How to Meal Prep

If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. How many times have we heard this before? I am not a big fan of such drastic ways of looking at things, but I do think that you have a much better chance of sticking with a healthy diet, if you give it a bit of thought, instead of just winging it.

So, the change in your mindset and developing a different game-plan is the best way to get fit and stay that way for a long time, but there is a whole bunch of other benefits that come with healthy meal prep, like saving money when buying groceries in bulks, and saving time when it comes to cooking and doing the dishes.

The most common excuses people use when it comes to meal prep are usually the lack of ideas for the seven-day worth of meals, and the fact that they don’t know what they will be hungry for half-way down the week. As far as the first one goes, you really needn’t worry. There are so many resources nowadays that lay it all out for you, being a fit foodie has never been easier. And nobody says that you can’t give in to your cravings once or twice a week, if you really feel like having a chocolate chip cookie or a slice of pizza. 

So, we have established that healthy meal prep is the way to go, and now we will find out just how. My first advice when it comes to meal prep in general is to take it slow, and don’t let it become overwhelming right off the bat. You might want to try and cook for two days in advance if preparing the whole-week batch seems like it’s too much work. You might also prepare some of your food ahead of time, and make the rest as you go (for me, it was much easier to prepare a week worth of veggies, and just grill the meat one day at a time). Give yourself time, and build up to doing it all on Sunday.

The next step would be finding the foods you like and creating a weekly meal plan. Granted, this part can be a tricky feat, but it’s doable with a smidge of imagination and a pinch of help you can find online. There is no universal truth, either, but what I like to do is base my recipes on season fruit and veggies, which is great because you can find organic stuff with high nutritional value, and they are at their cheapest during the season. This also helps you keep your menu fresh and interesting, so you can enjoy your food, and stay healthy and fit in the process.

As you can see, healthy meal prep is not that difficult after all, even though it can seem a bit daunting of a task. What I like most about it is not anything I have previously mentioned; it’s the fact that you can express your creativity in the process. So, grab a pan, spatula and some pots, and let’s do this thing.