Whether you are short on time, or have plenty of it, PREPARING your MEALS in advance simply means SUCCESS! You have your favorite foods ready, you are less likely to reach for something that is not aligned with your goals, plus ….. you put hard labor, love and money into preparing it so you better enjoy it!
But meal prep is not an easy subject. It may sound easy, and you may have the intention to do it, but it rather requires some time for planning, grocery shopping, chopping and putting the food away, then cooking it when you have a nice chunk of time to cook many batches, organizing it in containers, CLEANING after you and putting everything away again! A lot of effort is necessary ……….. and to think ………. you could have just grabbed a sandwich from the cafeteria ……. no effort, no planning, just pick up and eat!
But here are some points on WHY meal planning and prepping is better:
1. You pick the foods that you love
2. You can make it healthy
3. You control the portions
4. You save money when you prepare it at home
5. You get to eat it at your actual lunch rather than skip lunch because you don’t have time to go to the cafeteria
6. It teaches you discipline with your food and time, you feel better and stronger and in tern you are better at your job.
7. Great example for those around you and especially your family
8. If give you peace of my that you are making an effort towards living a healthy lifestyle (especially if you are looking to lose weight, or change your lifestyle).
9. The more you do it, the more it becomes a natural habit and an unconscious expectation you have of yourself that you fulfill weekly.
Are these reasons worth it for you?
I work from home and I make my own hours so the importance for me is to have the fresh ingredients in my fridge and frizzer. Some times I get lazy and complacent and I still go for the ‘easy’ food, but most of the time I am in control of what I eat and I choose wisely.
Yes, fresh is so much better then left overs, there isn’t even a question in that. But if you have a full time job outside of your house I highly recommend you consider meal prepping. It doesn’t have to be prepping for all 5 days, it can be 3 lunches and snacks in the beginning of the week, or any other combination you like.
I mostly work with people who want to lose weight and it starts from changing their lifestyle. Meal prepping is PERTINENT for that. But even if you just want to maintain your current weight or feel more energy, try it! It’s actually really empowering to be in control of your daily food!
IDEAS
Chicken and salmon make great left overs.
Roasted veggies: asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers.
Quinoa, beans, lentils.
Snack can be very diverse or you can keep it the same every day!
Premade health salads that can last well in the fridge proved great diversity in your daily meals by adding great nutrition and very easy variety of tastes and textures. Examples here are: Eggs salad with avocado and spinach; chicken salad with grapes; and salmon salad with cherry tomatoes. Don’t be afraid to experiment when cooking and prepping. The more you enjoy the process, the better results you will have!
Hi there! My name is Nadya and I am a mother of 3 little boys! I love cooking and experimenting with food! And I am addicted to exercising! My passion is helping others see that they too can live a healthy, happy and fulfilled life!
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