Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Kickstart your reset this Easter with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ targeted solutions! SHOP HERE!
If you’re a busy mum (check) with a to-do list as long as your arm (check) who wants to eat well but hasn’t got hours to spend in the kitchen (check check), this meal prep guide is for you.
We do talk an awful lot about meal prep ideas and tips here at the Healthy Mummy and on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, but we understand that some of you have never attempted it before.
So you may be feeling a little overwhelmed with how it all works.
Key takeaways:
All aboard!
Jump ahead to find out more:
If you think of the time you spend in the kitchen each day or night preparing meals, it quickly adds up by the end of the week. And if there’s one thing that us busy mamas don’t have enough of – it’s TIME.
This is where meal prep comes in. By spending some time once or twice per week (or whatever works for you and your family) chopping, cooking, and packaging up your meals and snacks, you can slice a TON of hours off your weekly meal prep and cooking schedule.
But you don’t have to feel overwhelmed. Meal prep can be made up of simple tasks like chopping ingredients and storing them in airtight containers, making a batch of healthy meal prep recipes from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, or cooking a double batch of your favourite healthy meals ahead, so you can freeze some for another day.
Oh, so many…
You don’t need a lot of kitchen equipment, but these are the basics to make it a little easier.
Food processor, blender, kettle, sharp knives, chopping boards, pots and pans, slow cooker (optional, but we love it), and meal prep containers for the finished product.
And, of course, don’t forget the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge app!
Don’t go too hard too soon! To start with, why not just prepare two 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge dinners (doubling the recipe to make 4 family meals) and two double batches of snacks?
For instance, you could make a double batch of Slow Cooker Asian Chicken and then a double batch of Mexican Lasagne.
Then once they’re cooking, you could make a double batch of the Raspberry Muffins, and a double batch of the Weetbix Slice. That would make FOUR whole family meals and THIRTY SIX serves of some healthy snacks!
Getting started with meal prep doesn’t have to be this huge thing where you spend every weekend planning and doing your weekly meal prep. Depending on your freezer space and the size of your family, you can do weekly meal prep or just pre-prep the meals for the days you’re all trying to eat healthier. Whatever you decide, getting started with meal prepping begins by taking the first step.
You can choose to cook a dinner meal prep recipe (a great start!) or add in lunch meal prep ideas too (why not just use dinner leftovers for lunch?), you might want to meal prep some snacks too.
Jump on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge app and type in an ingredient you want to use (e.g. mince), and see what healthy meal prep recipe pops up that you like the look of. You can customise your meal plan and then hit the ‘shopping list’ button.
Make a shopping list (or use the one on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge) and go shopping. Check the cupboards to see if you have basics like oil, flour, pepper etc.
Many mums find it useful to use online shopping so that they can see what their total spend will be and make changes if needed to fit within their budget.
Lots of our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge members swear by the Sunday afternoon cook-up, but do whatever works for you. Many mums do meal prep twice a week.
The food processor can be helpful here to chop onions, carrots, cabbage, etc. Why not try using the oven, stovetop and a slow cooker all at once so that you can prepare multiple meal prep meals?
Get your apron on, throw on some tunes, and get into your meal-prepping session.
It’s normally best to get anything cooking first that will take a little longer, then work back from there.
Think ahead of time about what you can make while another meal is baking in the oven, for instance.
You might choose to package your meals into single-serve portions or into family-sized portions, depending on your needs.
Allow the food to cool completely in the fridge overnight, then place it in the freezer the next day. This avoids freezer burn. Label everything so that you can see at a glance what you have in the freezer.
That’s OK! Not everyone has a big freezer or lots of meal prep containers. Here’s what you can do:
Choosing the right meal prep containers is very much a personal choice.
But the main options for freezing meals are the cheap and cheerful takeaway-style containers from the supermarket (around $3 for 10), which are often single-use;
Or the more expensive but better quality plastic tubs such as Décor, Tupperware, Ikea or Sistema.
You can also use ziplock bags for things like bliss balls or muffins, as they take up less room.
Here are some of the favourite healthy meal prep recipes of the Challenge members that love meal prep. All of these healthy meal prep ideas and recipes are available to members of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge. If you’re looking for inspiration and for thousands of meal prep ideas for weight loss you can find plenty on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge and Healthy Mummy website.
Here are some of our favourite meal prep ideas for the meat-eaters who are looking to eat healthier:
If seafood is more your style, check out these healthy meal prep recipes perfect for the whole family:
We also have a great range of healthy recipes perfect for the next weekly meal prep that are perfect for vegetarians:
As busy mums it can be so hard to find delicious, healthy recipes that the whole family loves which is why The Healthy Mummy has thousands of family-friendly heathy recipes ready for you to meal prep:
When looking for meal prep ideas for weight loss, one of the most important meals to include in any meal prep is snacks because we all know how easy it is to grab a less-than-healthy snack. Here are our favourite snack recipes ready for your weekly meal prep:
Sascha Farley (right) lost an incredible 34kg following the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
Sascha says, “Knowing I am making the right choices, especially when it comes to ‘treats’ has been the biggest learning for me. I’ve always got 2-3 healthy treats ready for my sweet tooth hits. With education comes freedom, and The Healthy Mummy program has given me that.”
Kaitie Purssell (left) lost 21kg with the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge and credits her weight loss to her newfound love of healthy food.
Kaitie says, “Being prepared and getting organised doesn’t only save time and money, it also makes your life so much easier. The Healthy Mummy lifestyle was made for busy mums like myself.”
Rhian Allen (centre) is the founder of the Healthy Mummy. As a busy mum of 2, she knows that a meal prep routine is a great way to help those who are struggling to eat well.
Rhian says, “Meal prep gives you peace of mind, knowing that at the end of a hectic day, you’ve got a healthy meal ready to go at home.”
Now you can easily meal plan with our personalised plans & over 6,000 family & budget friendly recipes catering to a wide range of dietary requirements.
The Healthy Mummy is a holistic program to nourish your body with nutritious food and help you stay active in your busy, everyday life. Yours and your families well being should be a priority so let us take the hassle out of it.
Unlock the key to sustainable life changes that will leave you feeling your absolute best.