Rhian shares her 10 real-life tips for starting out with healthy meal prep
Meal prep doesn’t need to feel overwhelming or unrealistic. With the right approach, you can save time, cut food waste, and make healthy eating easier for the whole family.
As a busy mum and business owner, Rhian shares her 10 practical, real-life tips to help you start meal prepping in a way that actually works — even if you’re short on time.
Rhian shares her 10 real-life tips for starting out with healthy meal prep
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.
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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: Curries, Stir fries, Pasta bakes. Soups, Slow cooker meals
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: Roast a tray of veggies and use them in a buddha bowl, wrap, and frittata.
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
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:Canned beans and chickpeas, Quinoa or brown rice, Coconut milk, Tinned tomatoes, 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
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.