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…Meal Prep Crash Course…

MEAL PREP

Two words that can evoke a lot of different emotions.

For a person that is new to meal prep, it can be a scary and overwhelming thing.  My words of advice…HAVE A PLAN!

Before you prep I suggest you do the following things:

  • Create a menu… You will need this so you can create your shopping list.  You will need this so you will know how much you will need to cook.  You will need this so you will make sure that you will have enough food to get you through so you will not have to steer off of your plan and on a impulse go grab something that is not healthy.
  • You will need a shopping list…I like a shopping list because it allows me to stay on task when I go to the store.  I like to wonder around the store and grab things that look new and delicious.  BUT when I have a list I run in, grab what is on the list, and leave.
  • Have enough containers… This can be Tupperware containers, zip lock bags, or whatever else you would like.  You will need these to help you portion out the food that you cook.

So this is what you need to do to get started: create your menu, create your food list, go to the store and purchase the food that you need, and make it home and organize the food that you have purchased to cook.

This is the hardest part….cooking and preparing the food.

HAVE A PLAN! Figure out what you can cook simultaneously so you can use your time efficiently.  I always start with the things that take the most time.  I will cook the meat in the oven or on the grill and then come back and cook the other items while the meat is cooking.  You have to be efficient with your time to ensure that your meal prep time is used in a productive way.

Once you have everything cooked you will want to go ahead and portion those foods out! You will want to make sure that you have them ready and available for you to grab when you need them.  I usually cook enough food for me to have for about a month. I will put 3/4 of the meals in my deep freezer and put the other 1/4 in the fridge.  This will allow me to use the meals that are needed and freeze/store the other meals so they do not go bad.

You can get creative and cook a ton of chicken BUT use them for different things such as:

  • chicken fajitas
  • chicken salad
  • chicken veggie stir fry
  • chicken bbq sandwich
  • chicken breakfast burrito
  • chicken soup

The goal is to make the staple products (such as the meat) so you will have it when it is time to eat.  You can then get creative and use the meat however you would like to create meals.

It is all about planning! That is the hardest part BUT it is the necessary part.

With snacks and any other store bought things I also suggest to go ahead and portion those out and have them in your fridge/pantry so you can have them when you need them.  This will help you to limit over eating and you will have it if you are busy and you need to grab something.

Question? Comments? Concerns? LET ME KNOW!

I am here to help!

ALSO feel free to check out THIS POST to get  more information on meal prep AND how to meal prep on a budget!

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,,,Meal Planning 101…

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Preparing your meals is just as important as planning your workouts!
You should pick one (or two) days a week to cook meals that will last you for a few days (or for the whole week)

You can cook meals that will last you the whole week and freeze 1/2 of them!

This will help prevent the meat from going bad after you cook it. (this is something that I do regularly and I have not gotten sick)

A good thing to do would be to cook a whole bag of chicken or fish. I try to cook 2 meats so that I will have something different for lunch and dinner.

Example: 1 lb of lean beef and 1 lb of lean ground turkey or 1 package of lean turkey tenderloin and 1 package of chicken breast

I will cook the meat AND THEN weigh it (it weighs MORE uncooked than when it is cooked)

Depending on my meal plan for the week I will put 4-6 oz of meat in each container.

I will then place 4-6 oz of carbs (which usually are sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat bread, or oatmeal)

I will then also pair it with 1 cup of green veggies (like broccoli, zucchini, green beans, or asparagus)

I will place each meal in Tupperware and just keep them in my fridge and freezer.  This allows me the chance to grab it and go when it is meal time.  When I take one meal out of the fridge I will replace it with a meal from the freezer.  I just rotate them so they all get eaten and nothing is wasted.

I also pre-make some of my breakfast items (like my protein pancakes or egg white muffins) so I can have those to grab-and-go in the morning.

Planning is KEY when you are trying to stay on track with your healthy eating!
If you have your meals planned it eliminates the urge to “go grab something” or get food that are not apart of your healthy eating plan.

You can have fun with your meals and also make other options like chili, tacos, tuna, and other flavorful meals.

You can get Tupperware from your local super store or you can find options here: Meal Planning

Fail to plan = Plan to fail!

Planning is KEY to reaching your goals.

It is easier to cook all of your meal in bulk at one time than come home and have to cook at each meal everyday!

Save time…save yourself from stressing out…save yourself from making bad food choices!

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