You’ve probably scrolled through Facebook and came across image after image of perfectly portioned and brightly coloured lunches ready to go for the week. Pretty impressive right? If you haven’t started following the trend yourself, here are some tips on how to get started, and a few recipe suggestions.
You might be thinking, ‘why would I want to get into meal prepping my lunches; there’s a cafe right next to the office’, or you’re happy with the peanut butter and jam sandwich you stuff in your bag every day before you leave the house. Well, apart from looking like you’ve got your act together, meal prepped lunches can save you time and money - and that’s what we’re all about at bsmart!
What is meal prep and what are the benefits?
Meal prep is basically dedicating a set time to cooking or preparing larger batches of food for the week ahead. It can be something as simple as chopping a bunch of veggies for salads or even as complicated as cooking and dividing full meals. Meal prep should make lunchtime for yourself and your family easier. It gives you a head start on the week, and you’ll feel more in control of what you’re eating and how you’re spending your time.
How to get started
The point of prepping your meals is to make your life easier. So firstly you need to identify what you want to achieve from your meal prep plan. Do you want to eat healthier breakfasts? Or maybe you want to cut back on spending huge chunks of cash on lunch every day. Or you don’t have time to make delicious, healthy dinners after work. Once you’ve decided what you want to focus on, you can get started with the fun part.
We’d suggest not packing exactly the same thing every day for 4 weeks straight. Try starting with a few elements that are easy to mix-and-match. Boil a couple of eggs, cook a pot of rice, roast a few veggies and chicken breasts which you can then start putting together a little differently for each day. Maybe add an Asian inspired sauce to your chicken and vegetables for Monday, or toss all the ingredients and some fresh greens for a salad on Tuesday. You’ll have to use your imagination here or turn to the internet for helpful tips and tricks.
Yummy recipes for
Our favourite meal prep containers
You need a place to store all of the healthy food you’ll be cooking up for the week ahead. Don’t be put off if you don’t have the perfect matching container that you see on social media feeds. You can reuse old jars, yoghurt containers, and your trusty collection of Tupperware (maybe you’ll need to set some time aside to locate all the missing lids).
If you don’t have anything on hand it’s time to hit the shops. These stores have some great options and they accept the bsmart card. So remember to take your bsmart card along to save while shopping:
Makro | Game | Pick n Pay | Checkers | Dealz | Clicks | Woolworths
Search for a retailer near you by entering your location or the name of the store you are looking for on our MAP.
Head to our blog for some more tips and tricks to help you save smart, spend smart and live smart.
At bsmart we help our members save, and pay out cash-back bonuses every three months or annually. To learn more about bsmart contact us or click here to sign up directly through our website.