Meal Prep
A person who cooks for an entire house would assume that cooking for one should be easy. But those who are actually on this boat know how challenging it can be to meal prep for one! From buying groceries to preparing meals in advance, nothing is easy about meal preparation for a single person.
People who live alone constantly struggle with scaling down recipes and finding the right serving size for each meal. It can be daunting and sometimes downright scary, making them give up on easy meal prep ideas! If you have been struggling with budget-friendly meal prep for a single serving, let us guide you through the process. With these tips, you can make it easier to find the right portion size for meal storage!
Tips for Easy Meal Prep Plan for One
Here are some tips to help you with budget-friendly meal prep for one so that you can enjoy your days without worrying about spending too much on take-out:
Tip 1: Maintain a Budget-Friendly Pantry
Before you begin with an easy meal prep plan, you need to check everything that’s already available in your pantry and when you will use it. You can take an inventory of food products stored in the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. You can also note down the specific foods you like or wish to buy for your next meal prep. It helps you save money on products that you do not use. It can also reduce waste and prevent you from buying unnecessary things that you do not eat.
After having a list ready, you need to stock the pantry to start your meal prep for one. To have healthier options available, make sure you restock different food groups, like whole grains, canned goods, legumes, baking products, cereal, etc. Multiple food group items can help you create a versatile menu that won’t bore you right after your third meal!
Tip 2: Organize Your Meals & Kitchen Products
If your current meal prep plan is not working, one of the main reasons could be the disorganized space and mismatched containers stored in different kitchen cupboards. Successful budget-friendly meal prep will only be possible when you have the right things at the right place. But the good news is, there is no specific right or wrong way to store your meals or kitchen products!
You get to decide the best way to buy groceries, store your meals, and organize your kitchen products for effortless meal preparation. Having your own method of storing things can help you find the products or tools in time during your daily or weekly meal preparation. Once you have everything organized, you can start with easy meal prep for a single person and use food storage containers to keep the meals inside a refrigerator or freezer.
Tip 3: Don’t Get Overwhelmed!
Meal prep for one can get overwhelming if you have never done it before, so the first thing to do is take a deep breath and relax. And the next thing is to start small! The reason you want to develop a meal prep plan is to make your life easier. It’s no different than any other positive change you wish for, so don’t let yourself get carried away by worrying too much.
Slowly build your confidence in meal preparation by incorporating meal planning into your daily life. Start by planning a few meals for a week. Think of basic dishes or snacks with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and high-quality proteins to prepare meal plans. See what fits your lifestyle and taste. Eventually, you’ll be able to plan strategies for easy meal prep that would last for weeks or months.
Tip 4: Store Favorite Recipes in One Place
You are a busy person who already has too much on their plate; why add remembering recipes to it? An intelligent way to meal prep for one is to have a designated space to store the recipes you like or want to try. If you do not have a designated space for recipes, you’ll probably be remembering them. And if you forget an ingredient during your weekly meal preparation, let’s just say your waste bucket will be overflowing!
You can avoid this unfortunate situation by having recipes stored digitally on a tablet, computer, or cell phone. If you like to keep written notes, you can also store them in a physical location. With all the recipes in one place, budget-friendly meal prep will be stress-free.
Tip 5: Cook Your Meals in Batches
Batch cooking can help keep your meals interesting and different. You can prepare large quantities of a particular food that you like and use them in various ways throughout the week. It can save time and make meal prep for one easier to plan. Try making different things in a batch, like rice, quinoa, and salads. You can prepare a variety of salads, such as chickpea, chicken, or tuna.
You can also store a large portion of roasted vegetables, meat, or tofu in different containers to utilize during the week with other foods. It depends on what you like, and you are okay eating more than twice a week! The benefit is you get to stretch the food budget and enjoy yummy food without getting bored.
Conclusion
Easy meal prep planning can be a great money- and time-saver if you do not want to eat readymade meals anymore! Besides being a simpler alternative to unhealthy things that you may be consuming right now, scheduled meal prep can help you maintain a budget, a good diet, and a healthier lifestyle. You won’t have to worry about getting sick or catching a stomach bug after eating at a nearby restaurant.
If you are new to this, it may seem overwhelming at first. However, remember that the benefits are far better than the fear that’s holding you back! You can follow the tips that we have shared to make it easier to prepare meal plans. Start small with a few meals and get into a meal preparation process that can profit you in moreways than you can think!