Eating healthier to help you achieve your weight loss goals, doesn't mean you'll have to be stuck in the kitchen with hours of meal prep and planning. Many people think they need to devote and entire days to meal prepping and planning on elaborate meals, but here’s the truth: you can easily do it in only a few minutes a day or week. Curious how? Today, I am sharing my game-changing "micro meal prep" method, where I teach clients the small, quick hacks you can add into your mealtime routine that will help you meal prep and plan—without the overwhelm. Ready for it? Grab a warm cuppa, notepad, and let's dive into it together!
Grab a warm cuppa, because I am about to spill all the tea on my secret "micro meal prep" hack and how you can use this easy meal prep method to kickstart and maintain weight loss. It really is so simple, that you may have overlooked how impactful this healthy habit truly can be for staying on track and on top of your goals. In basic terms, "micro meal prep" is about making healthy eating super easy and convenient by only using a few minutes here and there. These small efforts quickly add up, making it simple to grab nutritious food, avoid unhealthy options, and ultimately, support your weight loss journey. Let’s go over some of the practical micro meal prep ideas you can start using right now, today.
What Is 'Micro Meal' Prep Exactly?
Firstly, what exactly is micro meal prep and where did it come from? The short answer is—from my own kitchen. The longer answer, I dubbed "micro meal prep" as the method and technique I taught to my clinic clients to help them efficiently prepare nutritious meals with very little effort. This method is something I religiously practise myself, and in sharing it, I was so please to see it helping my clients grab brief moments during the day for meal prepping and planning, instead of dedicating long hours at once.
Honestly, micro meal prep is ideal for anyone, but for especially for those individuals—like us mums with utterly hectic schedules—who want to adopt a healthier diet but lack time for conventional meal prep sessions. Essentially, it is purposely finding ways to multitask and prepare ingredients beforehand, so that cooking and eating healthier meals each week and on-the-go becomes effortless.
'Micro Meal Prep' For Weight Loss
Micro meal prep helps you maintain healthier eating habits and meals by ensuring that you have nutritious and portion-controlled meals readily available. By planning and preparing your meals in advance, you are more likely to make those healthier food choices and avoid the temptation of ordering takeaway or grabbing fast food on hectic days. In addition, it can also help you save money if you buy ingredients in bulk, and avoid wasting food by utilising everything you have prepared. Practicing this, also allows you to experiment with new recipes and flavours, making your meals more fresh, exciting and enjoyable.
reduce food waste by using leftover ingredients you already have on hand.
make healthier choices your default by having nutritious food already ready and prepared.
portion control becomes so much easier, which is crucial for weight loss.
ditch those last-minute unhealthy choices by preventing you from reaching for processed or fast foods.
As you can see there are many benefits to having prepped and make-ahead meals on hand through practicing a little micro meal prepping. It can also help reduce the stress and anxiety of what to eat when you a rushed or short on time with a hungry family at your heels. When practiced regularly, micro meal prep will give you more time to relax and unwind after a long day instead of stress and fuss in the kitchen. It really is such a simple yet effective way to regain control over your eating habits, promote a balanced diet, and make the most of your time in the kitchen.
Quick Tips for Micro Meal Prep Success
This is probably the part you've been waiting for—the simple micro meal prep ideas that will help you stick to your weight loss goals (without needing to spend hours in the kitchen). Grab a notepad or screen shot these ideas to help you get started:
Make Chia Pudding While Cooking Dinner
One of the easiest micro meal prep recipes to make is a healthy, wholefood breakfast while you’re cooking dinner. Chia pudding is a highly, nutritious breakfast or dessert that you only need 2-3 minutes to prepare. While you’re waiting for dinner to cook, mix a few tablespoons of raw chia seeds with almond milk, a little vanilla extract, and a sweetener of your choice (as a diabetic, I use stevia). Let this mixture sit overnight in a sealed mason jar, and you’ll have a super tasty and healthy breakfast ready for the next morning. Just top with fresh berries, chopped fruit and a little nuts and seeds for a high-fibre breakfast that will power all-morning energy. Click here for my fave and recommended recipes.
Batch Cook Grains
This is non-negotiable for me—whenever cooking grains such as quinoa, brown rice, or farro, make a heap extra! Batch cooking grains and other ingredients, takes no additional time and provides the foundation for several healthy meals for the week ahead. You can store cooked grains in the fridge for easy access, and use them throughout the week in salads, grain bowls, or for quick and easy stir-fries.
