Mia Rigden’s Prime Meal Prep Suggestions for a More healthy, Stress-Free Week

Meal prep typically will get a nasty rap. Visions of infinite chopping, bland containers of rooster and rice, and full Sundays spent within the kitchen could make even probably the most enthusiastic dwelling cook dinner draw back. However in keeping with board-certified nutritionist and classically educated chef Mia Rigden, it doesn’t need to be this manner. In reality, Mia Rigden’s meal prep tips supply a recent method to simplify your week, preserve your recipes thrilling, and assist your nutrition goals with out the stress. For Mia, it’s not simply in regards to the meals. As a substitute, it’s about creating rituals that nourish your physique and thoughts whereas protecting your meals vibrant and recent.

Mia Rigden’s Meal Prep Suggestions for a Wholesome, Stress-Free Week

On this information, Mia shares her knowledgeable suggestions for mastering meal prep in a manner that feels intuitive and galvanizing. From realizing which proteins to prioritize to making a game-changing pantry, these habits are designed that will help you eat properly with out sacrificing time or taste. Mia’s method redefines meal prep, proving it’s potential to streamline your cooking routine whereas nonetheless having fun with dynamic, joy-sparking meals that go away you feeling energized and supported all through the week.

To carry these tricks to life, Mia has additionally curated a sample meal plan that serves as the last word reset for 2025. Suppose comforting but nourishing dishes like Rooster & Lentil Soup, Wild Rice & Roasted Vegetable Salad, and Salmon Fusilli with Lemon, Capers, and Broccolini. Every recipe is designed to work in concord with the information she shares, providing a basis for meal prep that’s something however boring. Able to revolutionize your kitchen and embrace the ability of considerate preparation? Let’s dive in.

Psychological Prep Is the First Step

“Meal prep typically turns folks off as a result of they assume they’ll be spending their whole Sunday within the kitchen,” Mia tells me. “However sensible meal prep shouldn’t take greater than an hour or so of bodily prep time.” In line with Mia, the important thing to creating it work is definitely the psychological planning. Taking simply 20 minutes to map out your meals for the week and grocery store effectively units the stage for a seamless routine.

“While you’ve deliberate forward, you’ll be able to repurpose proteins, greens, grains, and sauces to make new and thrilling dishes in minimal time,” she explains. If the considered planning feels daunting, Mia suggests beginning with a framework, like her Sunday Meal Prep sequence. “It does the be just right for you with 5 weekly dinner recipes and a purchasing checklist, so that you’re arrange for fulfillment.”

Easy Is Nice

One of the crucial liberating items of recommendation Mia shared? Don’t overcomplicate it. “Cooking is a good passion, however typically you simply must eat,” she says with amusing. To keep away from the temptation of ordering takeout, Mia recommends protecting a couple of go-to dishes in your again pocket. “Pasta, scrambled eggs, or floor turkey bowls are simple to throw collectively and all the time satisfying,” she shares.

By giving your self permission to simplify, you’ll be able to create meals which can be fast and nourishing with out the strain to whip up one thing elaborate. “Easy is commonly what we find yourself craving most anyway,” Mia provides.

Know Your Proteins

Of all of the meal parts, Mia says meal prepping proteins could be the toughest to improvise. “Greens could be eaten uncooked or sautéed, and grains could be cooked shortly,” she explains. “However if you happen to don’t have a plan to your protein, it’ll be laborious to place a fast meal collectively.” Her recommendation? All the time cook dinner additional. “For those who’re grilling rooster, roasting salmon, or making meatballs, make sufficient for lunch or dinner the following day.”

Mia additionally loves the flexibility of easy proteins, which may simply be remodeled into fully totally different meals with dressings and sauces. “For instance, roasted salmon works superbly with brown rice, roasted greens, and pesto, however it’s additionally glorious in a salad with kimchi, cucumber, avocado, and a sesame dressing—or tossed into pasta with broccoli rabe, lemon, and capers.”

For weeks when time is very tight, Mia leans on premade proteins. “Rotisserie rooster, tofu, frozen burger patties, or tin seafood are lifesavers,” she shares.

Hold an Organized Pantry and Fridge

Mia emphasizes that meal prep begins together with your kitchen setup. “It’s immeasurably simpler and extra pleasing to cook dinner in an organized kitchen,” she says. For those who’re committing to meal prep, contemplate it the proper alternative for a pantry and fridge refresh. “A kitchen reorg is an effective way to set your self up for fulfillment and replace your pantry staples,” Mia notes.

She additionally suggests entering into the behavior of a weekly fridge clean-out. “Virtually-off greens are nice in a frittata or blended right into a soup,” she shares. With a tidy and well-stocked kitchen, meal prep turns into a artistic and pleasing ritual as a substitute of a chore.

A Pattern Meal Plan to Make Prep a Breeze

You could find all of the recipes from this meal plan in our Substack interview with Mia here. Every recipe is designed to be vibrant, simple to arrange, and supportive of your vitamin targets. (To not point out, make wholesome consuming accessible and pleasing.) From hearty dishes to recent choices, Mia’s meal plans supply per week of scrumptious meals that can preserve you happy.

Sunday: Chicken & Lentil Soup

Monday: Salmon & Roasted Green Beans with Pesto and Brown Rice

Tuesday: Wild Rice & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chicken

Wednesday: Salmon Fusilli with Lemon, Capers & Broccolini

Thursday: Grass Fed Ribeye with Fall Harvest Salad

Make forward:

• Rooster & Lentil Soup lasts as much as per week within the fridge (or freezer for a month!)
• Pesto for the salmon
• Roasted greens for the salad

Lunch concepts:

• Double the soup and eat it for lunch all week.
• The salmon and inexperienced beans will yield leftovers—gently reheat for lunch.
• The wild rice and roasted veg salad is nice eaten chilly.

By the way in which, I’m obsessive about the meal plans that Mia shares on her Substack, Btwn Meals—they’re all the time so wholesome, easy, and actually get the artistic juices flowing if you happen to’re caught in a dinner rut.