Meal prep is more important than ever — even (and especially!) when we’re all at home more. Being at home makes it easier to grab whatever’s around when you’re busy and hungry ~ so why not have something healthy on hand?  

Meal prepping in advance keeps you on track with your nutrition goals and gives you one less thing to think about on hectic days. Plus, it adds a sense of routine, stability, and accomplishment that feels SO good right now! Think about it...how amazing does it feel on a Sunday night after you’ve prepped your meals for the week?! Best feeling ever! 

We’ve been having so much fun meal prepping as a team on IG every Sunday during the TIU2021 Challenge! Join us this Sunday @ToneItUp at 11 am PST for LIVE Meal Prep & Mimosas with Stef and Joan 🥂  You can catch last week’s Meal Prep & Mimosas with Karena and Yami here on IGTV too if ya missed it!

In the meantime, check out these go-to meal prep tips from your trainers ~ they’re game changers and will make your life so much easier!

Tori’s tip: Keep it simple

Meal prep can feel overwhelming if you try to cook a bunch of things you’ve never made before or don’t usually eat. It’s easy to get caught up in what you “should” make because you saw a recipe on social or even in the meal plan. 

Be honest with yourself and think about what recipes you really love and always go back to. If that’s a simple tray bake or stir-fry, go with that! Remember, the meal-by-meal guides in your meal plan are just guides. If you have other go-to recipes that follow the nutrition guidelines, go for it! If you want to get fancy or try new things, that’s fun too, but there’s absolutely no pressure. Simple works just as well! 

Karena's tip: It’s all about the seasonings

Speaking of simple...Karena is all about the tray bake, and her and Bobby make it several times a week. You can switch it up and keep things exciting by swapping out the seasonings. With just a few simple seasoning swaps, you can give your tray bake Mediterranean, Mexican, Italian, or Indian flavors. 

Yami’s tip: Batch it up

Instead of lots of individual meal prep containers, make big batches of lean proteins, quinoa, and salads. Then when it’s time to eat, just portion it out, heat it up, or add dressing to salads. It’s great to make batches of foods that you can prep in a lot of different ways. For example, make a batch of grilled chicken and use it throughout the week for salads, wraps, stir-frys, and over zucchini noodles or quinoa. 

Kat’s tip: Recruit a helper

Get the fam in on it! It’s fun to make it a family activity so you can all spend time together! Brian and Bella are all about that meal prep life too 😉

Looking for more meal prep tips, easy recipes, and nutrition advice? Check out the nutrition section of your Tone It Up app!