Meal Prep Day: Plan for Success

Our lives are far too busy to fly by the seat of our pants every time we have to eat.

Without planning and meal prep, you're at risk for:

-waiting too long in between meals, which slows your metabolism and makes you very tired 

-being pressured into eating fast food or other quick-fix unhealthy foods

-becoming frustrated, discouraged, quitting, and gaining weight.

What is meal prep?

Meal prep starts before you even go to the grocery store. 

First, Make your list of things you're going to eat all week. For inspiration, see your House Menu. Figure in all your snacks, breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Plan each day, using a calendar if necessary. 

Grocery shop and stick to your list. I read somewhere that the center aisles of a grocery store are usually stocked with the processed junk foods that shouldn't be part of anyone's diet. Regardless of where your store keeps their junk foods, stay away! Don't give in to temptation; if you don't buy it, it won't be in your house and you won't be pressured to eat it.

The Prep part.

When you get home, instead of just putting your groceries away, start making all of your pre-planned meals. If you're going to make pasta and meatballs, make it. Cut and clean your fruits and veggies. Shred your romaine, boil your brown rice, bake a week's worth of chicken, hard boil your eggs.

Divy up your portions and package them in ziplocks or tupperware containers for easy access to a single portion. 

By paying it forward (something B has taught me!) you're less likely to relapse into having a crappy, unplanned diet. You're making it wayyyy easier on yourself by doing a meal prep day! 

Some of my go-to meal prep things lately are:

Whole grain pasta, ground turkey zuchini meatballs, and homemade organic tomato sauce

Raw bell peppers (I clean them and slice them up so I can just grab them whenever I'm hungry)
Plums, Kiwis, Grapefruit

Un-fried fried rice 

Boiled chicken
 -with Frank's Red Hot Buffalo
-with cumin (Mexican spice) and then stuffed into a burrito. 

Salsa (for eggs and burritos)
Black Beans

Hard boiled eggs

Romaine (stored in my salad spinner)

Spinach (salads, omelettes)

This might take a few hours (it usually takes me 2 or 3 depending on what I'm making for the week) but it saves tons of time in the long run.

If you don't have a lunchbox, check out these from Built N.Y. They're my favorite!

If you're not doing a meal prep day already, what are you waiting for?? No excuses!!

Let me know what you're making on your meal prep day!