Meal Prep Ideas If You’re Too Busy

Many of us don’t have the luxury of having a relaxed, home-cooked breakfast every morning. A lot of the time breakfast means grabbing whatever’s convenient – like sugary cereals in a bowl of milk, or a donut, or whatever random packaged food item you can get your hands on – so you can be out the door as early as possible to beat the traffic.  

Then, come lunchtime, it’s fast food that presents the quickest and most affordable meal options. It’s no wonder that people say that lack of time prevents them from eating healthier food. But it doesn’t have to be so. True, some planning and meal prep is required, but it doesn’t have to be so taxing.  

Spend a little time on the weekend on this, and you’ll have healthy meals ready to go when you need them. 

1. Breakfast in a Hurry

[ Full fat yoghurt or Chia seed pudding ] + [ chopped fresh fruit or dried fruit ]  +  [ nuts ]  +

 [ a bit of honey ] 

Prep Needed:

• Chop up some fresh fruit the night before and put it in the ref!
• Chia seed pudding is just chia seeds soaked overnight in coconut milk plus a tiny bit of honey (optional)

2. Snack Boxes

Snack Box A: [ nuts ]  +  [ dried fruit ]  +  [ cheese ] 

Snack Box B:  [ carrot/celery sticks or apple slices ] + [ nut butter ] 

Prep needed:

• Slice cheese and/or vegetables/fruit the night before.

3. Healthy Lunch

[ Veggie rice or Cauli rice ] + [ leftover ulam or Spanish sardines ]  +  [ egg ] 

Prep Needed:

• Cauli rice may take some time to prep so best to cook ahead of time
• For veggie rice, chop up vegetables like string beans, squash, cabbage, carrots, etc. stir-fry and that’s it!
• Egg – hard-boiled eggs can be prepared way ahead of time so it’s easy to just bring one along when you need it

This is just a starting point and there are so many possibilities.  Get started on your grocery list and meal plan, and try out some of these ideas!