How to Meal prep
Most people that want to get healthy can workout, try to up their step amounts, work on their sleep, limit or decrease alcohol consumption and even take additional supplements, but when it comes to diet, I see people fall flat. But why is this? I think there are particularly more hurdles that people struggle with including: time, budget, satiety, bored, overwhelmed or confused. However, meal prepping can really be what you need to succeed with your nutrition or diet goals.
So, here are my top recommendations for how to meal prep effectively without burning out:
Containers: This may sound silly, but your actual container matters. For me, I opt for a glass square container with air-tight lips to keep my meals sealed and fresh. I bought my containers online, but Aldi, TJ Maxx and Homegoods usually have a lot of good varieties that are all glass/BPA free. This is ideal if you like to microwave your food to heat it up. Additionally, I always say make sure you get multiple of the same type of container so that it fits really well in your cupboard/pantry and also stacks well in your refrigerator!
Plan a Meal Prep Day: It is typical to plan on Sunday to start fresh for Monday, but this system has proven accurate and helpful because if you spend 1-2 hours prepping your food/meals, then the likelihood to stick to your plan increases your chance because when you’re busy, the stress of making food or buying something healthy is off your shoulders! Also, this will save you so much money in the long run because if you have asparagus, protein pasta and chicken breast already prepared, that is probably $5 total as opposed to $12-15 total! Plus, you know what ingredients went into this meal which is also reassuring!
Food Group Options: Unless I am really out and about, I actually do not usually meal prep by meal, instead I meal prep by food group. This helps me mix up my meals which helps me not get bored with eating the same thing daily. Personally, that means I will be less likely to get burnt out by the same foods which will facilitate a greater change due to consistency of calories. So what I like to do is meal prep potatoes, kale chips, chicken breast, protein pasta, etc., but I will put all potatoes in one container and then all chicken breast in one container, etc. Again, this helps me try new recipes and continue to enjoy healthy meals without sacrificing flavor and options. This is also great if you are listening to your hunger cues instead of tracking macros, because one day you may only want 3 ounces of chicken as opposed to 5, and vice versa!
Choose 2 Days: I really like to choose 2 days a week to devote 1-2 hours to meal prep to always keep meals on hand. So, for example, I like to meal prep on Sunday’s and Wednesday’s to ensure there’s always protein, carbs and veggie options cooked and ready to eat! This really is beneficial after the gym when I am hungry and could easily down a whole container of hummus and crackers. This is a detriment to dieting if you are not tracking macros because that alone could be an additional 500 calories. WOW!
Thank you for reading today’s blog! I hope that this post helped you. How do you like to meal prep? :)
