When you meal prep, you mean business. You’re a man with a plan and you’re not leaving anything to chance – you’re going to do whatever you can to see that number on the scale go down at your next weigh in. But meal prepping with your old, beaten up Tupperware is a slog, and if you’re serious about doing this, you’re going to need some shortcuts. Here are 7 things that will make meal prep easier.
7 things that will make meal prep easier
This container was definitely on their desk and is in no way Photoshopped.
2 compartment containers
Having something to put your food in is, obviously, essential, and these two-compartment containers are just the ticket. Have your main meal on one side and fill the other side with snacks, or if you don’t like your sauce touching your carbs split them up. There are many things like this on Amazon, but this particular set is BPA-free, stackable, microwave and dishwasher safe and it has really good reviews. Get this pack of 10 on Amazon here.
Beeswax food wraps
Ditch the plastic bags, cling film and foil and store your leftovers in reusable beeswax food wraps, such as these ones from Bee’s Wrap. You do your bit for the environment, and you don’t have to worry about remembering to buy rolls of food bags. These wraps come in a variety of sizes and are made with beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin and you use the warmth from your hands to seal them around whatever you’re wrapping. Wash them in soapy water along with your usual washing up, hang them up to dry and then reuse. Simple.
You can get a variety pack on Amazon here, a pack made especially for sandwiches from John Lewis here, or you can even have a stab at making your own – instructions here.
What To Eat meal planning pad
Every successful meal prep starts with a plan – what are you going to eat, and when? Make a note on this pad – with 60 sheets, it’ll last you over a year and it has a magnet on the back so you can put it on the fridge. Handy. Get it from Amazon here.
pic from @jaybankspt
The Prep and Rep bag
If you’re a gym-goer, it can be a good idea to prep everything you need for the gym in one go, too. We’re talking a nutritious meal to help you refuel after your session, a high-protein snack, maybe even a protein shake. It’s a lot to jam into your regular gym bag, which is where the Prep and Rep meal storage bag comes into its own – it has everything you need to prep and store your post-gym food as well as some useful extras, including a gym towel. Get it from their website here.
A defrost tray
You should definitely be making use of your freezer if you’re trying to lose weight, whether you’re batch cooking or just buying things like meat in bulk and freezing them – your freezer is your friend. But man, you’ve got to be organised to make the most of it. If you’ve got a pack of chicken breasts ready for your meal prep session, they’re not really of much use to you if you forgot to pull them out of the freezer to defrost. This defrosting tray promises to defrost frozen food in a fraction of the time it would take otherwise, with the manufacturer claiming it defrosts food 10 times faster than doing it in the fridge. Sounds dubious, but it has very good reviews on Amazon. Get it here.
A slow cooker
A slow cooker is one of those things that will easily be forgotten about, stashed away at the back of a kitchen cupboard, but it can really come into its own if you utilise it properly. If you’re thinking a slow cooker is only good for making stews in the depths of winter, think again – slow cooking can take most of the work out of your weekly meal prep. Cook a big joint of meat, make a big batch of curry, or even make a massive pot of porridge (yes, really). You might have grand ideas for what to meal prep, and a slow cooker will do all the hard work for you. You can get this Morphy Richards one on Amazon here.
An over-the-door food waste bin
When you’re busy chopping and peeling all the veggies needed for your meals, it’s a PITA to keep going back and forth to the food bin. Keep that all-important counter space free and clean by just sweeping it all into one of these over-door food waste bins. Unnecessary? Maybe, but useful to have if you want to tidy as you go. Get it on Amazon here.
