Summer is here, and it offers the perfect opportunity for you to refresh your weekly meal plan. Are you looking for a healthier diet but unsure where to start? If your goal is to eat healthier in a consistent way, trying out some new meal prep ideas is a great place to start. We’ve prepared our top 5 gourmet meal preparation tips to help you with getting started on your journey to refreshing, healthier eating.

We offer both pay as you go and pay monthly meal plans, and there are so many options to choose from if you're looking to keep your meal choices creative and try lots of beautiful dishes.

1)      Plan your weekly shop

A sensible place to start when it comes to gourmet meal preparation is to actually make a list of what you need and plan your route around the supermarket. Don't feel tempted into taking advantage of those pesky end of aisle promotions, it'll save you some pennies, and we promise that by planning your route, you'll have a healthier diet too. Go into the store, knowing how many servings of proteins, grains, and vegetables you need. When you get home, get creative to use up everything you've purchased, and make enough for leftovers.

2)      Use a recipe book

This might seem like an obvious one, but it’s always good to keep a recipe book on hand. If you are switching between magazines, cookbooks, and recipes on your computer, it is going to take you a lot longer to figure out what you want to make. If you do gather recipes from multiple sources, try out a recipe folder, it’ll help you to keep everything together.

3)      Label your food (with dates too)

We mentioned earlier that it's essential to make enough for leftovers, this is because it helps to reduce your food waste, and, it will also help you out if you need a quick meal too. You can freeze your leftovers to save time after a busy day at work; however, it's wise to label the meals you're also freezing. Or, if you're keeping freshly prepared food in the fridge, it's essential to mark this with dates too.

4)      It’s all a balancing act!

Do you struggle to keep an eye on the time in the kitchen? Sometimes it can become overwhelming when you’re cooking several food items, and they all take different times to cook. Before you start cooking, it is helpful to think about which foods are going to take the longest to cook. Get those items started first, and then you can cook multiple things at the same time instead of preparing everything separately.

5)      Finally, chop your veg ahead of time!

Nobody likes chopping vegetables, it's annoying! Wouldn't it be better if you could do it all at once and then grab and go as you need them through the week? For instance, you could chop your vegetables on a Sunday for the week ahead. Then, when it comes to cooking a meal, your vegetables will be ready for you to use instantly. It's a great tip for if you're feeling rushed.