Meal Prepping Your Way To Success
Think less, Make fewer decisions.
At least when setting up and planning your eating habits.
If nutritious food is around you and convenient, you’re more likely to eat it. Simple.
If you have a ‘system’ for making healthy, nutritious food available, you don’t even really have to decide, you just do.
Set yourself up for success.
How? Set aside some time for meal prep & planning.
A couple of hours a week, that’s it. 2–3 hours to significantly ‘move the needle’ towards your goals. Sounds like a pretty good investment to me.
Think of it as a form of self-care. You would plan other aspects of life, like your finances, for example.
Having a plan and being prepared generally pays off, and our nutrition should be no different.
A plan that generally works really well in regards to our nutriton is picking a ‘meal prep’ day. Sundays work well for many of us, however, pick a day that suits you & your schedule.
Then, set aside some time for the following;
· Plan your week & look for what challenges might pop up in regards to your eating. Time constraints etc.
· Come up with a general menu for the week. It doesn’t have to be anything too elaborate. Just get a basic idea of the food you might need to have on hand for the week ahead. (hint, prioritise lean protein sources, fresh fruit & veg.)
Tip* I stick to 5 or less ingredient meals, for simplicity sake. It still ensures a delicious meal, but not too elaborate.
E.g. Chicken, Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Mushroom, Avocado.
· Build your shopping list from your menu. This will help you be super efficient and far less likely to buy random (and non-goal-supporting) things. See a previous blog post ‘But, what do i eat’ for a shopping list
Tip* Try the ‘Rule of three’
Buy 3 proteins, 3 carbohydrates, 3 fats and 3 vegetables.
Then you can pick 1 from each category (or more veggies) to make up your breakfast, lunch & dinner.
You can switch the 3 up each time you go to the grocery store to keep the variety going too!
E.g.
Protein- Eggs, Chicken Breast, Beef Mince
Carbs- Rice, Oats, Sweet Potato
Fats- Avocado, Olive Oil, Almonds
Veggies- Mushrooms, Beetroot, Spinach
So a meal might look like;
Breakfast- Eggs, Spinach, Dash Olive oil
Lunch- Chicken Breast, Rice, Olive Oil, Mushrooms
Dinner- Beef Mince, Sweet Potato, Beetroot, Avocado
· Shopping time. Stock up on what you need for the week. Consider grabbing a few extra “just in case” emergency items as well, such as protein powder, frozen vegetables, extra fruit or other easily-stored healthy options that you can use as snacks or when in need of something convenient!
· Once you’re back home, start prepping and cooking. Try methods of cooking that allow you to prep quanitites of food for the week together. Eg. Roasting chicken breasts & veggies, baking potatoes, hard boiling eggs. Etc.
Then, divide into containers to be frozen or refrigerated, ready to go for the week! I like to refridgerate 3 days worth and freeze the rest.. Just remember to get them out of the freezer the night before so they have time to defrost!
The secret is to do what works best for you & your goals.
The above is one way that I’ve seen many people have great success with.
A few other Tips you may find helpful when considering meal planning/ prepping;
Use a meal prep service. There are plenty of great options out there. Get in touch if you want me to steer you in the right direction there.
Keep the ‘treats’ out of the house. Don’t test your willpower… You’re unlikely to win. Which is ok, you’re human! Put yourself in environments to win.
Keep prepped, ready to eat fruit and veggies in the fridge. As above, put yourself in an environment to win.
Don’t be hungry and in the grocery store at the same time! Recipe for disaster.
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, that’s where all of the fresh produce lives. Avoid the isles as best as possible.
Consider a quality protein powder as a great, convenient source. There are some great options available. Let me know if you want me to steer you in the right direction here.
Ben