There’s meal prepping - then there’s healthy meal prepping. Be sure to know the difference and shop for the ingredients that are best for you and your weight management goals. For many people who are slightly intimidated by the process of meal prepping, this is a great introduction for you. This will be a brief guide that covers all the tips and tricks you need to know in order to become a successful meal prepper. Really, there are three main components of meal prepping. The first is shopping, the second cooking, and the third preparing and mapping out your calories. Let’s dig in!
Shopping Guide For Meal Preppers:
When it comes to meal prepping, most meal preppers are after saving money in addition to losing, gaining, or remaining at their target weight. Meal prepping can be an extremely cost effective technique to buying groceries, and because you are often buying in bulk and saving money, you can often invest in higher quality ingredients that you once thought were too expensive. Here are some tips on how to shop in order to maximise your success as a meal prepper:
Tips and Tricks on How to Cook as a Meal Prepper:
Cooking as a person who meal preps is an art - there are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare your meals. While meal prepping is extremely easy, and for the most part you can cook as you normally would, because of the fact that you are leaving it in the fridge for up to a week there are a few important things to note:
How many calories you eat and the types of food you ingest depends entirely on you and your weight management needs. As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to keep half of your plate with vegetables, a quarter with a source of protein, and the other quarter with a carb, with olive on top to get some healthy fats in. Here are some resources for planning out your calories:
These are just a few tips on how to meal prep. If you’re new to meal prepping, this should serve as a great introductory guide, and if you’re a pro food prepper, I hope you walk away with some fresh new points on meal prepping.
Shopping Guide For Meal Preppers:
When it comes to meal prepping, most meal preppers are after saving money in addition to losing, gaining, or remaining at their target weight. Meal prepping can be an extremely cost effective technique to buying groceries, and because you are often buying in bulk and saving money, you can often invest in higher quality ingredients that you once thought were too expensive. Here are some tips on how to shop in order to maximise your success as a meal prepper:
- Buy in season. Buying fruits and vegetables, as well as fish, not only saves you tons of money in the long run, but also ensures that your food is super fresh and healthy for you. Kill two birds with one stone.
- Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk often saves tons of money. Shop at wholesale store such as Costco, and when there are some major savings going on, be sure to sweep those up and store the excess food in your house, if non-perishable.
- Go organic when possible. For some items it’s best to go organic. Since you’re saving money by buying in season and bulk, why not splurge a little bit - especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables that are prone to having pesticides stuck on their skin, and meat and poultry with antibiotics.
- Don’t forget to add spices! Spices are a great way to add some flavor to your meal and are incredible antioxidant boosters, oftentimes. Spices were so valuable that they were often used as a currency back in older societies. Take advantage of our abundance of spices and add some to your cart, or even grow some of your own.
Tips and Tricks on How to Cook as a Meal Prepper:
Cooking as a person who meal preps is an art - there are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare your meals. While meal prepping is extremely easy, and for the most part you can cook as you normally would, because of the fact that you are leaving it in the fridge for up to a week there are a few important things to note:
- Starchy carbs and vegetables. For the most part, carbs are a little difficult to keep in the fridge. Why is this? Because they are prone to becoming “soggy”. Foods such as rice and potatoes may take on a weird texture after being in the fridge. Instead, consider freezing them and reheating them up in the microwave. The texture is often much better.
- Always reheat meats. Yes, even after you cook your meat and store it in the fridge, generally it’s a good idea to reheat it, just in case. While you can eat your meat cold, there is a chance it could have been contaminated as it went through the dangerous temperature range from hot to cool. You can minimize this risk by placing your meat into the fridge right away.
- Take full advantage of all of the stovetop burners. Don’t wait to do one thing, one at a time. Instead, cook up your rice and pasta simultaneously. If you have too much meat for one pan, simply add another to the stove top.
How many calories you eat and the types of food you ingest depends entirely on you and your weight management needs. As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to keep half of your plate with vegetables, a quarter with a source of protein, and the other quarter with a carb, with olive on top to get some healthy fats in. Here are some resources for planning out your calories:
- Use an online tool to map out how many calories you need. Keep track of how many calories you need using a calorie calculator online, such as from freedieting.com . It’s crucial to establish a number for you to hit each day.
- Use a food journal. Be sure to calculate out your calories per portion accurately and record it in your food journal. Writing things down and keeping yourself accountable will help you out in the long run.
- Always include vegetables. While vegetables may not seem important because they practically have no calories, they are packed with tons of vitamins and minerals that help our bodies perform their daily functions.
These are just a few tips on how to meal prep. If you’re new to meal prepping, this should serve as a great introductory guide, and if you’re a pro food prepper, I hope you walk away with some fresh new points on meal prepping.