In the May 2019 issue of Guideposts, Kevin Curry shared how he taught himself to cook and why it was so crucial to improving his mental and physical health. One of the keys to solidifying his dedication to cooking was learning to meal prep. In his book, Fit Men Cook, Curry defines meal prep as “preparing meals in advance in order to have access to food that will keep you on track to achieve your wellness goals.”
Here are five of Curry’s simplest meal prep tips:
1. Only buy what you need
Curry differentiates between “aspirational” food purchases and realistic ones. When trying to prepare healthier meals, Curry recommends not spending exorbitant amounts of money on healthy foods you don’t normally eat—because odds are some of that food will be wasted.
“Start small so as not to overwhelm your finances or refrigerator and to prevent food waste,” Curry wrote in his book. “Begin with the foods you know you will eat and, little by little, try new ones.”
2. Start small and set a goal
On his blog, Curry recommends new meal preppers prepare two meals and one snack for the week.
Once you have made meal prep a habit, work up to pre-making all your meals. Curry says that having a tangible goal will help motivate you to follow through on preparing your meals.
3. Keep a running grocery list
Curry keeps a whiteboard in his kitchen so he can quickly jot down recipe ideas and items he needs to pick up at the store. You can also keep track of this list in a notebook or on your phone.
“Keep a running list of items you need to replenish each week,” Curry wrote. “This will help you stay organized.”
4. Stock up on freezer foods
One of Curry’s secrets to whipping up healthy meals on the fly is to build a stockpile of healthy foods to always have on hand.
“Build your stock and inventory over time so that the moment you step into the kitchen, you have what you need to succeed,” Curry wrote on his blog.
Curry suggests starting with frozen vegetables, fruits and raw nuts to build up your supply.
5. Make it fun!
Many people don’t enjoy cooking or meal prep because they view it as a chore or boring. When he began learning to cook, Curry got himself excited about the activity by listening to fun music. In Fit Men Cook he recommends people try listening to music, inviting friends over for a cooking party or trying one new ingredient a week.
“Just do something that makes you look forward to getting into the kitchen each week,” Curry wrote.
