At its best, meal prep is an encouraging way to set yourself up for a healthy week ahead. At its worst, the process is inconvenient and a bit time consuming. Still, all things considered, putting some aforethought into preparing healthy meals is always beneficial in the long-run, both for your health and your wallet. But for those jet-setters, moguls, or busy parents constantly on the go, meal prep can become a trying task—but it doesn’t have to be!
5 Ways to Optimise Meal Prep When Travelling
If you’re someone who is constantly moving, how you choose to prep your meals will have a big impact on how successful the process is. Upon first consideration, it might seem that prepping for a 9–5 desk job would be the same as prepping for a day that requires extensive travelling, but there are some distinct differences worth prioritising. Below are 5 simple tips and tricks for healthy meal prep for the busy movers and shakers out there!
1. Container Size Is Everything…
Imagine lugging around a huge cooler or wide Tupperware as you make your way from one appointment to another. Whether you’re travelling by bus, train, car, foot, or otherwise, these food vessels are not ideal for someone on the move.
Instead, invest in durable containers of various portable sizes—each with its own easy-to-use lid. Not only will this allow you to save space (and likely decrease the weight of your load), it will also keep your food secure and prevent any messiness that could occur inside a more spacious container. Keeping several single-portion containers clean and ready for daily use will make things a breeze. And of course, be sure to carry around a durable reusable water bottle so you can hydrate consistently throughout the day.
2. … and So Is Food Size
Perhaps even more important than container size is the actual size of your meals and snacks! In the same way that those “fun size” candy bars seem to call our name with more desperation than the full-size ones, healthy bite-size foods are just as simple and delicious to enjoy!
Loading various cut veggies, strips of chicken breast, nuts, and other finger foods into your container will allow for easy access to different food groups, contributing to a balanced yet ultra-convenient meal. Compare this with, say, packing a full chicken breast, and it becomes immediately clear which one is easier to eat in your car.
3. Organise Your Accoutrements
Just like you wouldn’t want to carry around a whole chicken breast, you similarly wouldn’t want to carry around a whole chicken breast slathered in sticky sauce. If you want to include salt, pepper, or condiments of any kind, pack these in appropriate containers separate from your main food items. Not only does this prevent a messy dining experience in general, but it allows you to keep track of exactly what you’re using and how much. There are now tons of different travel containers for sauces that can easily withstand a bump or three en route.
Same goes for silverware, etc. Many people like to invest in travel silverware that can be easily cleaned, reused, and stored on a carabiner or similar gadget. Some options even come in “mini” sizes, further adding to the convenience. On the other hand, carrying around regular household utensils and letting them amass in your car will turn into a huge pain down the line. Instead, pick up just a couple sets of “travelware” and clean as necessary.
4. Utilise Versatile Ingredients and Recipes to Save Time!
Aside from actually cooking and packing your meals into containers, simply deciding what to make can be the most frustrating part of the meal prepping process. Instead of racking your brain every week to come up with novel ideas, search for a selection of good recipes that can be tweaked to suit various ingredients.
A good chicken marinade can make a salad sing, but it can also go perfectly with rice, potatoes, and other ingredients—whatever you have in the fridge. Moreover, you can always switch out one part of your meal for another, especially if you’ve already “pre-prepped” your ingredients by chopping them into bite-size pieces. This is especially true of veggies and fruits.
5. When in Doubt, Graze
If you can’t think of anything to eat and are pressed for time, keep a diverse selection of healthy snacks at the ready, and graze! Running late for the train? Grab a hard-boiled egg, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, hummus, almond butter, and pita, and get out the door!
Whether you lack the inspiration or just lack the time, you don’t have to come up with an extravagant meal from a fancy cookbook. Simply getting the required nutrients and eating a diversity of food groups can be just as healthy and enjoyable, even if your assortment of seemingly strange snacks might not make it into the pages of Bon Appétit.