Meal Prep 101

Happy almost 2025! It’s “New Year, New You” vibes, and you want to change everything. Let us be the first to tell you: Please don't! At least not all of them right away.

Here at CCN, we value long-term consistency over short-term intensity. And it's this long-term consistency that will yield results. No, not in one week or even 10 days. There's no “fat flush” or “quick detox” here. Little by little, your habits push you forward and change you so that it just becomes who you are and what you do. Eating healthy – little to no thought required.

Meal prep can be daunting; one might think it means spending hours in the kitchen every week. I can personally tell you this just isn't so. Every weekend, I spend about an hour getting myself set up for the week. It's become a part of my Sunday afternoon, and I know that a small amount of time spent will only set me up for success later in the week.

So what do I make in that hour? Throughout my CCN life, I have narrowed it down to things that my family and I consistently eat. This may look different for you, and I suggest you try meal-prepping different things until you get down to the tried and true food items that you enjoy and will eat because there's no sense in prepping things that will go bad in the fridge while waiting for you to eat it, which you won't. Because you don't even like it. I'm looking at you, kale salad…

Meal prep in my house includes:

1. Smoothies – smoothies are non-negotiable. It's a quick breakfast that puts me on the right track from my first meal. I am all too familiar with one “less than” choice at breakfast, leading to a day of “less than” choices. So start strong!

Regarding prep, I make all my smoothies for the week in Ziploc quart-size freezer bags. Everything but the liquid goes into the bag and goes into the freezer. I pull out one bag on my way to the gym, and by the time I get home (30ish minutes later), it's defrosted on the counter (still in the bag) just enough to get it nice and smooth in my blender with no extra effort. Just dump, add my almond milk and a scoop of collagen peptides, and I'm on my way!

2. Muffins – I like to have a quick and easy snack on hand for weekday mornings. The plus side with muffins is I don't have to make them every weekend. It's every 2-3 weeks, depending on how many people are eating them… and for the record, I don't like to share! I pop a whole batch in a Ziploc bag, throw it in the freezer, and pull out 2 at a time to reheat in the microwave on my way out the door.

3. Breakfast Burritos – my kids LOVE breakfast burritos, and I LOVE making them hot breakfast in the morning. What I don't love is making it all from scratch every single day. Very few moms have time in the morning to be a short-order cook. So I (or my husband) will assembly line style make 4-6 breakfast burritos to freeze for the week. Ours only have eggs and cheese (picky kids – I choose my battles), but you could add salsa, veggies, beans, etc.) Pull out of the freezer, wrap in a damp paper towel, and spend a few minutes on 60% power in the microwave. You've got an instant breakfast that isn't full of sugar or heavily processed carbs. Winning all around.

4. Hard-boiled eggs – this is super quick to do in my Instant Pot, but I don't do it every week, just when I'm in the mood for eggs. But you could because it's 5 minutes on manual with a manual pressure release, and you've got easy peel eggs quicker than you could run to the store and buy some.

None of these things are difficult or time-consuming. They are standard, essential items that are my baseline for success. I'm already ahead of the game if I only have these on hand. Find your baseline and what works for you. And if you've never meal prepped before, pick 1 or 2 things and consistently make those. When those become second nature, add a few more. Meal prep should simplify your life, not add more stress. Don't overthink it!