Meal Prepping from Your Apartment

What’s meal prepping? It’s a technique for buying and preparing meals in bulk so you don’t have to work quite so hard at putting together natural, healthy dishes. Our life these days is pretty hectic, and for those of us who live in an apartment and don’t have much kitchen space – either to prep or to store – meal prepping is perfect. All you need are a refrigerator, larger quantities of the same foods you use now, and some plastic containers.

You’ll need five medium-to-large and five small food containers. (You know the type…Tupperware makes a bunch of ‘em.)

All stocked?

Alright, let’s get busy prepping!

Step 1

Make sure you buy food that you will prep in large quantities. This can include rice, couscous, quinoa, pasta, protein (hard boiled eggs or canned salmon might be a good idea), veggies (Brussels’ sprouts, broccoli florets, string beans, carrots, tomatoes, etc.) and fruit.

Also, purchase two large containers of Greek yogurt per prep week. Plain is fine. Optional: Larabar, Kind or other organic protein bar.

Step 2

Set up your counter work space. Even if you have a small kitchen, with barely enough room for you and your dog or cat to walk through side-by-side, a work space is doable.

How?

Clear off all vases, knickknacks and decorations. If you have to put a stove cover on the oven top to create work space, do so.

You’ll need enough room to place five small Tupperware containers in a row, or three in front and two in back. Remember that cutlery and prep utensils also will need to fit. Ready? Let’s move on to:

Step 3

Get two large pots going on the side of the stove where you can cook (if you’re covering one side with a stove top which doubles as extra counter).

Boil enough rice, couscous, pasta, etc. in one pot to make five servings, and, about 15 minutes later, get the eggs or veggies going in another. (You’ll need to boil the eggs and steam the veggies.)

Again, prepare enough for a work week. Set up your storage containers. When the food is cooked, add a heaping cupful of rice, couscous, pasta, etc. to each large or medium-sized container. Add steamed veggies. Season with spices like sea salt, curry or cayenne pepper and sprinkle basil and fresh lemon atop the portions.

Move these containers into the fridge.

Step 4

Set up five smaller containers for dessert. Place Greek yogurt in each container. Add a dollop of honey or sprinkle a bit of Stevia natural sweetener atop the yogurt. Add blueberries, sliced strawberries or bananas, and some sliced almonds, pecans or walnuts. If you have a natural protein health bar, crumble it atop the dessert. Cover and place in the fridge.

You’re good to go! Tomorrow morning, grab one of the main dish containers and one of the dessert containers. When you get home, wash the containers and store them for your next prep session. Ideally, you should be set until next weekend—weekends are always a good time to meal prep.

Tips: Wash the containers as soon as you get home. Leaving an unwashed container in your carryall will be an unwelcome surprise when you’re rushing to get ready in the a.m. The idea is to make this a smooth operation…and for that, a bit of discipline is in order!

Rotate your dishes. Next week, you might opt for a salad, with an apple cider vinegar and olive oil dressing atop your romaine lettuce, tomato and goat cheese salad. Improvise!

For dessert this week, how about sliced peaches with raspberry preserves, or diced apples with pineapple preserves? (Ask the supermarket clerk to show you where all the yummy preserves are, and go to town with your combinations!)

Use the healthy items you crave, and you’ll look forward to prepping AND to lunch time.

Remember, think positively!