Meal planning and meal prep often go hand in hand. They’re always touted as the “best” way to get on top of your cooking, your schedule, and, often, your health.
But what happens when you keep finding yourself stuck at the same point of the meal planning, meal prep merry-go-round?
If you’re sick and tired of meal planning and prepping your meals — just to get to Wednesday and have it all fall apart — then keep reading. I’m going to share some common “sticking points” when it comes to meal planning and meal prep, and how you can overcome them in your own kitchen.
“I never have time to fully plan or prep”
I used to hear this all the time in high school and college from my professors: “Failure to plan is planning to fail.” As a teenager and young twenty-something, I’d roll my eyes, but lately? I can see the wisdom in that statement.
These days, I’ve amended it a bit for my own life as a working mom, and instead of “planning to fail,” I now meet myself where I’m at and make sure I’ve always got a backup plan.
Backup plans are golden in the kitchen. A good kitchen backup plan can mean keeping specific dry-goods items in your pantry so you can always throw something together, even without a trip to the store (see my list of Pantry Meals).
It can also mean a DIY Freezer Meal Kit, so you can pull a bag from the freezer and throw dinner together. Backup plans help divert mealtime disasters, so you’re less likely to throw in the towel and reach for the pizza delivery!
Related Post: Here’s What You Need to Know About Batch Cooking Sheet Pan Meals
“I have zero space to store prepped meals”
I hear this one loud and clear. I’ve been working form tiny NYC kitchens for over a decade now, and I’ve had to get REALLY creative when it comes to space. Here are a few of my favorite tricks:
- Freeze items flat, using a rolling pin if needed to spread thick ingredients, like ground beef, flat enough to store.
- Get high! I line the walls with as many shelves as possible to store dry goods items.
- Use your cupboards for food items and your walls for pots, pans, spatulas, and other kitchen gadgets. Make hooks, pegboards, and the like your new best friend.
- What can you put outside? I grew up in the Midwest, where it’s totally normal to have an old fridge or freezer in the garage for storing your extra food items. Don’t have a garage? I’ve seen freezers on balconies, too!
“The chopping and cleanup just takes so long!”
I know it might not seem like it, but prepping meals ahead of time saves you TONS of time on the actual night you cook. But when you’re staring down a couple of hours of chopping and cleaning, it doesn’t seem like much of a timesaver.
- So, let kitchen gadgets help you out! I’m obsessed with my handheld veggie chopper. It makes light work of chopping onions, carrots, and other vegetables. And it makes cauliflower rice, too!
- Don’t be afraid to buy prepared ingredients. Most freezer sections in the grocery store have things like chopped onions, or prepared rice. No one will know you didn’t do it the “hard” way- what matters is getting the food prepped and ready for your family.
Meal prep doesn’t need to mean you, standing at the kitchen counter for hours on end, prepping meals. With just a few simple tips, you can get a handful of dinners ready for you and your household, and reap major benefits.
Ruthy Kirwan is a recipe tester, developer, and cooking instructor living in New York City.
In 2016, Ruthy created the website ‘Percolate Kitchen’ to be a digital kitchen resource for busy people. Sharing simple and quick recipes, how-to’s and guides, and meal prep for the everday family, she has built a loyal following of busy parents who want calmer weeknights. Her weekly newsletter is full of actionable tips, recipes, foodie links from around the web, kitchen ‘hacks’ and more.
You can find out more at percolatekitchen.com
