THE POWER OF BATCH PREPPING
I know firsthand how important meal prepping can be for sticking to your nutrition goals, and I also know firsthand how easy it is to not meet those goals when there isn’t food around that “meets” them. It’s not always easy to plan meals and snacks for the week ahead, especially when life gets hectic. But what if I told you there’s a way to make meal prepping even more efficient? Enter: batch prepping.
WHAT IS BATCH PREPPING?
Batch prepping is exactly what it sounds like: preparing large quantities of specific foods at once, then using them throughout the week. Instead of cooking a whole meal in one go, you focus on preparing your main ingredients in bulk—like proteins, fats, or vegetables—and use them as building blocks for different meals. It’s about saving time while ensuring you always have nutritious, ready-to-eat components on hand.
BENEFITS OF BATCH PREPPING
1 | SAVES TIME
Batch prepping can drastically cut down the time you spend cooking throughout the week. By preparing a large batch of proteins, fats, or veggies in advance, you’re able to throw together meals in minutes without starting from scratch every day.
2 | REDUCES DECISION FATIGUE
If you’ve ever stood in front of your fridge wondering what to eat, you know how mentally draining it can be. Batch prepping eliminates that stress because you’ll already have options ready to go that meet your needs. No more last-minute scrambling!
3 | SUPPORTS CONSISTENCY
The more you can streamline your eating habits, the easier it becomes to stay consistent with your nutrition. Having prepped foods on hand makes it simple to build balanced meals, even on your busiest days.
4 | LESS FOOD WASTE
Prepping in batches can help reduce food waste. By cooking in bulk, you’re more likely to use up all of your ingredients and avoid letting fresh produce or proteins go to waste in the back of the fridge.
BATCH PREPPING LIKE A PRO
Batch prepping can feel easier once you know how to structure it. To get started:
Choose your proteins, carbs, fats, and color (veggies): Think about the foods you eat most often. Whether it’s chicken, ground beef, eggs, or tofu, start by selecting one or two proteins you can prep in bulk. Then, add some bulk carbs like rice or quinoa, along with veggies you enjoy.
Cook in bulk: Once you’ve selected your ingredients, cook them in large batches. This could mean roasting several chicken breasts, boiling a dozen eggs, or grilling a few fillets of salmon. It could mean whipping up a container of a dressing or marinade. You might choose to just batch prep a single food for your first week and build from there! (In fact, highly suggest starting small and adding more components as you scale the habit!)
Store in the fridge or freezer: After cooking, divide your prepped foods into containers (large ones like this or this are essential for these larger portions!). Keep portions in the fridge for easy access during the week, or freeze extras for future meals. Labeling containers with dates and contents is a great way to stay organized (these labels have been my go-to for years).
Mix and match: Now comes the fun part—mix and match your prepped ingredients to create different meals. Think of a simple math equation: meal = protein + carb + color (veggie)
Batch prepping is a game-changer when it comes to streamlining your meals and staying on top of your nutrition. Whether you’re new to meal prepping or looking to fine-tune your process, batch prepping makes eating according to your values and aligning with your goals much easier. Give it a try and see how much time you can save while still fueling your body with nutritious foods! (And more to come in this series! Up next week: using seasonings and assembling your meals.)
Has your life changed because of batch prepping?! Tell me about it in the comments!
And for more macro-friendly recipes and resources, a one-stop-shop Resources page will be making it’s way to FPN by the end of 2024! To learn more about 1:1 nutrition coaching, you can read more here or fill out an application here.
