Meal prepping has become an increasingly popular strategy for weight loss and health promotion. The basic premise of meal prepping is planning out your meals and preparing them ahead of time so that you have healthy, portion-controlled meals ready to go when you need them. This approach takes the guesswork out of trying to figure out what to eat each day and can make it much easier to stick to a healthy eating plan. But can meal prepping really help you lose weight?
How does meal prepping promote weight loss?
There are a few key ways that meal prepping can help facilitate weight loss:
- Portion control – When you meal prep, you determine appropriate portion sizes for your meals ahead of time rather than relying on estimation or guesstimation in the moment. This makes it easier to limit overeating.
- Food quality – Meal prepping allows you to carefully select healthy, nutritious foods to incorporate into your meals, such as lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
- Calorie tracking – If you’re counting calories for weight loss, meal prepping makes it easy to calculate the calories for each meal and stay within your daily calorie goals.
- Convenience – Having prepared meals on hand makes you less likely to reach for unhealthy convenience foods or takeout when you’re busy or don’t feel like cooking.
- Planning – Meal prepping allows you to thoughtfully plan when and what you’re going to eat, which promotes healthy decision making and prevents mindless overeating.
By controlling portions, choosing healthier foods, tracking calories, avoiding impulse eating, and planning meals, meal prepping creates structure and accountability that facilitate weight loss.
Tips for meal prepping for weight loss
Here are some tips to maximize the effectiveness of meal prepping for weight loss:
- Cook in bulk – Prepare larger batches of food that you can portion out into individual meals to save time.
- Prioritize protein – Include lean protein sources like chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt and beans in each meal to help you feel full.
- Load up on veggies – Vegetables are low in calories and high in important nutrients, so bulk up your meals with lots of veggies.
- Practice portion control – Use measuring cups and food scales to accurately portion out meals to stay within your calorie goals.
- Plan snacks – Don’t forget to prep healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, nuts and yogurt to help manage hunger between meals.
- Prep for the week – Plan out 7 days’ worth of meals and prep as much in advance as possible to set yourself up for success.
- Get creative – Find healthy recipes that incorporate nutrient-dense ingredients and suite your taste preferences so your meal prepped food is enjoyable.
- Stay flexible – Have a few extra servings on hand that can be incorporated into multiple recipes, like cooked chicken breast, roasted veggies, grains like quinoa or rice, etc.
Meal prepping tips for beginners
If you’re new to meal prepping, start off with the basics. Here are some simple meal prepping tips for beginners:
- Start small – Don’t try to prep a month’s worth of food your first time. Aim for 2-3 recipes that make 4-6 servings each.
- Focus on recipes you know and like – Now is not the time to experiment with complicated new recipes. Stick to tried and true dishes you enjoy eating.
- Use leftover ingredients – Cook extra chicken, grains or veggies that can then easily be assembled into another meal later in the week.
- Don’t overcomplicate – Keep your first meal prep day simple. A protein, veggie and starch like rice or quinoa is a straight-forward place to start.
- Make double duty meals – Roast a whole chicken and use it for chicken sandwiches one night then shred the rest for quesadillas or tacos later in the week.
- Prep ingredients ahead of time – Chop veggies and measure out ingredients the night before to make cooking go faster.
- Use meal prep containers – Invest in a set of food storage containers to simplify the process of portioning out individual meals.
- Plan ahead – Make a meal plan before you start prepping so you know exactly what you need to prep each day.
The key is starting simple, prepping just a few straightforward meals, and then gradually increasing your capacity from there. Meal prepping does take practice so be patient with yourself when starting out!
Sample meal prep schedule for weight loss
Here is an example of what a weekly meal prep schedule may look like if your goal is weight loss:
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 2 hard boiled eggs + 1/2 cup oatmeal + 1/2 cup berries | Tuna salad lettuce wraps + 1 cup vegetable soup | 4 oz chicken + 1 cup roasted broccoli + 1/2 cup brown rice |
| Tuesday | Protein smoothie (made with Greek yogurt, spinach, banana, peanut butter, milk) | Leftover chicken and rice | Veggie and bean tacos (with lettuce “shells”) |
| Wednesday | Scrambled eggs with vegetables + whole grain toast | Leftover veggie and bean tacos | 4 oz salmon + 1 cup zucchini noodles + 1/2 cup quinoa |
| Thursday | 1/2 cup cottage cheese + 1/2 cup berries + handful of almonds | Chicken caesar salad | Veggie and chickpea curry over cauliflower rice |
| Friday | Peanut butter banana oatmeal | Cobb salad | Ground turkey veggie skillet + 1/2 cup brown rice |
This provides a mix of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats to support weight loss. Repeat favorite meals, use leftovers and incorporate simple pre-prepped ingredients to streamline the process.
