How to calculate the optimal portion sizes during meal prep to avoid overeating and food waste?

Proper portion calculation when prepping food for the week is the key not only to budget savings, but also to maintaining a healthy weight without constant calorie tracking. A common problem for beginners in meal prep is cooking too much food, which then has to be either finished through force or thrown away.

Planning should begin with an analysis of your real calorie and macronutrient needs, as well as taking into account your work schedule and the days you plan to eat out. If you are preparing lunches for five workdays, you need exactly five portions of protein and side dishes, not ten, which is often done out of fear of remaining hungry.

For the convenience of weighing and portioning, it is recommended to use kitchen scales at the stage of dividing the finished food into containers.

Such visual and weight control helps to clearly understand the volumes of consumed food, eliminates chaotic snacking on the go, and allows you to accurately predict food consumption, reducing food waste to an absolute minimum.