Meal prepping tips from a dietitian

Meal prepping is popular on social media, but it’s a recommendation from dietitians like Mary Cherne-Schoenfelder too.

“I recommend it, but we have to be realistic about it,” she said. “I think sometimes people get big ideas that they’re going to make everything on Sunday night, they’re going to package it all up, and it’s going to be great. But what’s more realistic for a lot of us is starting small.”

She suggests starting with planning regular grocery store runs, making a list, and cutting up vegetables and putting them in the fridge.

Cherne-Schoenfelder said planning meals in advance can help avoid last-minute trips to the convenience store, vending machine, or fast food joint.

“When we’re doing those kinds of things, we’re not getting what we really need at lunch. Protein helps fill us up. Fiber slows down how quickly our stomach empties,” she said.

A pasta salad is one easy way to get multiple food groups into a meal. Cherne-Schoenfelder says to try to get three: whole grain, fruit or vegetable, and protein.