7 Tips for Meal Prep
7 Tips for Meal Prep
Does the thought of starting AIP sound great till you hear the words ‘meal prep’? I know what that’s like!
When I started my Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) journey back in May 2019, I remember feeling so overwhelmed at the thought of meal prepping for an entire week - I had no idea where to begin!
If you were to head over to my meal prep posts over on Instagram, you might think that it was always this easy, but I am here to tell you that that is the furthest thing from the truth! We often compare the start of our journeys to the middle of someone else’s - don’t do it!!
Read on if you looking for some practical tips to get started on your meal prep journey!
This is what I will cover in this article:
My humble beginnings
Tip #1 Your mindset is half your battle won.
Tip #2 Be kind to yourself and have some fun.
Tip #3 Plan ahead.
Tip #4 Start with the basics.
Tip #5 Get your kitchen ready.
Tip #6 Ask for help
Tip #7 Split it up
Humble beginnings
Before I get into my tips for setting you up as a beginner-meal-prep-boss I want you to know that I was never a great cook.
My parents worked late on most evenings and weekends, so my childhood memories do not include watching and learning from them in the kitchen.
I am a self-taught cook, and I never thought I would be able to cook so many meals from scratch let alone post recipes for others to make on a blog (what?!)! SO, if I can get to this point, so can you. Which brings us to our first tip.
Tip #1 Your mindset is half your battle won.
If you dread meal prepping, you will hate every second of it, and you won't make it a sustainable part of your life.
Switching your mindset is the first thing I walk my clients through when they start meal prepping.
Remind yourself of the reason(s) you are you doing this in the first place? One of the reasons is probably because you want to save time, make better choices and set yourself up to do so with ready-made homemade meals.
Before you set out on your journey, think of why you are doing this and remind yourself of that often! Especially for the days when you just want to Netflix and chill.
Tip #2 Be kind to yourself and have some fun.
Listen to your favorite podcast or dance to your best tunes, and before you know it, you'll have a table filled with nutritious food ready for the week.
Your first few tries will be wobbly, you'll probably forget to buy that one ingredient you need for all your dishes, or you'll over or undercook something or dislike the flavors of a meal you try. That’s okay! Breathe and move along, while you HAVE FUN and dance it out.
Remember that every single person you see on Instagram (myself included) was a beginner at some point. Expect to take longer than most recipes suggest; expect half your Sundays to fly by but please enjoy the ride. You’ll thank yourself when the last thing you want to do is cook after a long day of work and you realize ‘ah, I don’t have to’!
Tip #3 Plan ahead.
I usually plan for the following week on Thursday or Friday. I was never one to cook from a recipe book, but Mickey Trescott's The Nutrient-Dense Kitchen, was the best investment, and it set me up for success way back when. It includes a few meal plans and a handy list of foods with a handy guide of the best nutrient sources. It was my AIP cooking bible.
If a cookbook is not within your budget there are a host of online recipe resources at your disposal including my own website.
Here are two of my favorites who inspire me on the daily: Heal Me Delicious and Phoenix Helix, with her weekly recipe roundtable.
You can follow this link to view my latest meal prep week recipes.
Once you have your meal plan, write down your shopping list and decide when you will go shopping - I tend to shop online most weeks because it saves me a lot of time. Farmers' markets are also a great option if you live near one.
I also bought myself a notebook and that’s where I plan our meals and shopping list for each week - it's a great way to look back at other weeks as a guide if you start running out of ideas or are low on time.
Tip #4 Start with the basics.
Often, I will make one of my soup or stew recipes because they go a long way into your week. Vegetable sides are a great option too as they are great add-ons to salads, meatballs, and almost any dish.
I like to incorporate proteins into my meal prep that I can have in multiple ways, like this pulled pork recipe, which I add to zucchini noodles or whole baked sweet potato. This also pairs so well with my basil pesto recipe.
Tip #5 Get your kitchen ready.
If investing in appliances is within your budget, these will go a long way:
An Instant Pot or Crock Pot for broths, soups and stews.
A food processor (that doubles up as a smoothie maker).
A stick blender.
Here are some low-budget alternatives to the list above:
A big casserole pot to make your soups and stews in.
A manual food chopper and/or a box grater.
A pestle and mortar for your sauces.
If you transitioning into the AIP or Paleo or into a nutritious whole foods lifestyle, give away or store any ingredients that would steer you off your path and stock up on some of the basics. Keep the ingredients that are in the reintroduction phase but try to steer clear of the rest, if you can!
The list below is a comprehensive list of ingredients used in most recipes. Note that the alternative flours, and certain other ingredients might be on more costly to invest in.
Ground spices such as: Turmeric, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, and onion)
Dried herbs such as: Thyme, rosemary, dill, oregano, basil, and sage
Alternative flours such as: Cassava, Coconut, Tapioca, Arrowroot starch
Flavorings such as: Coconut Aminos, Balsamic Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar
Coconut products such as: Coconut Milk and Coconut Flakes
Cooking fats such as: Animal fats (Lard and Tallow are my favorites), Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil
Carob powder (a great alternative for chocolate flavored treats)
Sweetness such as: Raw Honey, Coconut Sugar, Maple Syrup
Tip #6 Ask for help
Setting yourself up for success also means asking for help from those around you. Asking your family to help chop your vegetables or clear up the dishes as you prepare can save you a lot of time.
It can also mean you get to spend some quality time preparing food that nourishes everyone in your home.
Yes, Gino (our Pekingese pictured below) helps when he chomps on crunchy raw vegetables that drop to the floor and my husband (also pictured here) usually washes up as I go.
Tip #7 Split it up
You will need to dedicate 3-5 hours of your day (depending on your household's size) to cooking and preparing your meals for the week ahead.
There are times when I go full-out and do it all on a Saturday or Sunday, and there are weekends where I want to split it up. I'll either chop all my produce the day before and cook the next or I’ll prepare half my meals on the Saturday and the other half on Sunday.
The best thing you can do is decide to start and get support when you need it.
If you are new to AIP / Paleo and want to get started, get in touch! I’ve been where you are and I have used food as a basis for healing my gut and improving my IBD (Crohn’s symptoms).
Let me know if these tips help you on your journey and if you have any more to add by commenting below.