion control, and balanced food choices.  It is a great way to track your macronutrient intake – protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber.  

As you’re chasing your fitness goals for the New Year, you’ve asked yourself – does meal prepping have to be so repetitive? ABSOLUTELY NOT! The food you eat should be delicious, not something you dread. Dieting doesn’t need to be depriving or monotonous. It can also save you money from eating at restaurants.
 
If you could eat delicious foods, achieve your fitness goals, and save money, would you?

Kitchen Essentials

 

Storage Containers

 

We recommend using glass storage containers. They’re easy to clean and don’t retain smells. Glass containers are usually oven, dishwasher, and freezer-safe (check with the ones you buy!). Glass containers with clasp lids should have a strong seal and are unlikely to leak. Cooked foods should last three to four days.

Pots and Pans

10" Non-Stick Skillet

Non-stick skillets excel at cooking delicate dishes like scrambled eggs, pancakes, and omelettes.

Cast Iron Skillet

Whether you’re frying beignets, searing a steak, baking pizza, or scrambling eggs, a cast iron skillet can tackle it all. The heavy weight skillet can withstand high temperatures and retains heat very well. Twelve inches is plenty of space.

3 Quart Pot

Great for making pasta, rice, soups, and sauces. 

Cookware Materials

Non-Stick



Pros:

  • Great for delicate dishes like eggs, pancakes, and rice.





    • Cons:

    • Not great for searing meats.

    Cast Iron
    Seasoned cookware – meaning a layer of oil has been baked into the cookware.

    Pros:

    • When properly seasoned, has excellent non-stick properties
    • Excellent heat retention. Great for searing meats. Can be used in the oven.
    • Very durable


    Cons:

    • Uneven heat distribution

     

    Stainless Steel



    Pros:

    • Excellent heat distribution
    • Excellent for searing and making sauces





    Cons:

    • Excessive heat will cause foods to stick

    Non-Stick Rules:

      1. Do not use metal utensils with non-stick cookware. The metal will scratch the non-stick surface. If scratched, the cookware will need to be thrown out for health purposes.
      2. Avoid high heat. Excessive heat can cause the cookware to warp.
      3. Though non-stick cookware can generally be cleaned in the dishwasher, it is best to wash with a soft sponge and warm, soapy water.

    Cast Iron Rules:

    1. Ensure the cookware is seasoned by rubbing oil into the cast iron with a cloth or paper towel. Place the cast iron into a 400º F oven for 30 minutes.
    2. Avoid acidic foods, like tomatoes, until the cast iron has become well seasoned.
    3. Avoid the dishwasher and do not soak in water. This can cause rusting. If rust is present, remove with steel wool, and re-season the cast iron.
    4. Clean by simply boiling salt water in the cast iron, and lightly scrub with a cast iron brush. Dry immediately. 

    Stainless Steel Rules:

    1. Avoid rapid temperature changes, as this can cause the stainless steel to warp.
    2. Can be washed in the dishwasher, but it’s best to clean with a soft sponge in warm soapy water.
    3. If excessive heat has caused food to stick to the stainless steel, pour baking soda and dish soap onto the stuck food. Let sit for 10 minutes, and use some elbow grease and a soft sponge.