Meal-prepping isn’t just for fitness fanatics. In fact, it’s something we encourage all of our customers to try. In our experience, it’s one of the best ways to make mealtimes easier—and tastier!—for your entire family.
To get you started, we’ve outlined:
- The easiest way for beginners to try meal prepping
- How to spice things up if meal prepping sounds boring
- A simple hack for lowering weekly grocery bills—and eating amazingly!
Ready to make mealtime easier?
Let’s get you prepped!
What if I Don’t Want to Spend All Day Cooking?
Let’s start by dispelling a common misconception about meal-prepping.
Meal prep isn’t about cooking a week’s worth of meals in one day. Instead, it’s about finding ways to front-load some of the work to save you time in the week ahead. To achieve that, most meal preppers mix three basic approaches.
Common meal prepping strategies include:
- Full Meal-Prepping: Making entire meals ahead of time
- Ingredient Prep: Chopping, portioning, or seasoning in advance
- Mix-n-Match: Cooking proteins, veggies, grains, sauces, etc. to use over the week
By having fun and experimenting, you’ll find the best approach for you and your family. That being said, there is a simple place to start for most beginners. Which we’ll explore now…
A Simple Place to Start Meal-Prepping (Perfect for Beginners)
Effective meal-prepping starts with a plan.
To create your shopping and cooking plan, pick 3–4 main meals your family would enjoy during the week.
Here’s what that might look like:
- Monday: Roasted chicken + veggies
- Tuesday: Steak or beef bowls
- Wednesday: Leftovers (easy!)
- Thursday: Sandwiches, wraps, and a fruit salad
- Friday: Something fun (pizza night?)
With a few delicious dinner choices in mind, it’s time to list out your main ingredients. That way, you won’t miss anything the next time you’re at your favorite Amish marketplace (nudge, nudge).
To make your shopping list, ask:
- What proteins will we eat?
- Which veggies can we prepare ahead?
- What ingredients can be used in multiple meals?
And boom. Just like that, you’re ready to swing by The Markets at Shrewsbury.
What Foods Should I Buy When Meal Prepping?
At its core, successful meal-prep boils down to discovering the habits—and foods—that work for your family. To get you started, here are a few popular foods you can easily prepare ahead of time—and where to find them at The Markets.
Glick’s Produce
Fresh local produce? Say no more.
Swing by Glick’s Produce to pick up seasonal veggies like onions, carrots, and celery for slow-cooked meals or pre-chopping in bulk. Additionally, farm-grown produce like potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and other root vegetables can be roasted in large batches and stored all week!
Country Style Fresh Meats
After stopping by the produce stands, saunter over to our favorite local butcher: Country Style Fresh Meats.
Chicken thighs and breasts, ground beef, steaks, pork, sausage, roasts… You name it. All can be prepared ahead of time and then served up with meals of your choice. (Spoiler: we’ll share how to turn one protein into multiple exciting meal choices in a moment.)
Country Style Family Deli
Here’s a hot tip. Not all meals need to be prepped by you! In fact, picking up one or two prepared ingredients is the perfect way to bring your meals to the next level.
So the next time you’re visiting the Amish markets in Pennsylvania, pop over to Country Style Family Deli. They’re our go-to for sliced meats, local cheeses, sandwich ingredients, sides (Amish potato and macaroni salad, anyone), and other prepared foods.
Because you don’t have to do it all yourself!
Okay, But What if I Get Bored Easily?
We’ll be the first to admit it.
Meal prepping can seem a bit boring at times. And while some folks are perfectly content to eat the same meals day after day—and more power to them—the rest of us appreciate a little variety in our meals.
Here’s how to keep your meal prepping fresh, exciting, and—most importantly—delicious!
Mix it up by:
- Changing sauces and seasonings each week
- Trying the same protein in different formats (keep reading)
- Buying seasonal healthy local produce
- Mixing fresh and cooked veggies (roasted ingredients in salads/sandwiches)
- Reimagining leftovers into different meals—rather than just reheating
You might be surprised at how creative you can get with the same few ingredients.
Case Study: Turning One Protein into Many Meals
Wondering how to best use a large batch of protein for several delectable meals?
Here are two popular meats—and how they can be transformed into amazing meals:
- Chicken: Works great grilled or roasted with veggies, in sandwiches, salads, wraps, and rice bowls
- Ground Beef: A staple in tacos, burrito bowls, pasta sauces, nachos, and stuffed peppers
Planning multiple meals around a single protein is also a fantastic way to save money. You can swing by the butcher, buy what’s on sale—in bulk—and lower your weekly protein bills just like that!
Not to mention, meats have an excellent freezer life both cooked and uncooked.
Meal-Prepping: Is it Really Worth it?
Many folks get into meal-prepping as a way to eat healthier. But there’s more to it than that.
The benefits of meal-prepping include:
- Faster dinners (less cooking time each evening)
- Fewer last-minute grocery runs (hey, we’ve all done it)
- Saved money (less takeout, more efficient use of groceries)
To determine if meal prepping is worth it for your family, try it!
At the very least, you’re sure to find a habit that makes your life easier, healthier, and tastier.
We Can’t Wait to Hear About Your Meal-Prepping Adventures!
