10 healthy meal prep tips to help you eat clean all week

In your dream world you would cook all your own meals. You would never pick up jelly doughnuts on the way to work, eat that overpriced lunch salad that doesn't even taste good or order pizza because you're too stressed to even think about dinner.

It's time to turn dream into reality. And all you need are two powerful, life-changing little words: meal prep. Essentially, healthy meal prep is the practice of spending a few hours each week making huge batches of whole grains, proteins, vegetables and snacks, ensuring that you're prepared to fight fast-food temptation with tasty, clean, home-cooked meals all week long.

You've probably seen it all over Instagram, and you definitely want to try it. But while prepping a big batch of food on Sundays to eat through the week seems simple, you may soon find it's easier in theory than in practice. To keep yourself on track, follow these clean eating meal prep tips from the pros.

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Keep it simple

The biggest mental hurdle of meal prep: what to actually make. Clean eating meal prep is already complex enough, so there's no need to complicate matters with culinary wizardry, says Sean Peters, the meal-prep master behind the blog . Using recipes that require a trip to a separate grocery store or time poring over a cookbook will only make you less likely to stick with your meal-prep plan. Instead, opt for the simplest of dishes.

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Start with what you hate

Always pick up breakfast on the way to work? Never have enough energy to make dinner after a long day? Your problem meal should be the one you always prep, according to Tammy Kresge of . Dedicating your prep time to the meal you're least likely to cook during the week will actually make a dent in your expensive, unhealthy takeout consumption.

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Jonathan Boulton

Do whatever you can

Just because you don't have to time to prep every meal each day of the week doesn't mean you should throw your hands up and skip meal prep altogether. When time is limited, Kresge recommends putting together a few .

"Even the littlest bit of prep is going to make a big difference in how you eat for the week," she says. "If you only have time to prep lunch and snacks, that's fine."

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Divide and conquer

Many meal-prep pros do all their work on one day of the week, usually prepping on Sundays. But there's no law mandating that you need to do this, too, Peters says. "If you're getting into meal prep, you can become overwhelmed with trying to prep a big batch of meals in one session, so consider breaking it into two sessions," he says.

For example, cook brown rice and chicken on Saturday afternoon, then tackle roasted veggies or salad on Sunday. The most important thing is to find a schedule you'll actually stick to even if it means prepping more than one day per week.

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MITCH MANDEL

Prep pasta smartly

While some people who are on keto and other low-carb diets may avoid pasta, noodles can definitely have a place in your meal prep plan, as demonstrated by nutritionist and on Instagram. Pasta on its own can spike your blood sugar, but paired with nutritious vegetables and lean protein, you'll be full and energized after every meal. Opt for whole grain pasta when you can, and keep your sauce or dressing separate so things don't get soggy.

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Master multitasking

If you're new to clean eating meal prep, your instinct may be to work on one recipe at a time: baked potatoes, then quinoa, then salmon, then snacks. While that's very logical and organized, it's also very time consuming. Instead, try to use multiple parts of your kitchen at once.

"I almost always have something baking in the oven, something cooking on the stove, something in the slow cooker, and I'm working on something at the counter all at the same time," says Lindsay Livingston, RD, author of the blog .

"This allows you to get more done in a shorter period of time."

Mike Garten

Keep yourself interested

The biggest downside of healthy meal prep, of course, is eating the exact same meal multiple days in a row. But there are ways to make sure you don't get bummed out by meal boredom, says Peters. Set aside one day in the middle of the week to cook something different than your prepped meals or consider earmarking one night per week as the day you eat out. Another trick: Roast five different types of chopped vegetables during your meal prep session and eat a different one each day of the week.

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Food: Woman looking at Grocery bags in the kitchen

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Line your containers with paper towels

Anyone who's ever tried to store meals in the fridge for several days knows that it can be hard to keep food fresh. "Lining your food-storage containers with paper towel helps absorb moisture and keep your food fresher for longer," Kimberly Gomer, RD, LDN, the Director of Nutrition at Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa, said . "There's nothing worse than putting in all of that legwork by washing and chopping your fruits and veggies, only to have them spoil prematurely."

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Keep your pantry stocked

One of the simplest things you can do to make meal prep way less of a burden on yourself is to ensure you always have the basics on hand, Jessica Fishman Levinson, RDN, and healthy living blogger, said . "Fresh produce and protein are important, but non-perishables can also fill out weeknight meals and save serious time," she said. A big bag of rice, canned beans, pasta, soups, canned vegetables — these are all essentials that can save the day if you run out of meal prepped food or just need a quick weeknight meal.

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Ethan Calabrese

Pick your MVPs

After you have a few weeks of clean eating meal prep under your belt, identify a few dishes as your weekly staples, says Livingston. For her, it's Quinoa Breakfast Bars, Sweet Potato Bites, hard-boiled eggs and carrot sticks.

"Prepping staples that I've made 100 times makes my time in the kitchen less stressful," she says. Plus, once you've got some go-tos on lockdown, it'll be easier to branch out and add variety with new recipes.

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