Many of us find it difficult to stick to a healthy diet especially when we find ourselves running out of time to cook meals. Meal prepping is the key to ensuring healthy eating, and with simple prep each week, you can have a whole week’s worth of lunches or dinners ready to go.
EASY STEPS TO MEAL PREPPING
1. Calculate how many meals you need
If you are planning on preparing your lunch or dinner meals throughout the work week, you will need 5 dishes. However, you do not need to prepare all 5 dishes at the beginning of the week. Preparing three meals on a Sunday and two meals on a Wednesday night can ensure that your meals taste fresher and reduce the risk of food borne illnesses.
2. Keep it simple
If you’re new to cooking or have limited time to prepare your meals, Registered Dietitian and health coach at StrongerU, Jessica Bachman (PhD), recommends staying away from recipes that include too many ingredients. Bachman states, “think of a meal as a veggie, a protein and a starch.” For instance, your lunch could include grilled chicken, broccoli and sweet potato.
3. Utilise leftovers
Many of us struggle to plan our daily meals for lunch and dinner, so it is expected that preparing a whole week’s worth of meals will be extremely difficult. “Just choose one meal to start with. Then once you get a handle on that, start adding in more, plus you can make extra for dinner and eat the leftovers for lunch” Bachman states.
BENEFITS
Money and Time Saver
Not only are you receiving your daily nutrients by pre-planning each meal, but you are also saving money by spending less on fast foods. You can even choose meal prep recipes based on sales at the grocery store.
Total Control
You get to be in control of the calories and macro balance of your meal prep, as well as limiting usage of unwanted ingredients like added sugar, salt and fats. You are also ensuring that you receive the best-quality options and fresh ingredients as you are selecting them yourself.
Portion Control
Meal prepping helps to limit over eating, once the container is empty you stop eating. It is important to ensure that you are eating the necessary number of calories at each meal, from 500 to 700 calories each for lunch and dinner.
The Ultimate Guide for Easy Meal Prepping by MaryGrace Taylor and Melissa Matthews https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19544125/beginners-guide-to-meal-prep/
7 Major Benefits of Meal Prep by Jill Schildhouse https://www.oxygenmag.com/nutrition/7-major-benefits-of-meal-prep#gid=ci022b13ba70002664&pid=shutterstock_775852678
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