Since moving away from my parents this semester, I realized for the first time how much of a responsibility it is to plan all of my own meals. Over winter break, I made a commitment to myself that the food I would be purchasing and preparing would be nutritious, budget-friendly, and convenient. What was my solution? I learned how to meal prep. First, I compiled healthy recipes from Pinterest and other sources that I knew I could make in my small kitchen. I made sure that each recipe would make three or four servings so that I only had to cook one or two nights each week. Next, I purchased a few essential pieces of cooking equipment including a small slow cooker and an electric skillet sense I knew I would not have a stove. Once I planned out the recipes I would use for the first month of school, I made a master grocery list that included pantry staples that I would need all semester. For example, I keep olive oil, canned tuna, coffee, tea, canned beans, nuts, and seeds on hand at all times. These steps set me up for a successful and organized start to my semester.
Once I was moved into my new place, I designated Monday as my grocery shopping and meal preparing night. When I go to the store each week, I shop the perimeter going from the dairy to the meats and then the produce. I stock up on meats that I can use or freeze such as chicken breast, ground turkey, and ground beef. Then, I come home and cook my recipe. Preparation time varies from recipe to recipe, but I have found that recipes I can just throw in the crock pot and walk away for a few hours are the best. For example, I have a recipe for buffalo chicken that I simply place the raw chicken in the slow cooker and let it cook for three hours. After the chicken is cooked, I flip the breast over and add buffalo sauce. After 30 more minutes, the chicken breasts are done and ready to be portioned into 3-4 meals for that week. (I have an entire cabinet full of glass containers for this purpose!) This buffalo chicken goes great in a wrap or on a salad. Most of the meals I prepare can easily be completed by a salad or other vegetable side dish and fruit. It is easy to balance and portion control meals when you know exactly what is in them and how much there is.
To further explain how “meal-prepping” can work for anyone, I did some research. In an article by Jon Verriet that studied “convenience and the hierarchy of meal preparation,” researchers concluded that convenience was important to those cooking in the home but frugality and nutrition were also top considerations. With my method of meal preparation, I believe that anyone from college students to busy single mothers to senior citizens can eat healthier, save time, and save money. Furthermore, a study by J. M. Brunstrom in the International Journal of Obesity called “Mind over platter: pre-meal planning and the control of meal size in humans” recognized that consciously planning and portioning meals ahead of time can prevent overriding the brain’s recognition of satiety. Compared to restaurants that serve huge portions of questionably nutritious ingredients, preparing meals ahead of time at home can make people realize when they have eaten enough. This can also save your food budget.
Brunstrom JM. Mind over platter: pre-meal planning and the control of meal size in humans. International Journal of Obesity. 2014; 38: S9-S12.
Verriet J. Convenience and the hierarchy of meal preparation. Cooking and domestic education in the Netherlands, 1910–1930. Appetite Journal. 2015; 10:1016.
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