Transform Your Meal-Prep With These 5 Brilliant Time-Saving Hacks

Meal prepping is by far one of the best ways to eat healthier, spend less money, and of course, save on the one thing no one ever has enough of: time. But batch-cooking all of your food in advance—and sticking with the routine, week after week—can feel overwhelming. (I, for one, can barely figure out what to eat in an hour from now, let alone a week from now.)

Enter Pinterest. Whether you're new to meal prepping or a pro who's just sick of your usual recipe rotation, there's really no better resource. It's basically a trove of kitchen tips and tools, ingredients, and recipes that'll keep you organized and endlessly inspired.

To get you started, Pinterest insiders have shared five of their favorite meal-prepping boards, all of which will help you avoid a bad case of food boredom. Prepare to put your Postmates app into hibernation mode.

Break out your storage containers and read on to discover the best meal-prep Pinterest boards.

Meal Prep Snacks by Fit Foodie Finds

Sick of the same old protein bars? This board, created by Fit Foodie Finds blogger Lee Hersh, includes over 380 healthy snack ideas that are simple and easy to DIY. Expect a mix of sweet and savory recipes, like apple chai oatmeal cups, PB&J energy balls, and parmesan garlic popcorn. Yes, these treats are sure to be a little addicting, which is why Hersh suggests meal prepping for snacks at the beginning of the week to make sure you don't run out.

Meal Planning on a Budget by Savor + Savvy

Savor + Savvy blogger Jazmin Rode has pinned over 1,000 wallet-friendly ideas to help keep your grocery bill down. The great thing about all the recipes on this board—like slow cooker vegetarian taco soup and rainbow chickpea salad—is that they’re all extremely satisfying, mostly Whole30 compliant, and super simple to make in large quantities.  Time to make some room in your freezer...

Meal Prep Resources by Meal Prep On Fleek

If you have specific dietary restrictions—say, you're vegan, follow the keto diet, or are gluten-free—this board from the bloggers behind Meal Prep on Fleek likely has a ton of intel tailored especially for you. It links to recipes, nutritional tips, ingredient guides, and easy-to-understand facts about how to eat healthy. The board even includes no-cook meal prep ideas, and most of the recipes featured, like the Thai peanut stir fry, cost under $4 per serving to make.

Meal Prep Breakfast by Sweet Peas and Saffron

Ironically, the most important meal of the day is often neglected when it comes to meal prepping. (Take-out coffee counts as breakfast, right?) But thanks to this board, you’ll never again have to choose between being on time for work and waiting for your oatmeal to cook. Recipes like breakfast stuffed peppers, chai spiced chia oats, and vegan breakfast burritos are all easy to make ahead—and, perhaps more importantly, to eat on the go.

Meal and Food Prep by Clean Food Crush

This board is a goldmine for more than just recipes. (Although it's got plenty of those, too.) Clean Food Crush blogger Rachel Maser provides loads of information on meal prepping logistics, like different ways to pack a bento box, mason jar salad techniques, and how to maintain a perfectly stocked fridge—all the basics that'll help you sustain your newfound meal-prepping obsession for the long haul.

Another secret weapon for meal prepping: the Instant Pot. Check out the newest version of the cult-fave cooking tool, and put it to work with these healthy (and delish!) recipes.