Disclosure: This is a sponsored review, I received free product from SheSpeaks.
Looking to save time during the week? Have a prep day! Here are my tips for what to prep ahead of time and how to store it successfully!
The theme in our house lately is ORGANIZATION. We have caught the spring cleaning bug and the purging of crap is so refreshing. It also has moved into the kitchen. I’m all about meal planning, prepping and making life easier during the week. Being organized when it comes to cooking takes such a load off my shoulders. I’ve noticed weeks where I don’t meal plan or prep are absolute disasters when it comes to dinner.
When you think of a weekly prep DAY, I’m not talking about a whole 12 hours of sweating in the kitchen. I blast some music or a favorite podcast and get everything done in less than 3 hours. It’s not bad at all…mostly I can wrap it all up in about an hour!
So, what should you prep? It really depends on what you like to cook, but here are some suggestions:
- Easy and HEALTHY snack items to grab, especially on the go. Think: carrots, cucumbers, fruit, pepper slices, cheese bites.
- Sides for weekly dishes that might take longer: brown rice, roasted veggies, salads (without dressings)
- Recipe ingredients: diced onions and peppers, pantry salsa
- Brown meats: ground turkey for tacos, sausage for pasta sauce or pizza, bake or grill chicken
There are a gazillion ways to go about doing a prep day, but I have SIMPLE tips to get the ball rolling. Once you start doing it weekly, you’ll find your own groove.
Clean out the fridge and make that meal plan! If you don’t know what you’re eating for the week, how the heck will you know what to prep? I like to clear out the fridge and make leftovers for lunch during the weekends. Once I can actually see what I’m working with, I know what to add to my shopping list. I like to shop first, then prep when I get home. The items can go into the fridge ready to eat!
Store Properly. I was sent some Rubbermaid FreshWorks containers to try out and they are a prep day GAME CHANGER. The FreshWorks containers uses a patented FreshVentTM technology to keep produce fresher longer than normal….umm, yes please! There is also a CrispTrayTM which helps reduce moisture and spoilage.
I can wash lettuce to store for salads, hard boil eggs and wash strawberries for the week, knowing they’re a-okay in the FreshWorks containers. No spoilage = money saved! I love that the containers come in three different sizes. The large (17.3 cups) is essential for lettuce, spinach and large cut fruits like watermelon. I already have 2 more sets on the way!
My tip for easy-to-peel hard boiled eggs has been a game changer: use 1 tablespoon of baking soda in the boiling water. They peel SO easily that way! I also use older eggs–like 1-2 weeks old from the fridge.
Use a simple produce wash. Did you know there’s a simple and chemical free way to extend the life of your berries and produce?! It’s vinegar! In a large bowl, add cold water and 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Wash your strawberries, grapes, blueberries, etc in the water and remove, without rinsing. The vinegar kills the mold spores and the fruit is ready for the FreshWorks container. I swear by this method!
Don’t overdo it. When I first read about a Sunday Prep day, I noticed people who would spend like 12 hours prepping and planning out meals for weeks at a time. While that works for some people, I was overdoing it and I’d end up exhausted. Find what works for you and what your household will actually eat!! Consider freezing a few meals, but don’t end your prep day tired and cranky!
I would love to hear any tips you have!
Would you like to try out the Rubbermaid FreshWorks Rubbermaid FreshWorks containers? Comment below with what you like to prep ahead of time to enter to win a set! I’ll draw a random winner on MAY 8th.
*Based on strawberries in FreshWorks™ containers vs. store packaging. Results may vary depending upon produce and use.
I like to prep fresh veges ahead, dicing them, peeling, getting ready for family meals.
I would love to try the containers. My fresh produce seems to spoil quickly and the containers look awesome!
Yes, the spoilage is so frustrating! I feel like we used to have so much waste.
I prep on Sundays and I’m soon to be prepping even more with the little ones arrival less than 4 weeks away! Grilled veggies, roasted veggies, fresh fruits, sweet potatoes, rice..I could go on and on!
Love having great go to containers, so would love these!
I always prep chicken on sundays. Whether it’s pulling from a rotisserie chicken or grilling up raw breasts, it makes healthy eating a snap. For breakfast I make baked oatmeal squares with whatever fruit I have left from the week before or frozen fruit! I also LOVE the idea of being able to store cut fruit without spoilage or getting soft in the new Rubbermaid containers. Definitely would love to try these!
I prep ahead by preparing several meals on Sunday so they’re ready for me to reheat or put in the oven during the week for quick dinners on busy nights.
I like to prep homemade salad dressing ahead of time!
Edye recently posted…Life Lately – (Graduation, 18 Candles, New Chapters)
Yum! What kind of dressing is your favorite to make?
I like to prep our breakfast casserole the night before.
I wash my berries (even though they won’t last as long) so that we can eat them when we want them!
I like to prep hard boiled eggs.
These look amazing! I have such a hard time keeping berries and vegetables fresh! I would definitely use these to prep lettuce, berries and any veggies where I don’t use the whole thing and need to store the rest.
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I prep ground turkey every sunday & chop all my produce up so it is accessible. These containers look great!
I like to prep meat on Sundays so I am ready to go during the week… the weekdays get so hectic with a little one. I seriously have no idea how you did it with twins!!
Yes, meat is the best to prep! Haha, I’m not sure how I did it when they were young either…it was all a blur.
I would love to prep my carrots, red & green peppers, and cut up strawberries for my toddler 🙂
I love to prep a few salads for the work week on Sunday nights. These would definitely be useful!
I have been using the vinegar trick for a few months and have really noticed a difference! I get veggies ready for the week and prep ground beef/turkey.
Yes! People are always skeptical about the vinegar trick….you can’t even taste it!
I would love to try this set out. I am bad at meal prepping. Usually Sundays I make a double batch of something like spaghetti and eat that for lunch for a few weekdays. I would use these to prep my fruits and veg for the week.
I like to prep grab and go salads for work. I choo up all the ingredients then like up my salad containers and just do assembly line style filling. Store them and leave dressing off. I also may make muffin tin mini quiches using any leftover chopped food such as mushrooms, broccoli, peppers and put egg beaters over them in each cup. Store after baking then it’s quick breakfast. I totally would love the Rubbermaid containers to prolong life of fruits and veg. I hate the slimy bag mixes!
Yes, the bag mixes have a chemical taste I’ve noticed lately too, even after rinsing! I love the muffin tin idea! Have you tried mason jar salads? I put the dressing on the bottom, top with diced chicken, then add my lettuce/veggies. They’re great!
I would prep things like chopped onions, chopped red and green peppers and strawberries