Meal prepping is not just a fancy trend for fitness pros that you see on Instagram. It is one of the most important things to do if you want to track your caloric intake, boost your energy levels, eat nutritious home-cooked meals, and improve your health. If you have a busy schedule, you know that cooking every day is next to impossible.

Meal prepping involves preparing and storing meals so you can have ready-to-eat meals. If you are getting started, you may be confused about what foods to meal prep and how to get started. First, you need to know why you are meal prepping, whether for weight loss or to save time and money.

You also need to create a healthy menu for the whole week, make a shopping list, and decide when to go shopping and cook. Take a minute to read this comprehensive guide to meal prepping for weight loss to familiarize yourself with basic information. But why do some people get meal prep right, yet you don’t? And is it possible to avoid eating the same thing every day?

In this article, we look at the common mistakes to avoid when meal prepping and the three keys to successful meal prepping.

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Meal Prepping

Meal prepping need not be complicated. Here are some common mistakes to avoid for successful meal prepping.

#1. Using the wrong containers

The type of meal prep containers you choose will make or break your meal prep. You don’t want the meals spilling into your phone or laptop and staining your clothes. Before considering meal prepping, you should upgrade your meal prep containers and choose high-quality ones with clip locks to prevent spillage and leaks.

Solution: Invest in high-quality containers

You can use either plastic or glass containers, depending on your budget. The size of jars and containers depends on the size of your family. You may have to buy bigger containers if you are preparing large portions. Plastic containers are lightweight and affordable, while glass containers are heavy and more expensive. However, glass is more durable and doesn’t absorb flavors from other foods.

If you buy plastic meal prep containers, ensure they are BPA-free and have a tight, leak-proof lid. You can also opt for microwave-safe and dishwasher-safe containers to make cleaning easier. If you plan to freeze your food, use silicone bags.

#2.Overcomplicating meal prepping

Meal prepping should be a simple and enjoyable experience that saves time and helps with weight loss. Instead of spending the whole Sunday cooking dozens of meals while you should be resting, choose to make easy meals so that you don’t get bored and tired.

Solution: Be realistic and make it simple

If you’re pressed for time or need to rest, consider prepping ingredients that could easily become whole meals during the busy work week. For example, you can chop vegetables to easily make a salad, bake fish fillets, or boil beans so that it’s easy to make the salad on the desired day.

Keep your meal prepping simple by choosing easy-to-cook, nutritious, and filling recipes. For example, for breakfast, all you need is veggies and eggs. For lunch and dinner, you need proteins and carbs. Also, add spices that you love to enjoy to meals.

#3. Batch cooking the same meal for the whole week

One misconception about meal prepping is that you should eat the same meal daily. For most people, eating the same thing for lunch and dinner is boring enough, let alone eating one meal every day. By the third day, it gets boring even for a seasonal meal prep guru.

Solution: Have a healthy menu with a variety of food

To meal prep for success, you also need to enjoy the food you’re eating. So, you need to devise a healthy menu for the week that you will love to avoid repetition. Batch-cook various meals and put half of the portion in the freezer for the next week. Instead of cooking just one protein source, have two or three options and mix up the carb sources.

If you still prefer to cook a lot of food at once, save a portion or two and freeze the rest for the coming week instead of trying to eat the same meal the same week. You can also batch-prepare ingredients that can match several meals, such as vegetable mix, which would work with different protein sources.

Also Read: What Are The Top 10 Best Foods For Weight Loss?

#4. Prepping too much food

Don’t get overexcited on this new meal-prepping journey, and be tempted to cook too much food at the start. By the time you eat the same food three times, it becomes less appealing. Furthermore, prepping too much food is a recipe for food wastage. Food wastage is responsible for filling up most landfills, which emit greenhouse gases that are not good for the environment.

Solution: start small and plan meals carefully

Start small by making one or two meal options that can last three days before trying to make a whole week of the same meal. Some people don’t like the taste of food by day four of storage, so you may need to cook a little at a time. Furthermore, according to the Mayo Clinic, food should remain in the refrigerator for up to three or four days. It may start going bad after that and can cause food poisoning.

To avoid this, cook twice or thrice a week instead of cooking a whole week of meals in one day. Alternatively, freeze meals that would last more than three days to prevent food poisoning.

#5. Choosing one protein source

Another way to get bored with meal prepping is to eat the same protein for a week. Most beginners fill up the containers with chicken breasts for the whole week. With time, it does get boring.

Solution: Cook a variety of protein

Try two or three protein sources, whether baked, grilled, or steamed, to make a variety of meal options. For example, prepare grilled meat or fish fillet alongside chicken thighs to have three options for the week. You can also experiment with liver or use plant-based sources such as lentils and beans.

#6. Not customizing your meals

Just because your favorite Instagram influencer is meal prepping with salmon and tuna does not mean you must do the same. Most people try to copy what they find online instead of considering the readily available foods.

Solution: Customize your menu

Instead of following a predesigned meal plan, you can customize your menu with seasonal foods readily available in your country. You also need to consider your dietary requirements and personal preferences. If you don’t like eating salads every day, then don’t because you will get bored quickly.

Consult with your family and decide on the best foods that work for you and everyone, then come up with a realistic plan to meal prep for success. The best way to do it is to look at the food sources in each food group, carbs, proteins, fats and what is available and accessible for you and customize your meal plan.

