Have you hopped on the Meal Prep train yet? If not, I can get you on your way!
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I began meal prepping a few years ago. My primary reason was so that I would eat healthier. You know the drill. You’re exhausted from the day. Putting dinner together seems daunting by Wednesday. Am I right? Enter, the Fast Food Drive-Thru! (Did you know if you transpose just two letters in the word, “fast”, it becomes “fats”? Hmmm, for the sake of staying away from unhealthy food, let’s start referring to it as the Fats Food Drive-Thru!
At first, meal prepping seemed as though I had added, yet another step in unloading the groceries. But, hear me out. Once you get in to your groove, you will be hard pressed to ever want to return to your old way of doing things. Instead of chopping and browning everything every night of the week, it’s already complete and waiting for you in the fridge! I LOVE THAT!
After I have determined my meals for the week, it’s off to the store. When I return with my produce, they immediately go into a bath of vinegar water to soak off all the ickies. Pat them dry and they are ready for prepping. Here we go!
Because I know what meals I have shopped for, I know just how many prepped ingredients I need. For instance, two meals may require chopped carrots. This tells me how much to prep and store it all in the same container! See how easy? Let’s keep going!
Prep
I have three really special appliances in my kitchen that are my sidekicks during my weekly meal prep. I love this chopper! It’s tiny, but mighty! So, it works hard and stores easily.
I also strongly recommend a food processor! This is the one I have. It’s priced really well and washes up quickly!
Get yourself a great blender! I spent years with, what I refer to as, “disposable” blenders, (so sorry landfill, ugh), because I couldn’t bring myself to make such a purchase. I finally realized my blender is a tool and I need one that will last and last. I haven’t regretted my purchase for a second! And, I’m single-handedly saving the landfill!
Also, grab a great set of knives. You’ll be so glad you’re not struggling with the dullest knives in the land. Remember, we’re streamlining meal prepping, not wearing ourselves out yelling at our knives! The price point of knives are as abundant as there are knife choices. I have this set, which are mid-price point. I LOVE them!
Everyone probably has a cutting board. Check up on yours, though, and make sure it’s antimicrobial! My cutting boards are dishwasher safe, and have these great silicone sides on them to keep them in place while I’m chopping.
Have a pair of kitchen shears handy. Use them ONLY for food prep! Not the 4th grade Science project that’s due tomorrow. Keep your kitchen shears in your knife drawer, clean and ready for meal prep. This set comes with two pair! They are fantastic for cutting up chicken, cutting the ends off of asparagus, and lots more.
Storage
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to store my prepped food in glass. It’s clean, I can see through the container, and everything stacks perfectly in the fridge. I also toss the lids and glass containers right into the dishwasher! Hey, we’re streamlining our time here, right? I have used these glass containers for years and they are holding up, as if they are brand new! Add these to your list of meal prep must-haves!
I also have bigger glass containers with locking lids. These are great for a large amount of prepared meats, sauces, washed fruits, etc.
So there you have it! A chopper, blender, knives, cutting boards, and glass storage! These items are my essentials in the kitchen, when I’m prepping for meals for the week! Now, if I just had someone to use them for me while I sit back with my chardonnay and watch!
XO, Wimberly