Meal Prep 101
Often times when I tell people I prep all my meals for the week in one day they look at me like I said something foreign. Once the puzzled look fades from their face they say, “That takes too long, I don’t have the patience for all that prepping!” I always respond back by saying, trust me it’s not difficult at all.” To be completely honest I also don’t have enough time in the morning before work to try and make lunch and snacks for my day. So prepping is the only way I can stay on course with my weight loss journey and make it to work in time. To all the skeptics I am here to tell you meal prep is quite simple and in the long run it will save you tons of time and money.
Step One: Think of healthy foods you would like for the week.
Step Two: Write a grocery list.
Step Three: Go shopping and do not deviate from your list.
Step Four: pick a day during the weekend to prepare the food.
Step Five: Start preparing your meals for the week.
Here is just a sample of a recent meal prep I did
Breakfast: 2 Hard boiled eggs and wheat Round thins toast (Not Pictured)
Lunch: I did variations of food in different containers so I wouldn’t get too bored through the week.
Lunches: Italian Sausage, or Steak green beans or kale and Sautéed sweet potatoes on some days.
Snack Box: I have a bento Lunch system box that I normally pack an array of snacks in to have through the day. For this particular week I packed, Watermelon, trail Mix, Cheese Cubes, and grapes. Check out my snack box (Here)
Beverage: Water, Water, and more Water. I also drink Seltzer water. Sometimes I just need a little bubbly in my life!
Depending on my day I may not eat all my snacks. If I start my day early and end late I am more likely to eat all my snacks. However, on most days I only eat two snacks. I find that it’s always best to have an extra snack on hand just In case hunger kicks in. The last thing I want is to find myself pulling up to a fast food window because I failed to prepare enough snacks to hold me for the day.
Sometimes thinking of meal prep ideas can be a little daunting. I know when I first started I would have the same thing on a weekly basis because I couldn’t think of anything else. Well, you are in luck. Weekly I am going to work hard to provide a glimpse of my weekly meals. Stay tuned for next week’s meals.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! I am sure we have all heard this time and time again. I am also certain half of us run out the house every morning without eating a well-balanced breakfast. For me personally I rarely eat breakfast. Most mornings I struggle just getting out the door in time for work. I figure breakfast isn’t that important I will just wait until lunch. Then lunch comes around and instead of eating a sensible lunch I eat a smorgasbord of food! This happens because I am so hungry from not eating breakfast that I gorge whatever food is in sight. I am essentially eating two meals in one sitting. After lunch I sit at my work desk with a food hangover. I can hardly focus on my tasks and I just want to lay down. My choice to not eat breakfast affects my entire day. Maybe there are some others who can relate with my struggle. As part of my journey I am going to make it a priority to wake up 20 minutes earlier each morning so I can eat breakfast. Being intentional will be one of my keys to success. Plus breakfast food is the best food out there! Nothing like some delicious turkey bacon and waffles to get the morning started right!