Also, don’t forget to prep snacks, as they can help control hunger before the next meal. Consider stocking healthy treats such as Greek yogurt, vegetable cuts, dried fruits, and nuts that are easy to grab on the go and carry with you.

Also Read: Are Nuts Good for Weight Loss? Top 5 Health Benefits Of Nuts

#7. Meal prepping soggy foods

Some foods, such as baked potatoes and salad greens, lose their texture when stored in the fridge or freezer. Foods such as avocado turn brown when stored and will not be appealing when it is time to eat. Choosing the wrong foods to meal prep is a sure way to make you look for alternative food instead of eating what you packed.

Solution: Choose the right foods

Choose foods that retain moisture level and texture, such as chicken or beef, as they are easy to reheat. Also, choose vegetables that don’t lose their crunchiness or taste, such as broccoli and cucumbers.

#8. Cooking with too much oil

Some foods, such as chicken and fish, need just a little oil because they have natural fats. Cooking them with too much oil makes them too oily for your liking. Once you store them in the fridge, the oils harden, and they look less appetizing.

Solution: Limit oil usage

For foods with natural fats, like meat and chicken, use cooking methods such as baking, grilling, or air frying. Also, use minimal oil for your veggies to remain fresh and crispy. You can also place fried foods on a paper towel to remove excess oil before transferring them to containers.

#9. Forgetting to season the food

Changing your healthy eating habits doesn’t come easily, especially with appetizing food adverts online and offline. One way that food gets boring is when you eat it bland. The truth is healthy foods can also taste good.

Solution: use seasoning to boost flavor and palatability

Add your favorite seasoning, like salt and pepper, to make the meal prep food tasty and reduce the temptation to order fast foods. You can also make healthy dressing with olive oil and lemon to spice up your meals and add new flavor after staying for a few days in the fridge.

#10. Dreading meal prepping

Meal prepping is not a death sentence but a way of life. Eating healthy meals should not feel forced; otherwise, it becomes just like any other diet that is not sustainable. Don’t approach it as a punishment you have to do to lose weight.

Solution: Make it fun

Enjoy the food shopping and preparation experience and get an accountability partner. Every time you get your portioned food from the fridge, it shouldn’t be a cringe moment but a smiling moment. Meal prep with positivity and make it your way of life. After all, eating healthy home-cooked meals saves you time and money.

What are the 3 Keys to Successful Meal Prepping?

Meal prepping is a way of life, and you can be successful if you follow these three keys to meal prep.

1. Make a healthy menu

The best way to approach meal prepping is to plan a balanced meal. You need to understand what makes a balanced meal and create a healthy menu for the whole week. There is a lot of information online on what comprises a healthy and balanced meal. The simple way to approach healthy eating is to ensure that you have protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats in all meals.

Some foods contain all the nutrients, but some may be lacking. Whole grains and root vegetables such as sweet potatoes are good sources of carbohydrates, while meat and fish are good sources of protein. Foods such as full-fat dairy products and avocados are sources of healthy fats.

Also Read: 12 Healthy Foods You Should Always Have in Your Kitchen

2. Stock your pantry with foods from all the groups

Once you develop a healthy menu, it will guide you to create a shopping list for everything you need to cook the meals. List everything you need to make your meals, including spices. Grocery shopping saves you time and money because you don’t have to run to the shop every time you want to cook. Furthermore, stocking healthy foods in your pantry makes it easy to choose healthy foods over convenient foods.

You can create a grocery shopping list of everything you need on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on their shelf life. Then keep the list on your phone or print t to make it easy to keep a ruining grocery list and make the meal prepping process seamless.

3. Block time to meal prep

Cooking meals at home can be daunting if you have a busy schedule. To make meal prepping work, you need to set time aside for grocery shopping and cooking the food. Block out the time on your calendar and make it just as important as other appointments, such as work.

Also Read: How to Hack Your Brain to Make Healthy Habits Stick: 10 Healthy Habits for A Better You

FAQs

• What not to do when meal prepping?

Some mistakes to avoid when meal prepping include batch cooking too much food, cooking the same food for the whole week, forgetting to season, and using low-quality containers.

• What to avoid when preparing food?

Some mistakes to avoid when preparing food are cross-contamination of raw and cooked foods, leaving foods at room temperature for too long, and not cooking food thoroughly.

• What is the disadvantage of meal prepping?

Some people find meal prepping to take more time since you need to cook a lot of food at once. You also need extra space and storage to cook and store the foods. However, you can start small and cook every three days instead of once a week, as it requires less time and storage space.

• How long will meal prep last in the fridge?

Prepared foods can be stored in the fridge for about three days. Food safety may also depend on the ingredients and method of preparation. It is advisable to store extra food in the freezer to increase the shelf life.

Final thoughts

Meal prepping is a great way to save time and ensure that you eat nutritious home-cooked meals to help you attain your fitness goals. To succeed at meal prepping, you need to bathe, cook enough food, choose a variety, adopt proper storage, and choose high-quality containers. Meal prepping is not a death sentence. The goal is to enjoy meal prepping and not dread it. Commit to try meal prepping for a month, and in a short time, you’ll get the hang of it. To help you get started with meal prepping, read the other articles on meal prepping. You got this.

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