Meal Prep Like a Pro With Bobby Parrish of FlavCity

Bobby Parrish knows a thing or two about meal prepping. As one of the masterminds behind FlavCity, a blog and YouTube channel dedicated to “making healthy food that actually tastes good,” Parrish and his wife, Dessi, have grown a community dedicated to proving that healthy food can taste delicious.

On May 15, the couple is releasing “Keto Meal Prep by FlavCity”, a new cookbook that features more than 125 low-carb recipes. Below, Bobby shares how you can become a meal-prep pro in no time, plus how Thrive Market can help you tackle your shopping list. Fair warning: You’re going to feel inspired to completely renovate your spice rack.

Based on your blog and YouTube channel, it’s safe to say that you’re a meal-prep pro. For someone who is new to meal prep, what are your top tips for getting started?

Start off with the basic kitchen gear you will need to be a meal-prep pro. Here is a list of my favorite kitchen tools:

• Large nonstick pan
• Large cast iron pan
• Large cutting board
• 8-inch chef’s knife
• Microplane zester
• Lime juicer
• Half sheet tray
• Splatter guard
• Probe thermometer and timer

Stock your pantry with items that will make meal prepping easier:

• Spices
• Salts
• Vinegars
• Oils
• Condiments
• Grains (such as rice, quinoa, beans, and hemp hearts)

How does Thrive Market make meal prep easy?

Thrive Market makes it easy to reorder grocery staples that you will need on a regular basis, especially with the autoship option. They also make it incredibly easy to search the website by diet or values. There is no need to feel limited because of the diet you are on—they have groceries for everyone.

What are your go-to meal prep recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

My go-to breakfasts are creamy coconut chia seed pudding and my copycat Starbucks egg bites. I always use Thrive Market chia seeds and Thrive Market coconut milk to make the pudding.

For lunch, I almost always have a big kale salad with grilled chicken. I make a flavorful spice rub using my Thrive Market spices and extra virgin olive oil for the dressing.

For dinner, I like to make crispy shrimp or salmon, and serve it with cauliflower rice pilaf. I love the Thrive Market frozen meat and seafood. It’s seriously the best price for the best quality.

What are the pantry staples or spices that everyone should have to make meal prep a breeze?

For cooking, you absolutely need:

• Avocado oil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Raw apple cider vinegar
• Rice wine vinegar
• Kosher salt
• Maldon sea salt for finishing

You should also have condiments like mayo, hot sauce, tamari soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil.

How has meal prep improved your life?

Meal prep makes it easy to eat the food my body needs, no matter how busy I get. By spending some time in the kitchen on Sunday, I can prep five to seven meals for the week, and truly feed my body the food it craves without any worry. There’s nothing worse than decision fatigue for food: What should we eat? Where should we go out? If you can eliminate those questions and commit extra time one day per week to prep, you’re setting yourself up for success and relaxation for the rest of the week.

For people who want to meal prep, but dislike the idea of eating the same thing every day, what advice do you have for creating exciting meals that won’t become monotonous by the end of the week?

You don’t have to meal prep the same thing every day. My advice would be to buy 10 fresh ingredients and make five different dishes out of them using all of the spices, oils, grains, and other products that you regularly purchase from Thrive Market. I have a blog recipe all about that. It’s easy to create different meals as long as you have a stocked pantry and freezer, which is easy to do when you plan and shop on Thrive Market.

Want even more from Bobby? His new cookbook, “Keto Meal Prep by FlavCity: 125 Low Carb Recipes That Actually Taste Good,” launches on May 15. Click here to learn more.