You Can Count on Meal Prepping to Improve Your Diet
By Stepy Kamei
It's one thing to make the decision to start eating healthier meals and snacks; it's an entirely separate issue figuring out how to actually go through with this plan and stick to your goals. Your planning may start off well enough as you come up with all kinds of nutritious recipes to nourish your body throughout the week, knowing the positive changes that will surely result. Then ... the week comes and goes by in a flash and you've hardly been able to implement these healthy meals into your days at all. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. The demands of life can make eating healthy a difficult goal to achieve. In between commitments to work, school, family, and friends, there seems to be no time to devote to healthy eating. This is why it's great to learn about the art of meal prepping, and how it can help you stay on track with a healthier diet.
The Basics of Meal Prep
It's best to designate one day a week to devote to your meal planning; many people choose Sunday. In the morning, write down a grocery list based on the meals and snacks you want to eat during the week. Having a list will deter you from impulse buys. Stick to the list as you go to the store, and be sure the foods you do pick up are nutritious and preferably unprocessed. When thinking of meals for the week, keep in mind ways you can reuse the same ingredients in different meals, or possibly prepare large quantities of food to reheat later.
Cooking up a Storm
When you get home from the store, the real work begins. Chop up all the fruits and vegetables and store them in the fridge. Cook large batches of grains and oats which can be reheated throughout the week. As for meat, now is the time to season, tenderize, and cook in a slow cooker.
Once everything that can be cooked ahead of time is done, store it properly. You may want to freeze many of your foods, such as any meats, in order to make sure they stay good for later on in the week. Otherwise, most items can be kept in tupperware in the fridge until needed.
It may seem like a lot of work initially, but you'll feel much better knowing you can take your mind off of food preparation as you go about the week. Try devoting your next Sunday to meal prep and see how much it can benefit you.