Essential Meal Prep Techniques for Optimal Results
You might be thinking that meal prepping is just a fancy way of saying leftovers. However, it's much more than that. With meal prep, you don't just use yesterday's dinner. You take time to prepare most or all the meals for the week at once. You pick a day of the week, most likely Sunday, get some recipes and ingredients, and cook your meals. You can order meal kits for your meal prep ideas from HelloFresh and cook delicious meals with the recipe cards provided.Meal prep is ideal when you have a hectic work schedule. If you regularly leave work with a growling stomach and little energy to cook, spending a Sunday afternoon preparing your dishes for the week simplifies your work routine. You won't have to worry about what to cook for dinner or eating out. All you have to do is reheat your prepped meals and enjoy.
Aside from saving time, meal prepping with our food boxes also saves money. Imagine reducing the number of times you go to the grocery store. You limit impulse buying and save on delivery costs. Our meal kits ensure you have the ingredients you need and avoid food waste.
The Ultimate Guide to Doing Meal Prep Right
Are you new to meal prepping? Here is a guide to get you started:
Plan your meals: Before you meal prep, create a meal plan to get an overview of the week. Meal planning helps you coordinate ingredients and recipes. Your meal plan should be based on your household size and preferred family meals.
Order meal prep food: Instead of making a shopping list for all the ingredients you will need, you can order meal prep food boxes from HelloFresh. Picking out the recipes and waiting for them at home saves you time and ensures you don't forget anything.
Cook in bulk: With meal prep you cook a large amount of food ready to eat throughout the week. The extra portions save you time on a busy day and ensure you have something to eat. Start your weekly food prep by cooking ingredients that take time. For instance, you can roast or cook one large batch of sweet potatoes or legumes and easily assemble the recipe later in the week.
Mix and match: Despite cooking all your meals once a week, you want your dishes to be interesting and delicious. Don't be afraid to get creative with your meals. A great way to add variety to your prepped dishes is to make sauces or plan your meals around your favourite protein source.
Store your food properly: Storing your food is the most important part of meal prepping. Use airtight containers to keep your meals in the refrigerator or freezer. If you are freezing your food, ensure you date and label what goes into the freezer.
Essential Meal Prep Techniques for Optimal Results
Meal prepping may seem challenging at first, but with a little practice, you will be making delicious meals in no time. The trick is to determine your meal-prepping technique. You can make and store meals prepared in single-serving containers for heating throughout the week.You can also batch-cook a dish and store it in the freezer to be used up in upcoming weeks or months. For instance, you can make a large batch of burritos and put them in a freezer to heat up one each morning.
If you don't want to cook your meals, prepping the ingredients ahead of time is also a good option. A good example of food prep meals is beef or chicken. You can prepare the meals over the weekend and store them in different containers for your weekly beef and chicken recipes, like salads, chicken tacos or a pasta dish. You can also slice up your vegetables and herbs for your vegetarian recipes and add them to your dishes during the week.
Smart Strategies for Effective Meal Prep
The idea of meal prep often makes you think of food containers that could last a month, but you should consider starting meal prep for just a few meals a week. Starting with meal prep for two days eases you into the habit of having food ready in the fridge.Instead of making many complete meals, focus on one base component that can be served with different sides. That way, you'll only cook the main dish and end up with varied and delicious meals. For instance, prepping a big batch of Bolognese recipes gives you a variety of dishes for the week.
The Best Ways to Store Your Prepared Meals for Maximum Freshness
Meal prep saves you the trouble of cooking daily. However, all that work can go to waste if you don't properly store the meal food box prepared. For instance, you need to make sure the containers used are airtight to keep the food fresh. As a thumb rule, glass jars are for soups, while plastic containers are for proteins and rice. If you dice fruit or vegetables as part of your meal prep, line the containers with a paper towel to keep the vegetables dry and ensure a longer shelf life.Keep the temperatures in the fridge below 4.4°C (40°F). You should also be mindful of where you keep your food inside the refrigerator. For example, don't put highly perishable food on the door shelves since they're easily exposed to outside temperatures.
Top 5 Meal Prep Recipes for Effortless Weekday Meals
Whether you are looking for freezable soup recipes or ideas for family meals, you can find delicious meal prep recipes at HelloFresh. Here are some of our favourite recipes:
Mexican beef burrito bowl: Savour the Mexican dish any day of the week, and you will still enjoy the delicious flavours.
Southeast Asian spiced chicken: You can eat tender chicken any day of the week. All you have to do is spice it with your favourite sauce.
Chorizo Risoni Risotto: Get a delicious weeknight dinner with no fuss if you prepare your Risoni.
Creamy beef and pumpkin fusilli: Creamy beef is always a welcome addition any day of the week.
Creamy garlic prawn fettuccine: Meaty prawns are always the go-to if you want a fancy dish during the week.
Why HelloFresh Meal Prep?
Ready to jump on the meal-prepping bandwagon? HelloFresh is a trustworthy partner.
.png)
Easily plan meals in advance
No more last minute dinner dilemma's. Put together your favourite meals with our recipes.
Get fresh ingredients
Get meal prep ingredients delivered to your door. You are assured of fresh and high-quality ingredients.
.png)
Simplify portion control
Our ingredients come pre-portioned and pre-measured. You can create your portion sizes beforehand.
Easily plan meals in advance
No more last minute dinner dilemma's. Put together your favourite meals with our recipes.
Get fresh ingredients
Get meal prep ingredients delivered to your door. You are assured of fresh and high-quality ingredients.
Simplify portion control
Our ingredients come pre-portioned and pre-measured. You can create your portion sizes beforehand.
What Our Customers Say
Reviews from Trustpilot
Delicious! My husband and I are on our 3rd week of meals! The portions are great, the meals are healthy, and we are always excited to try the next meal. With a newborn, we were constantly ordering takeout which was both expensive and unhealthy.
- Ayesha Deb
Healthy and yummy meals, pre-made but still fresh. Perfect for my super busy schedule. I hate cooking and buying groceries. I also have difficulty deciding on where to get takeout from every day. This meal plan is perfect for me!
- Ammy P
I chose Factor because I've been trying to increase my protein intake with my workouts. I have a hard time with proper meal planning and end up buying my lunch. Now, I just have my box and I know it will be tasty and high protein every time!
- Jenny Coffey
Meal Prep FAQs
