|
“If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”
In today’s world, we are all busy. We are rushing from place to place, whether it is to pick up the kids, get to work on time, slide in a gym session, or just get to bed early. Sometimes it seems like the hours in a day pass by in a second without realizing it.
With constant moving, we feel stressed and overwhelmed and the last thing we want to worry about is sticking to our diet. We don’t always make time to prepare our meals, causing us to fall off track and turn to fast food or other convenient options.
So what is there to do? It’s simple. Plan ahead to get ahead.
With proper planning, preparing your meals in advance can be a piece of cake. And yes, you can even plan that piece of cake too!
|
Pick one day out of the week that you can dedicate a couple hours to prepare. Sunday evening always seems to work best for me. Before you actually start your meal prep, you need to plan. Take a couple minutes at the end of every week to plan out the week ahead. This should include what you will be eating for each meal throughout the week. Don’t overwhelm yourself. If you are just starting to prep your meals, maybe only prepare your lunch and dinners for a few days at a time until you get the swing of things. But if you are more motivated than ever, you can prep everything from breakfast to dinner, and even snacks for in between.
I like to keep a few quick and easy meal recipes on hand that I can pick and choose from each week.
|
Now you have a menu full of your weekly meals, it is time to go grocery shopping! Take your list with you to the grocery store and pick up exactly what you need. Because you have a plan you won’t be tempted to throw random junk into your cart.
Get creative with your flavors and pick out a few different seasonings and spices to change things up day to day. The last thing you want is to end up with bland food to eat for the next week. And be sure to pick up some tupperware if it is your first time meal prepping. I like to buy tupperware that are all similar in sizes and styles so I can easily stack them in the fridge or freezer without making a big stacked mess.
|
So you have all your food, your tupperware, and your recipes, now it is my favorite time. Cooking time! You don’t have to cook every night to enjoy home cooked meals. Cooking all your meals in advance will eliminate the stress and time it takes to cook every single day. I like to keep a few quick and easy meal recipes on hand that I can pick and choose from each week.
Once you have cooked everything, be sure to put it in freezer safe tupperware or baggies. Then all you have to do is take your meal out of the fridge or freezer and simply reheat it.
Here are a few tips when freezing your food:
- Use “freezer” bags, not “storage” baggies. Freezer bags are thicker and will ensure your food stays fresher longer.
- Freeze your food in portions that you will use in each meal.
- Label each bag of food. For example you can put “Monday: Lunch” or even “Monday: Meal 2”. This will guarantee you will be eating what you have planned at the right time.
|
Now you have meal prepped and you are fully prepared for the week ahead of you, no way to fall off track now! But you can’t forget to still hit the gym and get your rest!
Not sure where to start at the gym or need a little more help with meal prepping? Schedule a free 30 minute consultation with one of our coaches to assess your goals and how to get there!
|
