Meal prep is a fantastic tool for many objectives. It can be used as an aid for weight loss or overall health improvement or to save time or money. Whatever the goal, a good meal prep routine can be valuable and effective. However, there are a few unfortunate realities about prepping meals ahead of time, especially when it comes to meat dishes. We all know that protein is an essential part of a healthy diet and that lean beef, in particular, is a great source of it. Unfortunately, cooking beef isn’t always easy, and cooking beef days in advance can be downright difficult. Take a look at the ugly truth about beef meal prep:
Beef Can Be Hard to Reheat
Lean beef is an excellent source of protein and very healthy. But because it has little fat to keep it moist and tender when exposed to heat, lean beef can be easy to overcook. Using lean beef for meal prep, then, is particularly problematic since the meat will be heated twice, initially during the prep session and then possibly reheated the day it will be consumed; it provides double the opportunity for the star of your dish to turn into a hockey puck! To fix the problem, consider using a marinade or brine to soften and season the beef prior to cooking and then coking it only to a medium rare temperature. Then, when you reheat it later in the week, it will rise to medium and not be overcooked.
Beef Meal Prep Can Be Expensive
Beef meal prep can also be expensive, with lean cuts of beef usually costing more than all other protein types. The pandemic has only intensified the problem, with labor shortages and production issues over the past few years working to limit access to certain cuts of lean beef and, thus, even further escalating their prices due to an especially high demand. You can mitigate the cost of beef meal prep by reducing the size of your portion of meat and adding in more vegetables in its place.
Using Beef for Meal Prep Can Be Especially Restrictive
Finally, because beef meal prep is often expensive, you can end up feeling trapped by your new lifestyle, choosing to refuse invitations to eat out with loved ones rather than waste your already prepared meals. The constant FOMO can leave you frustrated and ultimately cause you to give up on your beef meal prep adventure altogether. One solution is to cut back on your beef meal prep, substituting less costly meals a few nights each month so that when an unexpected offer to dine out occurs, you don’t feel bad throwing one or two dinners away.
The Lean Kitchen Advantage
Our team at Lean Kitchen understands the convenience and benefits of meal prepping, and we’re here to help. Instead of worrying about the ugly truth and challenges associated with beef meal prep — or any other type of specialty meal prep — let us do everything for you. Our meals are healthy and delicious, including a wide variety of options that get you out of your own kitchen and allow you to enjoy your time, your friends and family and your life! Please visit our website us to learn more about the types of packaged meals with food healthy package we have available for purchase in-store or via delivery.
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