Most Americans spend about 40 minutes every day preparing their meals.

If you’re juggling a life of work, kids, social activities, and other obligations, you might not be able to spend 40 minutes on dinner.

Quick meals are often unhealthy, but they don’t have to be.

Check out these four meal prep for weight loss tips that’ll help you improve your health.

1. Cook Large Portions

Finding time to prepare healthy meals during the week can be a challenge. That’s why your refrigerator and freezer should become your new best friend.

Instead of cooking a new dinner meal every night, cook a large portion of a single meal at the beginning of the week. Separate the leftovers into serving-sized Tupperware and store them in the fridge or freezer.

Even though you only cooked once, you have the next several meals prepared already.

But this doesn’t mean you have to eat the same thing every day. If you don’t give yourself any variety, you might get tired of your food. You can prepare individual ingredients, like chicken or rice, and pair them up however you want later.

2. Prep the Meals You Struggle With

If you have a hard time eating a healthy breakfast before work, make sure you prepare breakfast foods in advance. If you have a hard time squeezing dinner into your busy schedule, focus on evening meal preparation.

Set aside a few hours every Sunday to cook, portion, and store these meals. Putting together healthy options at the beginning of the week means you won’t have to resort to fast, unhealthy alternatives instead.

3. Keep Healthy Snacks on Hand

Your body will probably want a snack in the middle of the afternoon. As long as you have healthy options, snacking throughout the day isn’t a problem. Things like hardboiled eggs or chopped vegetables can help you fight hunger between meals.

But you have to be careful with snack foods.

Nuts are full of protein, but they’re also full of calories. Taking a handful of cashews without thinking about it can put you way over your calorie mark. So make sure you portion your snacks into acceptable quantities.

If you have some long work days during the week, pack your snacks ahead of time. You can grab them as you’re running out the door instead of ending up at the vending machine.

4. Plan for Your Cravings

Odds are you’re going to have cravings for salty, sweet, or crunchy foods. Instead of trying to beat these cravings, spend some time preparing for them.

A trail mix can help you satisfy your desire for salty or crunchy foods. Dark chocolate can help your sweet tooth stay under control. Think of ways you can come up with low-calorie alternatives for your favorite snacks.

You can make chocolate peanut butter energy balls for an afternoon snack. If you’re an ice cream person, learn how to make healthy ice cream out of fruit. Don’t forbid yourself from eating these foods, just find healthy versions.

Meal Prep for Weight Loss

When you prepare your meals at the beginning of the week, you don’t have to worry about cooking healthy foods every day. This means you stay healthy without doing as much of the work. If you’re interested in meal prep for weight loss, make sure you cook large meals, use the freezer, stick to portion control, and find alternatives for cravings.

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