Meal Prep Made Easy - Four Simple Meal Prep Steps - Meal Planning & Storage Guide

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Angel

Meal Prep Made Easy provides a practical Healthy Eating Plate–based approach for preparing nutrient-packed meals throughout the week. It explains four simple steps: plan menus and shopping lists, stock a pantry with essentials, choose efficient prep time to cook staples together, and portion meals using a handy serving-size guide. The brochure also suggests nourishment bowl combinations, offers dressing and flavor ideas, and lists storage times for dairy, eggs, meat, and vegetables to help meals stay fresh.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Four Simple Meal Prep Steps

1. Make a plan

2. Stock your pantry

3. Pick a prep time

4. Portion it out

Handy Portion Guide

Nourishment Bowl Formula

Storage Times

The Harvard Healthy Eating Plate Let’s Move Pittsburgh uses the Healthy Eating Plate model created by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as a guide for nutrition recommendations. Meal Prep Made Easy Make Nutrient-Packed Meals for the Whole Week Copyright © 2011, Harvard University. For more information about The Healthy Eating Plate, please see The Nutrition Source, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, [www.thenutritionsource.org](www.thenutritionsource.org), and Harvard Health Publications, [www.health.harvard.edu](www.health.harvard.edu). Additional Sources: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Connect with Us! [letsmovepittsburgh.org](letsmovepittsburgh.org) [letsmovepittsburgh.org/Blog](letsmovepittsburgh.org/Blog) [letsmove@phipps.conservatory.org](letsmove@phipps.conservatory.org) Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens One Schenley Park | Pittsburgh, PA 15213 [412/622-6914 | phipps.conservatory.org](412/622-6914 | phipps.conservatory.org) Select photos © Cory Doman Printed with plant-based inks on 100-percent post-consumer recycled paper Four Simple Meal Prep Steps: 1. Make a plan. In the beginning of the week, write out a simple menu and organized shopping list. Use the nourishment bowl information inside this brochure to explore healthy combinations. 2. Stock your pantry. Always keep essentials on hand to cut down on the time you spend in the grocery store. Cross off pantry items from your grocery list to avoid buying duplicates. Save money by buying staple items like grains and beans in bulk. 3. Pick a prep time that works for you. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't take a whole day to meal prep. If you only have a few hours to spend in the kitchen, use that time wisely by preparing multiple meal staples simultaneously. 4. Portion it out. One of the major benefits of meal prepping is that it requires you to portion out your meals. Checkout the handy portion guide to see the recommended serving size for each food group. Invest in microwave-safe storage containers to properly store your meals. Handy Portion Guide 1 2 Handful Equal to ½ cup Grains, beans, potatoes Palm Equal to 3 oz. Poultry, fish, beef, pork Fist Equal to 1 cup Yogurt, milk, veggies, fruit Thumb Equal to 2 Tbsp. Nut butter, cheese, salad dressing Nourishment Bowl Formula Brown Rice Sweet Potato Farro Eggs Chicken Beans 3 roast 2 – 3 vegetables Brussels Sprouts 4 dress it up! | Thai Peanut | Honey Mustard | Greek | | --- | --- | --- | 2 tsp. lime juice 2 Tbsp. peanut butter [1 Tbsp. soy](1 Tbsp. soy) sauce 2 tsp. maple syrup ¼ tsp. chili garlic [2 tsp. apple](2 tsp. apple) cider vinegar 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard 2 tsp. honey 2 tsp. red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. olive oil ½ tsp. lemon juice 2 cloves garlic Oregano, basil Storage Times dairy Opened milk: 4 – 7 days Opened soy milk: 7 – 10 days Opened cheese: 2 – 3 weeks Opened yogurt: 5 – 7 days eggs Fresh eggs: 3 – 5 weeks Hard-boiled: 1 week Quiche: 3 – 4 days meat Cooked poultry, pork, beef, fish: 3 – 4 days Fresh poultry, fish: 1 – 2 days Fresh pork, beef: 3 – 5 days vegetables Beets, celery, carrots: 2 weeks Beans, lentils, peas: 3 – 5 days Kale, spinach, lettuce, collards: 5 – 7 days Cucumbers, broccoli, peppers: 1 week Find recipes, healthy lifestyle tips and more at [letsmovepittsburgh.org/blog](letsmovepittsburgh.org/blog)

FAQs

How do you start meal prepping using the brochure’s first step?

Write a simple weekly menu and create an organized shopping list. Use the nourishment bowl information in the brochure to explore healthy combinations.

What are the recommended pantry and shopping practices in the guide?

Keep essentials on hand to reduce grocery-store trips. Cross off pantry items to avoid duplicates, and save money by buying staples like grains and beans in bulk.

How does the brochure recommend portioning and storing meals?

Portion meals using the handy portion guide for each food group, then store them in microwave-safe containers. Storage times are provided for dairy, eggs, meat, and vegetables.

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Angel