The Five-Step Secret to Meal Prep Success

While many people turn to meal preparation to support weight management and embrace healthy, whole-food eating, the practice offers so much more than just reaching your health goals. It’s the unexpected perks that turn this into a lifelong habit.

One of the greatest advantages is reclaiming precious hours each day—you’ll no longer spend endless time cooking and cleaning after every meal. It allows you to be fully present during mealtimes, eliminating the need to multitask. Imagine sitting down with your family without juggling stove duties, homework help, or last-minute work tasks.

Meal prep isn’t just about saving time—it’s about creating space to enjoy life, reduce stress, and truly thrive.

Step 1: Organization
The foundation of a seamless routine starts with organization. Begin by decluttering and arranging your fridge and pantry. Place commonly used items in easily accessible spots to streamline your workflow. Invest in beautiful, airtight canisters to store your staples—this not only keeps ingredients fresh but also makes your space visually appealing. An organized kitchen sets the stage for a smoother process and builds excitement for filling those jars with nutritious essentials.

Step 2: Food Shopping
A successful session begins with an intentional grocery haul. Without the right ingredients, there’s no prep to be done! Packing your groceries in an organized way sets the tone for efficiency when you’re ready to get started.

I recommend reusable produce bags for fruits, vegetables, and more—they’re a fantastic alternative to disposable plastic bags and help reduce waste, which has been one of my recent resolutions. These versatile bags aren’t just for shopping; they also double as storage for produce in your refrigerator, keeping everything fresh and organized for meal prep success.

Step 3: Clean and Cut
Preparing produce in advance is a game-changer. Washing and cutting fruits and vegetables ahead of time ensures you’re ready to whip up meals and enjoy healthy, grab-and-go snacks throughout the week. Plus, it helps save time and money by reducing food waste—no more forgotten produce languishing in the crisper.

After your grocery trip, take your produce straight out of the bags and give them a thorough rinse using a DIY produce wash (see below) to keep them fresh. Once cleaned, slice and dice your ingredients according to recipes. For example, slice peppers for fajitas and dice veggies for salads, soups, wraps.

Step 4: Cook
Batch cooking is at the heart of meal prep, and the key to efficiency is multitasking. To save time, aim to cook as many items as possible simultaneously. Use a combination of stovetop, oven, and crock pot or Instant Pot to maximize productivity. While this method may feel overwhelming at first, with a bit of practice, it will become second nature—trust me.

If you’re using the oven to cook multiple dishes at once, remember that different foods may require varied cooking times. Keep a close eye on everything to ensure items are removed promptly when they’re done. With a little organization and practice, cooking in batches will become a seamless part of your routine.

Step 5: Portion and Pack
The final step is portioning and packing your meals. Whether your goal is weight loss, muscle building, or maintenance, using containers with appropriate portion sizes is essential. Portion control can be tricky—many people unintentionally underestimate how much they’re eating in a single sitting.

To make this step easier, consider investing in a quality set of glass containers in various sizes. A matching set not only looks great but also simplifies storage and meal organization. By portioning and packing meals ahead of time, you set yourself up for success, ensuring that every meal is balanced, convenient, and ready to go.

D.I.Y. PRODUCE WASH TIP
Fill a clean sink with cool water or use a plastic tub with eight cups (two litres) of water. Add the juice and rind of ½ a lemon and ¼ cup (60 ml) of vinegar. Submerge your produce and let it soak for two minutes. Then, rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

FRUIT STORAGE TIP
Once your fruits are washed, placehem in containers and add a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. This simple step helps keep your produce fresh longer by preventing mold and spoilage. Be sure to replace the paper towel with a fresh one every few days to maintain optimal freshness. This method is particularly effective for berries, grapes, and other high-moisture fruits, ensuring they stay crisp and ready to enjoy throughout the week. 

APPROVED PLANT-BASED FOOD LIST

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Read This Story in Our 2025 Inspiration Issue
Plus, meet the 36 fitness instructors named Canada’s Top Fitness Instructors in this issue. We’ve also got delicious plant based recipes, how to meal prep for success, make meaningful resolutions, practical fitness hacks, healthy morning habits and so much more!