How to Meal Prep for Work

Today’s preparation determines tomorrow’s achievement- that’s about as simple as I can put this! If you go into work thinking you’ll “wing it”, 99.9999% of the time the only thing winging it will be your fitness plan flying right out the window with your good intentions. Srs.

“But I don’t have time to plan out my meals- it takes so long!”

“I don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen.”

“I hate cooking.”

“I tried out for ‘Worst Chefs in America’ and didn’t even make the cut- ugh!”

Does this sound like you? Believe it or not, the vast majority of those who follow through on their fitness plan and stick with it agree with every one of those statements. SO, what’s their secret? How do they persevere? TELL ME!!!

Ok, ok- here we go!

1. Bulk Up

No, no- all you can eat buffets for breakfast lunch and dinner is NOT what I’m referring to here! The magic is in a strategy known as bulk cooking, or cooking once for several, or all, days of the week. “Once and done” as we say! 

Rather than cooking one chicken breast for each meal (oh, the horror!), bulk cooking would call for cooking numerous chicken breasts for your meals, all in one cooking session. You can then portion them out for each meal size, refrigerate them, and then re-heat once it’s meal time! BAM! (is that trademarked by Emeril Lagasse?)

2. Set It and Forget It

There are several ‘tools of the trade’ that can be utilized for bulk cooking- and for as many types of food as you can think of! Here are my favorites:

Aroma Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer

These are super cheap (I got mine for <$30 ), and I use it ALL THE TIME! Rice comes out perfectly cooked, perfectly fluffy- and all I do is hit a button.

BONUS: this is able to cook white AND brown rice! Fret not, browns fans :D

Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Cook & Carry Slow Cooker with Digital Timer

*Cue hallelujah music* This little gem can be used for cooking protein, carbs, and even whole meals- all with the push of a button. If you’re a busy professional- especially with a family to feed and don’t have the time to slave in the kitchen all day- meet your magic maker! I can’t tell you how many hours this has saved me, while still turning out delicious meals that taste like I spent the day making them! No, it’s not a crock- more like a pot of gold ;)

OR, if you want to get the ULTIMATE household solution for meal prep and combine EVERYTHING ...

...you'd ever need into ONE device, look no further than the Insta-Pot! Yes, this is a bit of an investment, but this one appliance functions as a: 

• Programmable Pressure Cooker
• Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker
• Yogurt Maker
• Egg Cooker
• Sauté
• Steamer
• Warmer
• Sterilizer

What else could you ask for from one device?! This has changed the lives of MILLIONS of families across the globe: it's super easy to use, consolidates on the number of appliances you have in your kitchen, and makes it all super super EASY! Just check the reviews- the results speak for themselves!

Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer

3. You packin’?

We now know the tremendous value that protein plays in helping us reach our fitness goals (check that article out here if you missed it), and for many of us- myself included- I can’t muster the jaw strength let alone afford the cost of getting it in through meat sources alone. The solution: protein powder! Convenient, super cheap at cost-per-meal, and you can pick just about any flavor under the sun.

Take this a step further and apply it to preparing meals for work. Who wants to carry around a huge jug of protein? I’m not even allowed to have that where I work! The solution again is to portion out your servings ahead of time. I find the best way is by using simple Ziplock? bags. I put one scoop per bag, so that once it’s time to shake things up (cornball here), all I have to do is dump the contents into my shaker bottle! The market has made this even simpler with the creation of shaker bottles that have the storage space already built in, which is another option if you’re looking for a new shaker bottle.

There you have it- my top tips for mastering meal prep for the work place! This is a huge topic that we can really dive into deeper, but I wanted to share my top tips to get you started so you can hit your nutrition and fitness goals where success stems from: planning! If you’re looking to learn more, check out the free resources available at The Fit Pharmacist website- there are over 170 articles to help you nail your nutrition, master your mindset, and fit in fitness so that YOU can become The Fit Pharmacist!