Keeping Up with Meal Prep

Meal prep can get boring, like really boring, especially if you don't like eating the same stuff over and over again. This steers many people away from the practice. I like my habits and routines (having the meals prepped), but I am still one of those people that likes new things. To that end, I have tried to incorporate novelty into meal prep. Here are a few ways I do this:

1. I utilize the freezer. When I make a big batch of beans, or soup, or some other meal that keeps for my work lunches, I often freeze half. The next week, I make another meal and freeze half of that one. The third week, I thaw and eat the first prep, and the fourth week, I thaw and eat the second one again. This at least alternates my meals, rather than leaving me with weeks of the same old, same old.

2. I have a meal prep template and fit things in. I eat overnight oatmeal most mornings for breakfast, but I change up the toppings to keep life interesting. I make granola for my husband's breakfasts (and my snacks) every week, but have taken to making a different recipe every week. It takes a little extra planning, but it's worth it for variety. We almost always do Taco Tuesday, but regular tacos are boring to me. Enter The Taco Tuesday Cookbook, and we got a different taco recipe for every week of the year! 

3. I keep a variety of sauces on hand. We keep several mustards, ranch, salsa, sriracha, and other condiments handy. A little dressing can go a long way in changing up a meal prep to make it more interesting.

4. I make some single-serving recipes. I've been into mug cakes this year. Again, it's a little extra work, but provides variety to my otherwise mostly the same snacks. Having a new dessert to dig into at the end of the night makes me feel more satisfied, especially if I was not excited about food the rest of the day.

5. I cook from scratch on the weekends. We try to take a break from meal prep on the weekend and eat as many meals as we can fresh. Fresh versus reheated food can taste quite different, so this increases our appreciation for both versions of a food. Cooking fresh on the weekend can also yield leftovers that transfer into meal prep. (I have taken to making our tacos this way. We eat them fresh on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday and then reheated on Taco Tuesday.)

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I don't think meal prep has to work for everybody, but I think it can work for anybody who wants to do it. I hope that sharing these tips about how we keep things interesting are helpful to anyway who wants to try meal prep.