We're the Instagram generation. Ergo, we love meal prep.
I learned to cook when I was young, and I kind of loved it. Why? Like all children, I believed in lies, particularly when it came to useless and incorrect things, like the Tooth Fairy, '90s toy commercials, or how to boil an egg.
When I was in my early 20s, a friend taught me the very basics of Korean cooking, which revived my interest in eating well and heartily, and enjoying the satisfaction of preparing good food for my closest friends.
Then I started grad school, worked two to three jobs in order to pay for grad school, and felt my future become less about #goals and more of a fuzzy theoretical possibility. So I stopped cooking. Why? I am too f*cking tired.
Of course, I'm not alone. "Millennial burnout" is that contentious but measurable phenomenon whereby my entire generation was raised to "optimize" ourselves and our time and our productivity 24/7—to the point that technology is rewiring our brains to think like machines, until we'll inevitably have to forfeit some of our humanity just to become viable members of the work force one day (okay, that's an exaggeration, but I did read it on the Internet). And with millennials earning an average of "20% less than boomers despite being better educated," it's not like we're ordering takeout every other night of the week. In fact, surveys suggest young people ages 18 to 29 are staying at home to cook more than previous generations. You know, because we're broke as sh*t and stuff.
So with all that in mind, we, the Instagram generation, love the concept of meal prep. Accounts from all over the world and all levels of experience, from professionals to adventurous amateurs, share their tips and easy recipes. You don't have to have energy or motivation or faith in the future to prepare interesting and tasty snacks ahead of time; you just have to follow directions.
Find DIY Recipes for Restaurant Favorites
If you ever, and we mean ever, pay $6 for a "cheese and fruit bistro box" from Starbucks, you don't deserve nice things. You can find copycat versions of Starbuck's entrees all over the Internet, but one of the best comes from, where else, but Instagram. @damn_delicious is one of the most popular meal prep accounts, with links to easy recipes and tips.
In fact, you should Google copycats of all of your guilty pleasures. Instead of blowing $10 on a sandwich every other day, you can prepare a dupe at home and save the cash. Even when you're feeling exhausted, knowing that you already enjoy what you're preparing (and saving money) can motivate you to pack that cheese in advance.
INGREDIENTS:
1 ounce aged cheddar cheese, sliced
1 ounce Gouda, sliced
1 ounce Brie, cut into a wedge
1/4 cup nine-grain crackers
3 slices Granny Smith apple
2 tablespoons raw almonds
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
DIRECTIONS:
Place cheeses, crackers, apple, almonds and cranberries into meal prep containers.
Michelle Tam on Instagram: “{NEW} My Matcha Pudding recipe is on the blog and iOs app! It’s no secret that I love matcha SO VERY MATCHA. 🍵 So much so that I’m…”
When you can't muster the energy to prepare a full meal for that moment, let alone meals for the whole week, focus on preparing filling snacks to consume throughout your day. Many nutritionists recommend eating 5 small meals rather than 2 or 3 large ones, anyway. So small but filling snacks, like Michelle Tam (@nomnompaleo)'s matcha pudding recipe, give you the most energy for your time and effort.
Warning: This is not a quick and easy recipe, necessarily. But it's fun, and it's dessert, so that can be enough motivate you to actually give this recipe a try. We recommend it because it's the kind of recipe with enough steps to lull you into that near-meditative state that cooking- and baking-lovers get hooked on. If nothing else, it's pudding. How can you go wrong with pudding?
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons matcha
1 can (13.5 ounces) full fat coconut milk, divided
2 teaspoons gelatin
2 tablespoons honey (or more to taste)
⅛ teaspoon Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 raspberries (optional garnish)
Preparation
Measure out the matcha into a small bowl.
Shake the can of coconut milk well, and whisk ¼ cup of it with the matcha. (It's okay if the coconut milk has some clumps—you'll blend them smooth with an immersion blender later.)
Stir in the gelatin to bloom/rehydrate. Set the bowl aside.
Next, heat the remaining coconut milk, honey, and salt over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sweetened milk is steaming, but not boiling.
Once the flavored coconut milk is hot, take the pot off the heat and add the gelatin/matcha/coconut milk mixture to the pot and stir well.
Pour in the vanilla extract.
Use an immersion blender to whisk everything together, or transfer the matcha milk to a blender and mix until uniform. No matcha chunks, please!
Pour the matcha mixture into a medium bowl. Chill the pudding in the fridge for 30 minutes uncovered. Then, cover and chill for an additional 1½ hours or until solid. You can keep the pudding in the fridge for up to 4 days before serving.
When you're ready to serve the pudding, grab a hand mixer and beat the pudding until it's nice and fluffy. Be patient—it will go from chunky to smooth, I promise!
Paige Adams on Instagram: “Crispy roasted chickpeas are the new croutons, right? Per my usual strategy, this salad has a little bit of everything: kale, grapefruit,…”
Listen: Saying you "don't like salads" is like saying you "don't like carbs," in that there are so many diverse versions that it's not a monolithic group and so you sound dumb. Don't like leafy greens? Skip them and make a lentil salad, bean salad, egg salad, tuna salad, beet salad. Don't be boring! And don't settle. @lastingredient writes about an easy chickpea salad, and you can also find an easy meal prep Thai salad with easy peanut dressing here.
Rachel Maser (CleanFoodCrush) on Instagram: “{NEW} Mexican Inspired Chicken + Rice Skillet 🍅🌱 Taco Tuesday in a flash! ⚡ This skillet meal comes together in about 20 minutes, and all…”
We all know how long that glass has been sitting on your bedside table, or how long that cereal bowl has been on the floor. That's gross. You're gross. But it's okay, we're all grosser than we look.
So obviously, you want to prepare meals with minimal mess. Scope out good options for one-pot or one-pan, quick and easy meals. It's particularly easy to grab a taste of Southwestern flavor with make-your-own burrito bowls or this skillet recipe from @cleanfoodcrush. All you have to prepare ahead of time is the cooked rice, follow the steps, and within 20 minutes, all your week day meals are prepared within one skillet for easy clean-up.
Meal Prep On Fleek on Instagram: “Who else agrees that the stuffing is the best Thanksgiving side there is? 🙋 (If you don't agree then we can't be friends. JK 😉 ) But, even…”
You don't have to go without your favorite family recipes or holiday staples just because you'd prefer to dine alone. @mealpreponfleek spotlights single serving recipes like this one to enjoy Thanksgiving stuffing without the burden of feeding other people or caring about their holiday stress or general well-being at all.
Besides, when in doubt, go ahead and prepare the whole feast, because anyone who says they "don't eat leftovers" needs to check their privilege and embrace the joy of cold turkey.
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