Hi Reader,
I hope you have thought about setting a little bit of time aside for your healthy meals this week. Even though we don't want to, it is necessary but once you do it for a month or so it will be come second nature without much thought.
Most people think of meal prepping as spending hours in the kitchen. That isn't necessarily true BUT we do need to spend a little bit of time finding healthier meal options, shopping for our meals and thinking about what to cook when so we have enough food for our needs for the week.
Be patient with the process, it will take you a bit to find healthier meal options but once you figure it out, it is pretty easy. Remember, learning how to do something new is always challenging but soon enough it is habit.
This week, I’ll share how to meal prep without spending hours in the kitchen, and how to make healthy choices even if you do eat out a few days a week.
1-Pick meals that you can eat as leftovers. While you are cooking a meal, make an extra batch or 2 extra batches. You can have leftovers and then freeze the other batch and have it available for another week.
If you are grilling burgers, make them as turkey or chicken burgers for less fat, more protein and make 4 or 6 more. Use them as part of a lunch later in the week or dinner another night. I have yet had a client say they hated the chicken or turkey burgers vs hamburgers, it's all about the seasoning :) Here's one of my favorites
2-Order healthy prepared meals from a local place- the cost isn't much more and it takes a tremendous amount of pressure off my shoulders on those weeks I know I may struggle to prepare nutritious foods because of how busy I am. There are more and more of these popping up as the need is there- BUT please make sure they are health options.
3-For breakfasts make a batch of scrambled eggs, I do this usually on Sunday mornings when I am already making breakfast. I package them up so I can grab and take with me to work.
Overnight oats or chia pudding or a yogurt parfaits are great and easy. You can also make this egg bake for the week. It's super easy and takes very little time depending on what you put in it.
4-Cook up a batch of chicken breasts. You can throw 4 or 6 in the oven, air fryer, grill or however you prefer- then when you are ready to make dinner, that part is done. You can sprinkle different seasonings on them eat night for a different taste, heat and eat.
This is great for so many different dishes.
1-Chicken tacos
2-Shredded chicken with avocado, onion, salt/pepper, tomatoes with some mustard or greek yogurt- this is great for lunches
3-Diced or shredded chicken wraps with your favorite toppings
4-Sliced chicken on a big ol salad
5-Quesadillas
6-And many more
Cook up some sweet potatoes and have them in your fridge for when you are pushed for time. Heat up your sweet potato, chicken and a veggie, then go about your day/evening.
Instead of planning and packaging for the whole week, do it the night before or do it for a couple of days. Example- on Tuesday package your meals for Wed and Thurs; you are still getting your meals ready just not all at once.
When you go out to eat, eat half and take the rest home for another meal. This not only helps control your portions but ALSO allows you to have another meal for the week.
Making better choices when you are out to eat helps your healthier lifestyle. Ask for your burger to be served without the bun. Add extra protein to your salad. Skip out on the pop, get a soda water add lemon or lime instead. Or get an unsweetened tea.
If you are a french fry lover like me, order a side salad or veggies along with your fries, eat 1/2 of your fries, put the other 1/2 in a to-go container and eat your salad.
Pasta eater? Order a side salad and put 1/2 of the pasta in a to go container, eat the salad if you are still hungry. You have the rest of the pasta for another day.
Meal prep DOES NOT have to mean hours in the kitchen. Just need to shift a few things around to make it work.
Again, I cannot stress enough to give yourself some patience. Try meal prep for 5 meals instead of thinking all 21 meals need to be prepped. Maybe you prep your breakfasts for a few weeks instead of stopping at Starbucks or McDonalds on the way. Then as you are comfortable with that, you can add meal prepping your lunches.
I hope some of these work for you. Let me know what you are struggling with for meal planning/prepping and I can add those ideas into my emails. I know you aren't the ONLY one struggling with it, so let me know and we can help others.
Remember if you feel these ideas can help others, please share this email. I would greatly appreciate it so we can help as many as possible feel their best.
Get That Goal!
Until next time friend,
Thank you for telling your friends and family about
Goal Oriented Health & Fitness so we can help them too!
Did someone forward you this email?
Click here to join the Newsletter community
