Meal Prep
When it comes to goals and making things happen, you’ll need to have some type of plan of action. Just like when you were a student, if you wanted to perform well on a test or in a class, you probably followed a study guide, got help from a tutor to increase your chances of success. It’s a similar concept in regards to health and fitness. You don’t just “get healthy” by showing up to the gym and occasionally eating a salad here and there. You’re going to need a structured plan/program to help increase your chances of success.
I personally have found a lot of success in meal prepping before the week begins. Whether it be in a simple Google Sheets, or a printed plan (I’ll link both templates for Google Sheets and a Canva link down below), this will save you time and money when you have a plan.
Here are some pros of meal prepping each week:
You won’t buy a ton of foods that you’re not going to use and have it rot in your fridge. You buy the ingredients you’ll need for the meals you have planned. (This has saved me a ton of money!)
You don’t wander around the store forever grabbing items that you don’t know how you’ll use it.
You’ll also save time doing dishes especially if you cook all your meals on one day and portion it out.
Better portion control when you meal prep your meals into food storage containers
You can track pricing of ingredients of each grocery store and save money or what quality of foods you like best
I know cooking everything at once can be daunting, but trust me your future and anyone else you’re cooking for will thank you throughout the week. It’s so nice to have prepped meals in the fridge that we can pull out after a long day at work
As you get more used to prepping meals, you’ll find a structure of what works best for you. I try to strategize cooking multiple things at once. Meaning I’ll have one dish that will be baked in the oven, another dish for our slower cooker, and another that’s stir-fry. Trust me, you don’t want to spend 5+ hours cooking.
Meal Prepping Steps:
If you’re not sure how to start, feel free to follow these steps to get you started! Not to mention, this can be a fun family bonding experience where you can all plan meals you want to eat that week!
Pull up your meal prep sheet for the week (can be printed or use a google sheet. I like using either a shared note or a google sheet, because I access it anywhere over WiFi.)
I like to check out Pinterest for meal ideas or to find recipes of the meals my husband and I wanted to try. I personally try to find meals that are high in protein, fiber, and have either fruits and vegetables incorporated into it.
Once you have your meal ideas, start plugging them into the schedule. On top of that list the ingredients you need to make each meal after doing a glance over your fridge and pantry.
Once you’re done planning, it’s time to hit the grocery store!
**Tips:
I recommend is try to find any discounts going on at different grocery stores if possible.
Don’t go to the story hungry! You’re more likely to impulse buy when you’re hungry! So try to have a snack or a meal before you go!
Let me know in the comments if these tips were helpful or any tasty meals you tried!
Here are my links:
