Farmer’s Market Shopping: 5 Meal Prepping Tips

If you’re captivated by piles of produce at your local farmer’s market or overwhelmed by the quantity in your new CSA subscription box, meal prepping is a fabulous idea for several reasons.

Meal-prepping, or batch-preparing, several meals in advance can improve the quality and variety of your diet by making it easy to introduce more diverse, nutrient-dense foods. It’s also linked to weight loss and obesity prevention and helps you avoid unhealthy takeout meals.

Meal prepping saves time (one day of meal prep equals food for a week) and money (less eating out!) while reducing food waste. In other words, it’s a win!

If you’re new to meal prepping, the following meal-prepping tips will ensure your weekly trips to the farmer’s market don’t go to waste.

1. Make A Meal Prep Plan

You might wonder how cooking can be quicker than visiting the drive-thru.

Meal-prepping entails shopping in bulk for food, cooking large batches, and returning to those meals throughout the week. So, while you spend one-day shopping and cooking, the rest of your meals are easily accessible and require reheating at most. 

Plan for the week or month before heading to the farmer’s market. Consider what day you’ll shop and whether you’ll cook it the same day or the next. Take stock of your current inventory and list the necessary ingredients (and stick to it!). 

Having a plan makes the act of buying food and cooking it feel less overwhelming.

2. Stay Stocked Up On Staples

Grabbing for a snack or meal is easy if you keep kitchen staples around that you love. You can eat them as-is or add to them if you have time.

Some food staples include: 

• Hardboiled eggs (great on their own or as a salad topper)
• Washed greens (for salads or on sandwiches) 
• Cooked beans
• Chopped fruit
• Quinoa

You get the idea!

3. Learn About Batch Cooking

Batch cooking is simple. Double or triple the recipe to yield larger quantities and use them all week (or month!). 

You don’t need fancy equipment to batch cook, but having a few pieces of standard equipment will make your life easier. Invest in a few good-quality knives and buy two or three cutting boards in various colors to keep cross-contamination to a minimum. A salad spinner is a must to keep those leafy greens in good shape!

Soups, casseroles, and curries are some meals that translate well to batches. You can also batch-cook individual ingredients, like potatoes or beans, and reheat them as a snack or meal or as ingredients for other meals. 

To ensure freshness, eat cooked foods within three to seven days of cooking or store them in the freezer. You might also try your hand at canning or pickling!

4. Use The Right Containers

Using appropriate storage methods is crucial to keeping food fresh. Mason jars are a great way to store salads, smoothies, oatmeal, and more.

Other options include:

• Freezer-safe containers that you can date and label, then store until you’re ready
• Collapsible containers that save space when not in use
• Those that come with removable ice packs, perfect for taking food on the go
• Containers that are microwave-, oven-, and dishwasher-safe
• Compartmentalized containers for keeping food separated 

5. Collect And Organize Favorite Recipes

As you experiment with different meals, keep track of your favorites.

You can return to them repeatedly, perhaps making minor substitutions (like new spices) to keep things interesting. 

Use cookbooks, handwritten recipe cards, or print recipes from the Internet and put them in sleeves to quickly reference them.

Meal Prepping Tips For The Novice To The Expert

By following the advice above, you’ll be well on your way to a balanced, nutritious, and healthy diet.

Find the best farmer’s market in your area, then use these meal-prepping tips to ensure your fridge is stocked with great meals for a week! 

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