Meal prepping is becoming popular in today’s fast-paced society. It’s not always common, or easy, to spend hours cooking a homemade meal each night. This is partly why meal kits such as Hello Fresh or Ready, FitGo meals (my personal favorite) have gained so much attention. But what if you don’t want to spend money on those services, or you desire a more personalized approach to eating? An article by Andre Adams on the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) website discusses the benefits of meal prepping and how to do so in a practical way.
Prepare
The main thing to keep in mind when meal prepping is preparation. This starts before lifting a chopping knife or your trusty Tupperware. You must set realistic goals. Ask what you’re aiming for. To lose weight? Gain muscle? Save money? Losing sight of why you’re meal prepping can cause you to overspend, wasting money and food in the process.
Make a plan
Once these questions are answered, move to the next step, making a plan. Adams provides a list of steps for the planning section. The first one is picking which meals to prep. Do you have the least time in the mornings, hurrying to get the kids, yourself, and sometimes your spouse ready? Preparing breakfast beforehand might be the best option for you. However, say you're exhausted after a day of work, and all you have energy for is whipping up a bowl of stale tortilla chips from the pantry. Save your gut by preparing dinner in advance.
Another step under the planning section is choosing how many servings to prep at a time. This can be done by figuring out how many meals per day are needed to hit your specific macro goals and then how many times you want to eat that meal during the week.
Delve into details
In the next few steps, Adams mentions gathering recipes, buying containers, buying food, prepping, labeling, and storing the meals. Make prepping easier by cooking with multiple devices at the same time. “For example, you can use the air fryer for your vegetables, pressure cooker for your protein, and stovetop or oven for your carbohydrates, ”Adams writes. Also, label your food with the macros and dates to be aware when it expires.
Get to cooking
Adams then gets into which foods to prep under each category. To name a few, under the carbs section, he mentions pasta, potatoes, oats, and whole grain bread. Under protein, a few mentioned are chicken, fish, eggs, and cheese. In the whole veggies section: spinach, asparagus, brussel sprouts, and carrots. For whole fruits: mangoes, pears, apples, and bananas. Lastly, nuts, seeds, oils, tree nuts, flax seeds, and oils such as chai, extra virgin olive oil, and canola.
Lastly, Adams kindly reminds us to keep the meals interesting by adding sauces. These can be daunting for someone trying to maintain a healthy diet, but don’t worry; there are macro-friendly ones with brands like G-Hughes Sugar Free Sauces, Frank’s Red Hot 0 Cal, Flavor God, and Walden Farms toppings.
Now, I know this process seems daunting,but continue taking it step by step. I recommend starting small. Rather thanmaking 20 meals for a family of five, start with three meals. Work your way upas you get more comfortable with portion sizes and your own eating habits.
