When you lead a busy life it can be challenging to choose healthy foods.  

Meal preparation is preparing some, or all of your meals ahead of time to help your future self.

Not only does it save time, it ensures you have healthy options available, it increases the nutrient density of your meals, it helps you to understand your food budget, it stops you from buying energy dense foods on the go and helps you to portion size.

If it’s pre-cooked, ready, delicious and nutritious.. You will eat it. 

Failing to plan, sometimes, can really be planning to fail.

Best tips on effective meal planning:

• Choose a day: Set time aside on the weekend and midweek to focus solely on your meal prep
• Choose the meals to cook: Decide if you will be making breakfast, lunch or dinner. Select the meals you would like to cook in bulk for yourself and the family
• Write a shopping list: or use the 12 rnd list provided to help to give you a plan when you bust through the supermarket doors. Know how many you are cooking for and ensure you have doubled/tripled each recipe depending on how many people you will be cooking for.
• Set a budget: If you are working on a budget, ensure that when choosing the meals you choose affordable, nutritious options, consider how many ingredients each recipe has and stocktake against what is currently in your pantry so you do not double up on food items or condiments.
• Use good quality containers: look for air tight, clear, sectioned containers that are BPA free, microwavable, dishwasher and freezer safe. This will allow for fresher and crispier tasting meals, that last. 
• Ensure that you consider food waste and food safety when cooking: try to use us as much of your fridge in one batch as you can and ensure that you research the best methods and timeframes of storage dependent on the particular meals you are cooking.