Life can get busy. Whether shuffling kids around to different activities, working long hours, or being involved in a variety of things, our days can go fast. On top of that, you may need to answer the question, what’s for dinner?
Meal prepping can be an easy and effective way to answer that question. By planning ahead and preparing meals ahead of time, you can take one less thing off your plate. And meal prepping doesn’t have to be boring, either. With the help of flavorful ingredients like oils and vinegars, you can enhance your recipes to enjoy again and again.
Ready to get started? Here, we’ll share what meal prepping is and how you can take your meals to the next level with the help of oils and vinegars.
What is Meal Prepping?
Meal prep is exactly what its name implies–preparing meals ahead of time and portioning them out for easy access during the week. You can prep some key ingredients of a dish, such as rice, vegetables, or pasta. Or, plan ahead and prepare a full recipe to save for later. Meal prepping and meal planning can help you save time during the week. Rather than figuring out what to make on a busy weeknight, you can just reach into the fridge or freezer and enjoy your meal.
Meal prep can also help save you money as you’re not tempted to buy things from the grocery store that you don’t need because you’ve already got the week planned out.
Weekly Meal Prep
Most often, people meal prep for a week at a time. This ensures that the foods prepared stay fresh and good to eat. On your meal prep day, you can make full dishes and recipes to enjoy later or prepare ingredients such as cutting up vegetables to use in a dish later in the week.
Preparing food for the week may seem intimidating at first, but with a plan, flavorful ingredients, and taking one mealtime at a time, you can become a meal prep pro.
There’s no one best way to meal prep. Instead, find what works for you and your family and enjoy the journey.
Using Oils & Vinegars in Meal Prep
Incorporating olive oils and vinegars into your meal prep plans can help transform your dishes from boring to flavorful. Not only do these ingredients enhance the flavor of a dish, they also can boost the health benefits of what you’re eating, too.
Olive oil and vinegar can also be used in practically any dish you are preparing for the week. Whether a savory breakfast sandwich, a salad stored in a mason jar for lunch, or a rich dinner that all will enjoy, each dish can be enhanced with oil and vinegar.
Next, we’ll share some inspiration for choosing easy and quick recipes for your meal prep plans.
Easy Breakfasts
Mornings can sure be chaotic. Meal prepping can help you find the fuel you need for the day much easier.
Go savory by whipping up egg bake cups that are individual-sized and ready to reheat-in the microwave. The Butter olive oil used in this recipe can add that favorite buttery flavor while maintaining a healthy recipe.
Opt for a sweet treat like a French Toast Bake, made with Iron Fish Bourbon Barrel Maple Syrup and Michigan Apple balsamic for a fun, flavorful, and reheat-able morning.
Simple Salads
Salads can be one of the easiest things to meal prep for a lunch or dinner option. And, a mason jar can be the perfect vessel for combining and storing all your favorite salad ingredients. To top off your salad when ready to enjoy, mix up your favorite simple olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.
Be sure to add in some protein in your salad, like in this Caribbean Chicken Salad that features a vinaigrette of Mango balsamic and Persian Lime olive oil. Prep ingredients ahead of time for salads like this Blueberry Walnut salad, including a flavorful dressing of West Michigan Blueberry balsamic vinegar and Roasted Walnut oil. Find more inspiration by browsing Fustini’s salad recipes online.
Versatile Marinades
Preparing marinades ahead of time and letting the flavors soak into your meats can also be a great way to meal prep. With just a few ingredients, you can create a healthy meat marinade that doesn’t compromise on flavor.
Choose a steak marinade like this simple Flank Steak Marinade that incorporates Vinoso vinegar and a SELECT olive oil for a simple and versatile flavor combination. Add flavor to a chicken dish by creating your chicken marinade ahead of time. This Lemon Marinated Chicken recipe features a delicious combination of Citrus Oregano balsamic vinegar and Meyer Lemon olive oil.
Grill up marinated meats on the weekend and incorporate the leftovers into dishes during the week. No matter what meat you’re cooking up, you can create a flavor-packed marinade for easy meal prep.
Perfect Pastas
Pasta dishes are another category of meals that can be perfect for meal prepping. This Ramen Carbonara recipe is easy to make in bulk and keep in the fridge for the week. This Buffalo Chicken Pasta turns up the heat with the help of Peperoncino Garlic olive oil and sriracha. Add a few ingredients together in this Creamy Sausage and Peppers Pasta dish and you’ll be set for a flavorful week–with the help of Tuscan Herb olive oil and Sicilian Lemon balsamic vinegar.
Create Your Flavor-Packed Meals
Prepped meals don’t need to be boring and flavorless. With the help of olive oils and vinegars from Fustini’s, you can plan and prepare meals that burst with healthy and delicious flavor that you’ll look forward to each day. For more recipe inspiration, check out our recipe guides at fustinis.com.