Okay, you survived meal prep basics part 1. Welcome to meal prep basics part 2! So you have all of your fresh delicious food ingredients in your fridge, now what? Let’s get cooking of course!
The most important part of meal prepping is following S.O.S which stands for “sanitation, organization, and safety” first off you want to completely sanitize all food surfaces with a spray or Lysol wipe, empty the sink of all dishes and give that a good wipe down, make sure your dishwasher is empty (trust me you will be filling it up by the end of this) keep your Lysol wipes handy and nearby for cleaning up after preparing raw poultry, beef, fish, and pork.
Organize yourself accordingly, I take my largest bowl I own and put a grocery bag liner in it and that becomes my garbage bowl, keep it nearby for handy disposal. Prep all your fruits and vegetables first, chop everything for a stir fry, wash and thoroughly dry all salad mix, fruits and veggies. Box up your fresh fruit snacks or veggie snacks. Next I prepare my starches like rice and quinoa, I cook them according to the recipe I am using, then I spread them on lined sheet trays to cool in the refrigerator. Once that’s done I move on to protein items, I cut, clean and cook all my chicken breast at once (unless it’s for a specific recipe) same with beef and pork. Stick to the recipe!!!!
Now safety, this is where it gets just a touch complicated. Foods if not eaten right away have to be cooled as fast as possible to avoid too much time in “the temperature danger zone” which is the ideal temperature for bacteria to grow this range is 41-135 degrees F. With that in mind, don’t leave things to cool at room temperature if you can help it. Take your chicken off the hot pan and put it in the cooler right away, for soups, stews, and chilis take the pot and submerge it in a sink full of ice water, stir every few minutes until cold (replenishing ice as needed) then portion, cover, and refrigerate. If things are still a little warm after they are portioned, leave the lid cracked to allow steam and heat to escape. Use a separate knife and cutting board for all raw meat, do NOT flip the cutting board over to cut veggies on, that is how salmonella happens. Completely wipe the space with a Lysol wipe and get out a clean knife and cutting board before moving on.
Reheating is pretty self explanatory, microwave, throw in a pan, and heat well…
Congratulations! With these simple tricks and tips YOU are now ready to begin meal prepping like a pro!! I believe in you, you can do it! Now there are no extra dishes to wash during the week, no more running out on lunch break for a cheap gross fast food burger, make all your friends and family jealous with all your fabulous and tasty food and the best of all? You get to eat a HEALTHY well balanced meal every single day, snacks included! What’s not to love?
Cook fearlessly!
The meal prep princess
The Meal Prep Princess 