Meal prepping is our favourite way to work smarter, not harder. By getting your weekday meals ready ahead of time, you can ensure that you’re eating well and minimize the time you spend in the kitchen on your busiest days. 

Here are five tips you need to know to make your meal prep that much easier.

1. Freezing Rice 

Keep your rice fresh with this hack. Separate your cooked rice into individual portions on a sheet tray and place in the freezer. Once frozen, stash the rice in a sealed container. When you’re ready to eat, heat up the rice in the microwave for about two minutes. 

2. Use Glass Jars

Meal prepping salads in jars is a well-known trick. Lately, we’ve been loving layering our favourite dense bean salads in jars for easy yet nourishing lunchtime meals.

This is also a great way to meal prep soup. Combine rice noodles, powdered broth, protein, and other veggies in a glass jar. At lunchtime, add boiling water and let the soup stand for a few minutes. Bon appétit! 

3. Shred Chicken In A Mixer

This tip is great for both meal prep and weeknight meals. Add your cooked chicken (and spices, if desired) into the bowl of a stand mixer and shred on low speed with the paddle attachment for about 30 to 60 seconds. Voilà! You’ve got easy-peasy pulled chicken.

4. Prep-Ahead Smoothies

Smoothies are a tasty and fresh breakfast or snack, but they tend to require bags upon bags of frozen fruit, powders, and liquids. Prep your next smoothie ahead of time by freezing your fruits and veggies, protein powder, and other dry ingredients in a container. When you’re ready to eat, blend the premixed frozen concoction with your liquids. 

5. Prep Ingredients, Not Meals

Though it can be efficient to prepare one type of meal for the entire week, eating the same thing day after day can get boring. Rather than planning your prep around one dish, we suggest preparing ingredients rather than meals. Pull together one or two proteins, cooked veggies, sauces, and grains that you can combine into different meals. It’s the same effort, but it will keep your meals fresh all week long!

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