Fish fry’s, backyard BBQs, County fairs, and all the other craving inducing meal centers of summer are coming to tempt you away from your meal prep. Instead of faltering away from your usual meals for summer comfort food, here are 10 Summer Meal Prep ideas you need to try this season.
When working with Summer Meal Prep a major thing to take into account is the season you’re in. Summer is a time to make the most out of the seasonal produce and the outdoor appliances to do with your prep. A big Summer staple is obviously sweet corn, which can be used in hundreds of recipes and combinations. Plus, produce in general prospers during this time of year and can be your predominant source of Summer Meal Prep nutrition. Plus, everyone knows that a classic food preparation that comes along with Summer is cooking outside, whether that’s on a grill, fryer, or smoker-it can open any number of food prep possibilities throughout the season.
As I mentioned before, when t comes to Summer Meal Prep-you cannot beat the food options you can prepare with a good old fashioned grill, or something similar. Where grilling shines is in the fact that it is so versatile at foods you can prepare with it, and also the quantity you can prepare on it. If you are a fan of that smoky char taste with your foods, then Summer Meal Prep will be some of the best prep you do all year. The flavor alone enhances any food prep you wish to do and keeps foods from being bland or overly repetitive throughout the week. Plus, as I mentioned, if you’re a prepper who likes to make meals for multiple weeks in advance, a grill can be a lifesaver with preparing a vast amount of protein to infuse into your meals.
A big factor to work around when it comes to Summer Meal Prep is the very apparent summer heat. If you’re familiar with meal prepping, you know that meals tend to be stored in plastic containers and either eaten at home or carried around throughout your day to eat later. This is predominantly done so that the temptation to pick up fast food or other unhealthy quick food options is squashed. However, having these convenient meals on you to eat throughout the day can turn sour quickly if you’re out in the summer heat. Those plastic containers are natural heat traps and can quickly turn your food swampy or wilted depending on what type of food you are carrying around. Be sure to use appropriate means of storage and keep your food prep revolving around your lifestyle and the temperatures you will encounter during your Summer Meal Prep
Much like our heat discussion with the last idea, it is crucial to ensure your meal prep recipes are beneficial to you during the season. When you’re out in the summer heat, foods that are heavily savory or too heavyset can really wear you down while you’re out in the sun and can sap your energy. Keep your recipes centered around fresh, crisp, and refreshing options for your Summer Meal Prep to counteract the Summer heat and keep you refueled and refreshed throughout your day.
Another big factor in this time of year that can affect your Summer Meal Prep is the general timeframes that can change for those people during this time of people being off work or planning vacations. If you are concerned with taking meal prep with you while you are on your vacations, you need to ensure that you have the necessary means to do so. Or, for some individuals, they simply want to bring meal prep snacks so that they can avoid eating out too much while they’re in paradise. Otherwise, if you have this time of the year completely off, get experimental with your Summer Meal Prep ideas. This will be a great time to start trying some new recipes and foods you can discover that you like for the rest of the year.
Beating the summer heat in meal prep during the season is going to require lots of fluid intakes. Unfortunately, this is something many people in Summer Meal Prep don’t think of and it tends to really wear them out if they’re on a strict calorie allotment. If you’re out being active in summer you need to ensure that your fluid of choice with your Summer Meal Prep is in line with the nutrients and hydration you require to rehydrate. Electrolyte heavy beverages or simply larger amounts of water will serve you well during your summer prepping.
Another factor that comes with Summer, are the constant environment changes you will be working with. Whether you’re on vacation, or you’re simply enjoying the summer weather and eating outside-you need to prepare your meals accordingly. Ensure that your foods aren’t overly sugary so as to not attract bugs, or ensure your containers are sealed well against the elements-like sand on a beach.
As mentioned before, summertime is well known for refreshing meal ideas and fresh produce. So please for your taste buds sake’s don’t let all the options and diversity go to waste when summertime comes around. Produce is at its peak and summer dish ideas are abundant in every possible category of meals. Whether you’re looking for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even just some snacks along the way, use summer to its full potential for your Summer Meal Prep.
As mentioned before with the ability to cook large portions in grills or smokers, you need to embrace bulk shopping and cooking in the summertime. Given holidays like the 4th of July, and other general BBQ sales in many local grocery stores- you will find produce and protein readily abundant at this time of year for cheaper prices. Don’t let this go to waste, and be sure to stock your freezer full so you can skip shopping so often during this time of year, and save some money.
As I mentioned with the hydration idea mentioned above in the list, you need to be sure you are getting the nutrients that you need. Summertime can be brutal or mild depending on your location, so you need to plan your meals accordingly. Because, if you are an individual who lives in an area where your summers are harsh-you need to make sure you’re getting the calorie count and nutrients needed to sustain yourself. This goes double for anyone who is overly active and in the sun all day. Ensure you aren’t starving yourself, and that you have enough food and nutrients to keep you happy and healthy during your summer excursions.
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