Conquer your busy days: Meal prep hacks you need to try

Juggling multiple tasks has become the norm as most of us lead busy lives today. But, in the rush to complete everything on time, we forget to take care of our most basic need — food. 

While we certainly can’t advocate that you cease fulfilling your obligations, we can, however, present expert-suggested solutions to make your lives a little easier. Planning and prepping your meals in advance not just helps you take care of your daily dietary needs, it helps control serving sizes, clinical dietician and nutritionist Gurkirat Kaur explains.

Kaur shares a few strategies with indianexpress.com that might come in handy, along with some delicious recipes that will stay fresh for longer:

Meal Prep: How to 

Creating balanced and nutritious meal prep plans for busy individuals involves a few key strategies, according to Kaur:

Plan ahead: Set aside time each week to plan your meals. Choose recipes that are quick to prepare and can be made in bulk.

Include variety: Incorporate a variety of foods from different food groups to ensure you’re getting a wide range of nutrients.

Focus on whole foods: Choose whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats as the foundation of your meals. Whole foods keep you full-filling for a longer period.

Prep ingredients in advance: Chop vegetables, cook grains, and prepare proteins in advance to streamline the cooking process during the week.

Pack meals in advance: Portion out your meals into containers and pack them in advance so they’re ready to grab and go during busy days.

Don’t forget snacks: Plan for nutritious snacks to keep you fueled throughout the day, such as nuts, fruits, yogurt, or roasted snacks.

When it comes to meal prepping, it’s great to focus on convenient foods that have a good shelf life and offer high nutritional value, according to clinical dietician Gurkirat Kaur (Source: Freepik)

Specific foods or ingredients that are particularly beneficial for meal prepping 

When it comes to meal prepping, Kaur indicates, it’s great to focus on convenient foods that have a good shelf life and offer high nutritional value. She recommends individuals to include the following in their diets:

Grains: Oats, quinoa, broken wheat, rice, and whole wheat pasta are versatile options with a good shelf life and provide complex carbohydrates and fibre.

Proteins: Lean meats like chicken breast, turkey, and fish can be cooked in bulk and portioned out for meals. Beans, lentils, and tofu are also excellent plant-based protein sources with a long shelf life.

Vegetables: Frozen vegetables are convenient and retain their nutrients well. Fresh vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, and broccoli also last relatively long in the fridge and offer essential vitamins and minerals.

Fruits: Apples, oranges, and bananas are durable fruits that can be stored at room temperature for a while. 

Nuts and seeds: These are great for adding crunch and healthy fats to meals.

Dairy and alternatives: Greek plain yogurt, curd, cottage cheese, and unprocessed cheese slices are convenient sources of protein and calcium. Plant-based milk alternatives like almond milk or oat milk often have a longer shelf life than dairy milk.

Herbs and spices: These add flavor without extra calories. Dried herbs and spices (like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, etc) have a long shelf life and can elevate the taste of meals.

Meal prep recipes to try

Kaur prescribes an oatmeal breakfast recipe along with a snacky chaat recipe for beginners who want to start prepping their meals in advance: 

Oatmeal breakfast jars: 

Ingredients: Rolled oats, milk or almond milk, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, honey, fresh fruit (such as berries or sliced bananas), nuts (such as almonds or walnuts).

Instructions: In individual jars, layer rolled oats, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, and chopped fruit. Drizzle with honey. Top with nuts. Seal jars and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy it cold, or heat in the microwave before serving. It stays fresh if refrigerated for up to 2-3 days.

Sprouts chaat 

Ingredients: Green gram dal/ black gram/ moth dal sprouts, tomatoes, onion, boiled potatoes, cucumber, lemon juice, black pepper powder, pink salt, chaat masala

Instructions: In the cooker boil the sprouts until it becomes soft. Take a bowl and add chopped vegetables, spices and sprouts. Mix them well and serve. You can store sprouts for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. 

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