Meal prep can be a life saver for busy women, but it doesn’t mean you have to eat the same meal every day! Below are 10 tips to help you streamline your meal prep, save time, and keep your meals exciting and diverse throughout the week.

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Plan Ahead

Take the time every Sunday (or whatever day works best for you) to create your weekly meal plan. This way, you can organize a shopping list and only buy the ingredients that you need.

Choose recipes that share similar ingredients to save time and money.

For example:

Lemon garlic chicken with quinoa and roasted vegetables
Quinoa chicken salad

Dice the leftover lemon garlic chicken from meal 1, mix pre-cooked quinoa from meal 1 with greens, chopped bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and dress it with a simple lemon vinaigrette (lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper)

By using some of the same ingredients, you save time on prep and cooking while ensuring your meals remain varied!

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Batch Cooking

Cook large batches of proteins, roasted veggies, and grains (like rice).

Store these in separate containers for easy mix and match meals.

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Freezer Friendly Meals

Making a soup, stew, or casserole? Make a double batch and freeze portions for quick meals on those busy days.

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Prep Ingredients, Not Just Meals

Chop veggies, marinate proteins, and pre-cook grains or starches ahead of time. This makes it easier to quickly throw something into the oven or on the BBQ (a marinated protein and veggies) and to pair it with a grain or starch (eg. rice, sweet potato, yam, squash, etc.)

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Seasonal Produce

Choose produce that are in season from freshness and cost effectiveness.

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Make Snack Packs

Prepare healthy snacks like nuts, fruit slices, veggie sticks and hummus.

Store in individual portions for grab-and-go convenience.

I personally love meatballs for a quick snack, they freeze great too!

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Flavours

Use different spices, herbs, and sauces to transform ingredients into different flavourful meals.

By doing this, you can create various cuisines from the same base ingredients (Mexican, Asian, etc.).

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Groceries For the Week

I use this method when planning meals and a grocery list for the week:

2-3 fruit choices

3-4 colourful veggie choices

3-4 green choices

2-3 protein choices

2-3 healthy fat choices

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Keep It Simple

Start with a few simple meals on rotation, then gradually incorporate more.

Focus on balance and nutrition, rather than perfection!

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Storage Containers

Invest in glass storage containers to avoid chemicals leaching into food.

Meal Prep Tips For Busy Women

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