March 28, 2024 | OPINION | By Julia Decker
In a world of convenience and efficiency, meal prepping has become a household ritual, promising to save you time and money while providing a healthy, home-cooked diet. However, many problems lie within the Tupperware.
The leftover controversy started in February when medical students flocked to TikTok to spread awareness about a seemingly harmless food: rice. A foodborne pathogen called Bacillus cereus can develop if you leave your rice unrefrigerated after crafting a massive batch for the week. When you reheat your rice for the next six days after storing it improperly, those pesky heat-resistant spores survive even after the microwave.
Reheating is to meal prepping as revising is to writing: essential. While rice is not the only food one can incorporate into a weekly meal plan, it is crucial to understand the extra safety precautions you need to take when considering leftovers. The rice debacle marks just the beginning of the many cons of meal prep. Unfortunately, this weekly ritual is highly unsustainable in the long run.
Meal prepping sucks the creativity out of your kitchen. Food is joy; the same meal for a week straight makes eating feel far too chore-like. Unfortunately, many people fall short and abandon meal prepping because they don’t think they need to include snacks or sweet treats throughout the day. Then, when the cravings kick in, they start rationalizing them by adopting the “one more bite can’t hurt” mentality. Before you know it, two days of food are gone and down the drain.
What happens when you mess up your perfect meal prep schedule? You’re out of luck and hungry.
Navigating how to prepare meals in a positive way is difficult without looking to the intuitive eating approach for help. When food feels overly regimented, the spontaneous and flexible aspects of intuitive eating are perfect for resetting and fueling your body. Intuitive eating means tuning into your body’s natural ability to tell you when you’re hungry or satisfied.
Everyone knows that some dishes are just not as satisfying as leftovers. So, if you do decide that meal prepping is for you, be conscious that this method stops you from trying so many diverse dishes. Why limit yourself to such a routine when you could be on a culinary adventure? In recognizing the potential link between meal prepping and food moralization, we must understand that fostering a more inclusive approach to individual eating styles and schedules must happen for a healthier relationship with food for all.
Still, there are always two sides to a story. If you choose this lifestyle for yourself, proceed with caution and avoid the temptation to jump on the bandwagon because someone else with a ‘perfect’ life did.
Let’s toss our moral compass aside regarding food and diet and lead with compassion for ourselves. Meal prepping exists in a murky gray area that does not fully embrace being at peace with food as intuitive eating does. So, do what works for you. It is your body, and how you choose to fuel yourself has no implications on who you are as a person.