My 10 real-life tips for starting out with healthy meal prep
Let’s be honest — meal prep sounds amazing in theory, but in reality, it can feel a bit overwhelming when you’re first starting out.
You want to eat healthy, save time, and stop throwing out limp spinach at the end of every week… but where do you even begin?
As a busy mum, business owner, and someone who’s spent years helping women take back control of their health, here are my 10 real-life tips to make meal prep actually doable — and dare I say, enjoyable!
✅ 1. Don’t Try to Prep Everything
You do not need to prep breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for seven days straight. Start small.
✨ My tip: Choose just 2–3 meals to prep ahead — like lunches for work or family dinners on busy nights.
✅ 2. Use a Meal Plan or Template
When you wing it, you waste food and time. A simple weekly meal plan gives you structure and saves you from midweek stress.
✨ Zing Wellbeing has done-for-you plans so it takes the hard work out of it for you - you can become a member here
✅ 3. Double Up Your Dinners
Want a meal prep hack that doesn’t feel like prep? Just double your dinner recipe and pack the leftovers for lunch. No extra thinking. No extra mess.
✅ 4. Choose Meals That Reheat Well
Not all meals are created equal in the reheat department.
✨ Great options:
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Curries
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Stir fries
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Pasta bakes
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Soups
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Slow cooker meals
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Avoid: salads that go soggy, or fish unless you love a fishy office microwave.
✅ 5. Use Ingredients More Than Once
This is key to saving money and reducing waste.
✨ Example:
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Roast a tray of veggies and use them in a buddha bowl, wrap, and frittata.
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Cook mince once and use for both tacos and stuffed capsicums.
✅ 6. Get the Right Containers
Invest in a few good quality containers that don’t leak and stack easily. Glass or BPA-free plastic are great. Having the right tools makes it 10x easier.
✅ 7. Pick a Prep Window (and Set the Vibe)
Choose a regular time each week (like Sunday arvo or Monday morning). Pop on a podcast or playlist and make it your “me time.”
This turns meal prep from a chore into a ritual.
✅ 8. Keep a Stocked Pantry
A well-stocked pantry makes last-minute meals so much easier.
✨ Must-haves:
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Canned beans and chickpeas
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Quinoa or brown rice
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Coconut milk
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Tinned tomatoes
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Spices like cumin, paprika, turmeric, garlic powder
✅ 9. Freeze Like a Boss
Freezer meals are your secret weapon.
✨ Make double batches of bolognese, soup, or chilli and freeze half for another week.
Label with the date and you’ve got a healthy backup plan when life gets chaotic.
✅ 10. Make It Your Own
Don’t compare your prep to Pinterest-perfect containers or Instagram influencers.
Your goal is to eat better, feel better, and reduce stress — not add more.
Some weeks you’ll nail it. Some weeks you’ll just cut up veggies. Both are wins.
My meal prep recipes this week
And here is some meal prep I did this week - super easy and I easy to make and all delicious.
Gut friendly lasagne - get the recipe here
Vegetarian fritters - get the recipe here
Easy Frittata - get the recipe here
At Zing Wellbeing, we’re here to support women with real-life tools, not pressure or perfectionism.
You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight — just take the next step, one container at a time.
Not a member - join here