Prep Veggies When You Get Home from the Shops
Another must-do on my list, is as soon as you unpack your groceries, take a few minutes to wash and chop your veggies. Prepping vegetables in advance makes it easier to toss them into salads, stir-fries, or snack on them throughout the week. This small meal planning habit will save you heaps of time later, and guarantees that you always have something healthy and grab-and-cook to eat.
Use Freezer-Friendly Meals
On days when you do have extra time, make a double or triple batch of a healthy, wholefood meal that freezes well, like soups, stews, or casseroles. Freeze the leftovers in one-serving, portion-sized containers. When you’re really short on time, simply reheat one of these freezer-friendly meals for a quick, healthy option. You can even meal prep all the ingredients and add them to silicone moulds like these from Kmart. When it's time to cook, just pop one out, bake or stir fry the frozen block for faster cooking.
Cook Protein In Bulk
Whether you’re grilling chicken, baking tofu, or pan-searing fish, always cook extra! Having cooked protein in the fridge allows you to quickly make a high protein salad, wrap, or stir-fry. This is a perfect micro meal prep hack for ensuring your meals are high in protein and supportive of weight loss.
Easy Snack Prep
It takes just a few minutes to hard-boil a batch of eggs, and they make an excellent protein-rich snack. Similarly, portion out nuts or seeds into small containers for quick snacks throughout the week. Pre-portioned healthy snacks help you stay on track and avoid overeating.
Use Ready-Made Sauces and Dressings
Rather than making sauces or dressings from scratch every time, plan and prep them in advance. For example, whip up a batch of tahini dressing or lemon vinaigrette on Sunday, and use it throughout the week to elevate your salads or bowls.
Smoothie "Blender Drops" Ingredients
Smoothies are a great way to get a nutrient boost, but they can feel time-consuming in the morning gathering up all the ingredients when you're rushed. Meal prepping smoothie ingredients into 'blender drops' and then adding them to pre-portioned freezer bags or containers, can solve this, and make for quick and easy meals.
To make the drops, use fresh or leftover fruit, and blend either individually, or together into a puree. Pour the puree mixture to ice cube trays, and freeze into ice cubes. Store them in a sealed container until you need them, or add a few of each flavour into freezer bags with other smoothie ingredients to make easy, blender drop bags. When you’re ready for a smoothie, simply dump the contents of the blender drop bag into the blender, add liquid, protein powder, and blend. Learn more on this, click here.
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Micro Meal Planning To Stay on Track
As you can see, planning your meals can be made so much easier by taking the micro prep approach onboard and experimenting with it yourself. To give it a go, just follow these simple principles to make it a success:
use a meal plan template: create a simple meal plan (grab mine inside my Facebook Community) each week to save time figuring out what to cook. You can rotate a few favourite recipes to avoid decision fatigue.
shop smarter: stick to your meal plan when grocery shopping to avoid impulse buys and ensure you have everything on hand. Never shop hangry--this almost always ends in unhealthy buys and things you don't really need.
plan around leftovers: cook meals that can be repurposed. For example, roast chicken one night can become chicken salad for lunch the next day; chia pudding topped with fruit and granola makes a and easy quick breakfast, but blended with raw cacao, makes a delicious and healthy dessert pudding.
Micro Meal Prep = Small Efforts, Big Results
With micro meal prep, you don’t need hours in the kitchen to achieve your weight loss and health goals. By making small, strategic efforts throughout the week, you can ensure healthy meals are ready to grab and go. Not only does this save you time, but it also helps you stay consistent with your eating habits, which is key to weight loss success. Ready to make meal prep easier? Start with just a few of these micro meal prep tips, and watch how they transform your eating habits!
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Nutritionist's Note
If you'd like to learn more about 'micro meal prep', come and join my free Facebook Community where I share heaps of healthy, wholefood recipes and nutritional advice every week. This topic is something I regularly teach in clinic and on Zoom workshops. See my events page for the next masterclass on this topic or drop a comment below for me to answer your personal questions.
Emma Lisa, Nutritionist & Women's Practitioner
Emma Lisa is a Nutritionist & Women's Health Practitioner with over 14+ years experience in wholefood nutrition, meal planning and health coaching. She is a published cookbook author, passionate food recipe creator and lifestyle blogger, and an advocate for women's health and anti-diet culture. When she's not in clinic, Emma is mum to five kids, always in her test kitchen and garden. She lives in Sydney, Australia.
Healthy + happiness,
Emma Lisa xx
HEALTH & NUTRITION PRACTITIONER
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