Getting Ready for the Week: Meal Prepping

Image by Jan Vašek from Pixabay

College can be stressful enough between schoolwork and extracurricular activities. Sometimes, the next meal is the last thing on a student’s mind.

Meal prepping is a great solution for students who are constantly on the go. Late hours due to studying or work can result in unhealthy meals that are quickly thrown together. Sometimes, cereal for dinner isn’t out of the question on a busy night. Meal prepping is a great way to ensure you have healthy, filling meals for the week. This planning is even more essential during the pandemic since we are making less visits to the grocery store to maintain social distancing.

“Since I live in an apartment in College Park, I now have to buy my own groceries and cook for myself,” said sophomore public policy major Tori Bird. “Meal prepping makes my weeks a little less stressful because when I am running around on weekdays I have some meals ready to eat.”

The right ingredients can make all the difference when it comes to preparing meals in advance.

Bird uses a lot of grains in her meal prepping, such as pasta, quinoa or rice, because they’re easy to prepare. She also adds in any vegetables she has on hand, like broccoli, peppers, carrots and onion. The vegetables can be eaten raw or cooked based on preference.

Protein is an important part of every meal. Sophomore psychology major Kayla Napoli finds chicken holds up best when choosing a protein for meal prepping. She usually makes a lot of grilled chicken and pairs it with a variety of vegetables for a quick, healthy meal. Her favorite vegetable-based recipe is cauliflower fried rice.

“It’s super easy to make and super filling,” said Napoli. “I can make a few meals of this easily in one sitting.”

Planning out your meals for the week does not come without its challenges. Sometimes preparing a week of meals can seem daunting. Other times, halfway through the week, eating the same meal is no longer appetizing.

“The biggest challenge is coming up with new recipes so I don’t get tired of the ones I know how to make,” said sophomore finance and accounting double major Anne Ziolkowski. “Sometimes it gets very tiring to eat the same or similar meals a lot of times per week.”

Bird suggests preparing a variety of ingredients in advance and mixing them up throughout the week for quick, interesting meals. Researching nutritious recipes and stocking up on favorite ingredients is helpful as well, according to Napoli.

Planning ahead is also key for meal prepping.

“Set 2-3 hours every week to plan and prep your meals ahead of time. For example: chop fruits and veggies for snacking, make-ahead breakfast ideas like overnight oats, granola, or chia pudding, and batch cook 1-2 entree such as roasted chicken or big pot of stew,” wrote registered dietitian Dixya Bhattari on her lifestyle blog called "Food, Pleasure and Health."

Meal prepping is a practical way to make sure you are still eating nutritional meals during your hectic schedule. Buying in bulk from grocery stories like Lidl, Target or Whole Foods can reduce the amount of money spent in comparison to buying ingredients on an as-needed basis. Research easy-to-make meals online and start prepping!