Just know I'm not a health nut or Nutritionist, I'm just a 22-year-old College senior who likes to have some food balance in my life. It's always best to find what days work best for you to cook in bulk. For example, I like Sundays or Wednesdays, so you aren't eating the same thing every single day! P.S Pinterest will be your very best friend, and it might be a good idea to invest in a slow cooker from Amazon!
From my experience the foods you buy should be:
-Relatively inexpensive food, especially when you're figuring out what you're going to consistently eat.
-It should be whole foods (not the store) - The food should consist of wholesome, real ingredients.
-I primarily follow a low-carb approach, so the foods I recommend are generally of the low-carb variety,
-Many of the foods should last for a long time. It's TOO STRESSFUL to feel like there's so much fresh food in the fridge (or mini-fridge) that you must eat asap. This way, you can truly choose what you WANT to eat WHEN you feel like it. For these reasons, I highly stress finding good, wholesome food for the pantry and freezer that's non-perishable.
IN THE FREEZER
Frozen non-starchy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
Frozen proteins such as turkey burger and chicken breasts, shrimp, salmon, etc.
Frozen meals low in starchy foods, such as Trader Joe's cauliflower crust pizza, or their frozen spinach & artichoke dip (eat it like a soup - SO good)
IN THE FRIDGE
Eggs last a long time, a few weeks at least (plus super cheap)
Cheeses in all varieties such as slices, round cheese in wax, string cheese, crumbled cheese, etc. also last a long time
Some fresh vegetables each week are nice to have - they give you more options when cooking! Examples: asparagus, bell peppers, and broccoli
IN THE PANTRY
-Low-carb snacks like baked cheese "crackers", turkey or beef jerky, and single-serving packs of nuts
-Canned tuna and salmon
-Oatmeal
-Peanut Butter (can be used for sweet tooth, smoothies, dipping)
BREAKFAST IDEAS
Avocado toast, eggs, smoothies (include your favorite fruit or veggies combos with almond milk and ice), oatmeal with fruit, breakfast burritos, peanut butter, and banana toast, and egg sandwiches, yogurt with berries and granola.
LUNCH IDEAS
Pre-made salads, soup, grilled chicken and veggies/rice, turkey/chicken wraps, turkey taco salad, healthy wraps.
SNACKS
Hummus and Pita chips, mixed nuts, bananas, canned tuna, cottage cheese, apples or celery sticks with a dip of your choice.
DINNER IDEAS
Chicken with rice or veggies, grilled salmon and green beans, vegetarian quesadillas, lettuce wrapped burgers, at home veggie pizza, fish tacos, zucchini noodle recipes.
Keeping some Tupperware around has its advantages, first of which is that you can stop eating when you're full and save the food for later.
I prefer glass, but liquids can seep through. If you're carrying food around in your bag, it may be safer (for your computer) if you use plastic containers - which hold liquids a little better.
Write your name on your items in sharpie so that no one steals them - or your food!
All these ideas are solely based on your personal nutrition requirements and how much you want to spend on food each week. Don't overload your fridge the first few weeks you're trying out your new meal prep ideas!
