Conquer the Kitchen

Pass the menu, hold the grocery cart.

Despite the overwhelming proof that making our own grub is significantly healthier for us, Americans are spending more money than ever eating out. The culprit? Time. Or, shall we say, a lack thereof. Between carving out enough clicks on the clock for work, family commitments, pumping iron at the gym and Twitter love, it can seem impossible to also have enough time for meal prep. But ditch the brown bag for doggy bags too often and you seriously risk blowing up your physique, since restaurant fare notoriously lacks the quality calories you can create in your own kitchen.

Luckily, meal prepping doesn’t have to be a logistical nightmare nor marked by less-than-appetizing leftovers, provided you employ strategic bulk cooking. All you need is a plan for how to whip up a few easy and tasty meals in bulk that you can divvy up between containers. In the long run you’ll save time and money (you keep the tip) while assuring that you stick to your clean-eating meal plan for improved fitness gains.

And when you meal prep for days in advance — as has been advocated for decades — you free yourself from the burden of fretting about what to cook for dinner or make for the next day’s lunch. Think of the freedom.

Where to start? Use our master grocery list and dive into the speedy, easy-to-store recipes that follow for the three main meals of the day that’ll keep you well fed on high-quality nutrition all week long. Best of all, they’re so easy to pull off that even a culinary newbie won’t be calling for pizza delivery in response to his or her next #epickitchenfail.

Future Foods

Follow these tips to get the most out of your bulk cooking sessions and develop a menu that powers your progress all week long.

Plan ahead: Be sure to have a detailed list of the items you need so you don’t waste any cooking time having to drive back to the grocery store for a crucial ingredient. Keep your list in order of where you’ll find items in the grocery store — meat, dairy, produce, etc. — so your trip is quick and efficient.

Load up: Gyms aren’t the only place to seek out mass. Many supermarkets offer discount prices when buying meats such as chicken and pork in volume. Use what you need and freeze the rest for future bulk-cooking sessions.

Time management: Set aside about two hours per week to devote to a bulk cooking session. Got anything better planned for a Sunday afternoon as you wait for football season to start? We thought not.

Well contained: Make-ahead meals should be stored only in sturdy containers with lids that secure tightly. Have a few different sizes on hand. Wide-mouth Mason-style jars are a good option for layering in meals and snacks that you’ll eat straight from the fridge. Pint-sized jars work for overnight oats or snacks like Greek yogurt and toppings. You want quart- or 2-quart-sized jars for larger premade meals. If you’re preparing several items at once, it’s a good idea to label containers using tape and a marker.

Chill out: Set your refrigerator at the optimal temperature of 40 degrees. This will keep your preportioned meals safer, longer. There’s nothing worse than leftovers whose taste has “evolved” due to improper storage. And, of course, containers are best transported in a cooler to maintain food safety.

Subzero heroes: Grains such as rice and quinoa can be cooked in large amounts and then frozen in airtight containers for quick access down the road. The night before you plan to use them for bulk cooking, move them to the refrigerator. Proteins such as chicken and pork, but not fish, can also be precooked and frozen.

Nuke attack: If zapping meals in the microwave, loosen the lid to allow steam to escape and heat on high until warmed through, stirring the food once or twice during the reheating process to eliminate cold spots. Use only containers deemed microwave-safe.

Purposeful Prepper 

When you’re on the march in the supermarket, here are the muscle-friendly ingredients to toss in the cart.

• Fruits/Vegetables
• Avocados
• Baby spinach
• Broccoli
• Canned pineapple
• Carrots
• Cherry tomatoes
• Fresh or frozen blueberries
• Frozen corn
• Limes
• Mangoes
• Red bell peppers
• Scallions
• Sweet potatoes

Proteins

• Black beans
• Eggs
• Pork tenderloin
• Protein powder
• Rotisserie chicken
• Salmon

Grains

• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Steel-cut oats

Dairy

• Greek yogurt
• Milk

Other

• Almond butter
• Canned chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce
• Cilantro
• Cinnamon
• Coconut milk
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Ground flaxseed
• Rice vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Sriracha hot sauce