02/18/2021
Alright we aren't dummies but I sure did feel like one when I first started actually meal prepping. I say ‘actually’ because I have attempted meal prepping since I went to college in 2013 - minus freshman year dorm hall food. I would prepare 4-5 meals, eat a couple at work, get drunk on Thursday night, order pizza, eat all the cold pizza Friday, get drunk again, eat all the greasy food Saturday+Sunday, and then forget about my meal prep until it went bad and stunk up the fridge…
And then try again six months later… no shame, that was me haha but, I have been consistently meal prepping every week for 5 weeks now and let me tell you… IT IS A GAME CHANGER if you stick with it!!
So I thought I would share a couple tips with you that have really helped me stay consistent.
1.Start with ONE week - do not over complicate it. If you’re cooking for just yourself thats only 5 breakfasts, lunches, snacks. Or whatever fits your schedule. Sit down with a piece of paper & chart out the meals you eat each day and start with that.
2.Stick with meals that can be easily customized - I meal prep lunches for 4 people that all like different things so I try to cook things that use a sauce/dressing, can be ate with or without bread, spiced up or bland, ect. Salads with protien are very versatile depending on dressing, pasta + protein without the sauce so each day you can have a different sauce, nothing boring about that!
3.Pick two meals - I always pick two to three meals to prep so we have more variety and don't get bored but I always include a salad!! I make enough salads for each person to each on each day because veggies are so so important and we need to eat more of them!! & have a salad prepped and ready to go makes it 10000000% more likely that you will eat it
4.KEEP. IT. SIMPLE. - your meal prepped breakfasts/lunches do not need to be fancy. Food is fuel - treat it like it! Obviously add all the flavor you want but don't try to make a grilled salmon, asparagus, lemon rice with an orange peel for a garnish kind of meal.
Make time, plan ahead, hit the grocery store, blast some music, dance, cook, clean, prep, & hit your goals!!