Prep Meals for the Week or Month in Advance?
If you are new to meal planning and prepping, it would be a good idea to start by planning meals for one week instead of for a month which can be intimidating when you are a newbie. If you find the thought of preparing your meals for in a week advance intimidating, you could start by trying the process for a couple of days at first and then gradually increase the number of days up to seven.
The meal prepping process should remove the stress from your life and not leave you feeling more overwhelmed. Storage could be an issue if you do not have extra space available in your refrigerator, freezer or pantry.
It is best to proceed with smaller increments of time until you have got a good understanding of the shortcuts along with the process of planning your meals in advance. Preparing meals for seven days in advance can help you get motivated and organized for extending the meal prepping period.
Once you have a good understanding of preparing your meals for a week in advance you can progress onto prepping meals for a full month. You will be surprised at just how much money and time you will save by planning ahead while providing your family with delicious and healthy meals for a week.
Next, once you are ready to begin preparing your meals for a full month, you will be fully prepared mentally to understand what is required. You will have a good understanding of the time that is required and you will need to devote to it along with the number of products required for you to complete the process.
Proper planning and organizing is vital when prepping meals for a week or month. While the meal prepping process may seem like a formidable process it is very manageable once you fully understand the process. Make a decision regarding how and where you will be storing the meals you prepare in advance and ensure that you have a complete list of everything that will be required.
While you will not be able to buy the more perishable foods too far in advance, such as fresh vegetables and fruits, a short stop at your local store for these items is much better than spending hours of your precious time running up and down the grocery aisles during the week.
When you are prepping meals for a full month, you need to concentrate on meals that you are able to freeze or store for an extended period of time rather than foods that are perishable. Meals such as stews and soups are very easy to freeze and can be served along with fresh bread or other items you can pick up from your local store last minute.
This way you will have your main meal ready to serve and you will not be dependent on an expensive restaurant or drive thru to provide your meals. Your meals that have been prepped in advance do not even need to be fully cooked.
A good example of this would be chicken breasts which can be marinated in advance and then placed in the freezer until they are required. When required do not forget to take the chicken out of the freezer in advance to allow it to thaw before the cooking process.
Should you prepare meals for a week or a month in advance? This will depend on your needs and requirements. As an experiment prepare meals for a couple of days in advance and then progress to a week and then make a decision if prepping for a month at a time is the best fit for your needs.