Why You Should Meal Prep in Law School

 

As fun as it is to cook, making food can take up a lot of time. If you're like me, you're probably used to busy days where you're moving from task to task without much thought. If I'm being honest, I'll sometimes lose track of time and forget to eat lunch until late in the afternoon. Meal prepping has helped me out a lot with those problems because I don't feel like it's taking me away from some of the work I have to get done. 

So why should you get into meal prepping? It'll save you time, money, and sanity, like I mentioned above. It's helped me out a lot, and I know it'll help you out, too. Below are some reasons why you should start meal prepping, as well as how you can get started. 

Saving Time

Like I said before, meal prepping helps you save time. This was one of the biggest reasons why I got into meal prepping. You won't waste any time trying to decide what to make or waiting on takeout to arrive if you meal prep. Basically, you're all set for an entire week (or however many days you choose to meal prep) and will have a meal waiting for you to heat up. 

Saving Money

You'll also save money when you meal prep. Although buying takeout is easy, it costs tons of money, especially if you're having it delivered. Plus, when you get to buy food in bulk and save it for the entire week, you'll save even more money. Even though eating healthy sometimes get a reputation for being too expensive, meal prepping is a way to eat healthy and save money at the same time. 

Managing Portion Sizes

Making your food ahead of time will help you manage your portion sizes, which is great. It's easy to say you're going to eat the exact right amount to satisfy your hunger, but it's much harder to be done, especially when you're busy and rushing through your meals. Plus, takeout portions are larger than what you would normally make for yourself, so it helps you eat healthier in that way, too. 

How to Start

The first step to meal prepping is to make sure you have the materials for it--trust me, you'll need lots and lots of containers, especially if you're like me and plan to meal prep for an entire week. 

It's also important to think about what you want to make--it's not a great idea to make a new recipe in bulk just in case you don't like it. On the flip side, if you choose to cook something that you love, make sure it's something that you won't get tired of after a few days. 

Next up, plan out your meals. My way is to look at proteins, veggies or fruits, and grains. You can also look online to find meal prep recipes that you might like to make it a little simpler if you're new to meal prep. When shopping for your ingredients, you should also keep track of how much you'll need to make several helpings of the meal. 

xoxo,

Rachel