One of the best ways to reach your health and fitness goals is to prep your meals beforehand. Meal prepping consists of creating meals or snacks ahead of schedule. As simple as meal prepping sounds, there are a few things you need to consider before you create a diet plan. However, this blog will walk you step by step through the process of meal planning.
Brainstorm Ideas and Recipies
Before you can start prepping any food, you should have an idea of what meals you plan to make. Brainstorming a list of healthy meals will come in handy when you make your meals for the week. Try to find recipes that contain lean high-protein meats, whole grains, heart vegetables, whole fruits, nuts/seeds, low-fat dairy, etc.
Use What You Have
To save money, it would be wise to use food that you already have. Think about the meals you can make with the ingredients in your kitchen. As you brainstorm recipes, consider what you already have and make a meal out of that. However, in order to reach your nutritional goals, you might have to add different foods to your grocery list.
Create a Healthy Grocery List
Eating healthy is easier said than done, especially when your house is full of tempting treats. However, by creating a healthy grocery list, you can ensure that you have plenty of whole foods to use in your meals. Your list should include non-starchy vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and a limited amount of processed foods.
Focus on Hitting Your Macro Goals
Meal prepping is only successful if you include all the food groups and eat an adequate amount. Your meals should ensure that you are eating enough protein to build muscles, and enough carbohydrates to provide you energy during your workouts. Measuring your caloric needs will help you know what to include in your meals for the week.
Invest in Portion Containers
Now that you know meal prepping should be all about hitting your macro goals, you can start to incorporate portion containers. These containers come in handy when you are measuring out how much of each food group to include. Portion containers are a very good alternative to counting calories that still allows you to reduce your food intake and lose weight. In general, storing your meals for the week in containers is an excellent way to divide up bulk food, store it, and keep it fresh longer.
Create a Schedule
The last important part of meal prepping is creating a schedule. Since you are preparing dishes ahead of time, you don’t want to get behind. For example, If you are wanting to prep meals for the whole week, you should give yourself two days a week to do so. That way, you can make sure that you’re able to keep food as fresh as possible.
If you have any questions about creating a personal meal plan, feel free to sign up for a free consultation by emailing 1jpfit4life1@gmail.com or calling(802) 522-652!
Yorumlar