Meal prep recipes for weight loss
Here are some delicious, nutritious meal prep recipes that can help promote weight loss:
Breakfast
- Egg muffin cups with vegetables like spinach, bell pepper and onions
- Overnight oats with chia seeds and berries
- Burrito bowls with scrambled eggs, black beans, salsa and avocado
- Yogurt parfaits layered with Greek yogurt, granola and fresh fruit
- Chia pudding made with chia seeds, almond milk and cinnamon
Lunch
- Mason jar grain bowls with quinoa or brown rice, veggies and protein
- Zucchini noodle pasta tossed with chicken, pesto and cherry tomatoes
- Curried chickpea salad wraps in romaine lettuce leaves
- Buddha bowls with roasted veggies, chickpeas and hummus dressing
- Tuna salad stuffed in bell peppers
Dinner
- Sheet pan fajitas with chicken or fish, peppers, onions and cauliflower rice
- Chicken enchilada stuffed spaghetti squash
- Lemon garlic salmon with asparagus and wild rice
- Zoodles in tomato sauce with turkey meatballs
- Cauliflower fried rice with eggs, peas, carrots and soy sauce
Get creative and tailor recipes to your personal preferences! There are so many options for healthy, delicious meal prep recipes to support your weight loss goals.
Meal prep grocery list
Stock up on staple ingredients that can be easily incorporated into a variety of healthy meals. Here’s an example grocery list for meal prepping for weight loss:
Proteins
- Skinless chicken breasts
- Lean ground turkey or beef
- Eggs and egg whites
- Shrimp
- Salmon fillets
- Canned tuna or salmon
- Boneless pork chops
- Beans (black, kidney, garbanzo, etc)
- Tofu
- Greek yogurt
Vegetables
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Onions
- Garlic
- Leafy greens like spinach and kale
- Asparagus
- Zucchini
- Brussel sprouts
Whole grains
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Oats
- Whole wheat pasta
Fruits
- Apples
- Bananas
- Berries
- Grapefruit
Other
- Olive oil
- Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, chia seeds
- Seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper
Pair these staple ingredients together to assemble quick and easy meals for your week of meal prepping. Swap out certain proteins, veggies or grains depending on your preferences each week.
Benefits of meal prepping for weight loss
In addition to the weight loss benefits discussed earlier, meal prepping offers a number of other benefits including:
- More nutritious diet – Meal prepping allows you to have healthier foods at your fingertips.
- Saves time – Reduce time spent cooking and cleaning up after meals each night.
- Money saver – Meal prep once and eat multiple times to get more value from grocery ingredients.
- Reduce food waste – Use ingredients while they are still fresh and don’t end up getting forgotten in the fridge.
- Portable – Prepped meals and snacks can be easily carried to work or school.
- Variety – Prepping several recipes makes it easy to get a variety and not get bored.
- Stress management – Know what you are eating each day without the daily decision fatigue.
Many people find meal prepping makes sticking to a healthy eating plan and reaching weight loss goals much more attainable!
Potential downsides of meal prepping
While meal prepping has many benefits, there are some potential downsides to consider as well:
- Requires time and planning – You need one or two hours per week to do all the necessary chopping and cooking.
- Can get boring – Eating the same meals over and over leads to flavor fatigue for some people.
- Food safety – Properly storing prepped meals is crucial to avoid spoilage and food poisoning.
- Not for free-flowing diets – Prepping makes it harder to listen to hunger and fullness cues and eat spontaneously.
- Upfront cost – Purchasing ingredients in bulk and all the prep containers can be expensive initially.
To make meal prepping work long-term, have a plan to add variety, incorporate flexibility, and rotate new recipes in each week. Proper storage and food handling is also key to keep your prep safe.
Meal prep storage tips
To maximize freshness and safely store meal prep, follow these tips:
- Use shallow containers or divide food into smaller portions so it cools quickly.
- Let food cool completely before sealing and storing.
- Containers should seal tightly and be nonporous like glass or BPA-free plastic.
- Label containers with name and date.
- Store in coldest part of refrigerator, usually bottom shelf.
- Freeze meals if not eating within 3-4 days.
- Thaw frozen meals in fridge overnight before reheating.
- Consume refrigerated prepped meals within 4 days, frozen meals within 3 months.
Following proper food safety guidelines prevents the growth of bacteria and keeps your meal prep from spoiling before you’re able to eat it.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, meal prepping can be an incredibly useful tool to promote weight loss through planned, portion-controlled meals. To make meal prepping work for your weight loss journey:
- Prep nutritious foods like lean proteins, whole grains and ample vegetables.
- Control portions and aim to be in a calorie deficit.
- Find a meal planning approach that fits your needs and preferences.
- Make preparation and storage of food safe.
- Add variety from week to week to promote sustainability.
While it requires effort upfront, meal prepping sets you up for weight loss success by making healthy eating straightforward and accessible. Approach meal prepping consistently but allow flexibility in your plan as needed. Pay attention to how your body responds as you determine if this strategy facilitates your weight loss goals and lifestyle.