Meal Prep Magic

Did you know, it has been estimated that the average individual makes as many as 35,000 decisions per day (Sahakian & Labuzetta, 2013), of which about 226 are on food (Wansink & Sobal, 2007). WOW! That is a lot of mind power sectioned away for figuring out what to eat or what to make. One of my favorite techniques to cut down on those decisions, and leave less room for error - Is to MEAL PREP!

If you're human, chances are we will have weak moments. Relying purely on willpower has been scientifically proven to be a bad game-plan. Creating your environment to be one that aligns with your goals is a perfect way to ensure you're tilting the scale in your favor. By having ready-made food you're more likely to grab that instead of dining out, or reaching for those unhealthy choices.

You may ask "Why can't I just buy those pre-portioned snacks in a box!?". You sure could - but then you will be sacrificing quality, nutrition, and potentially setting yourself up for failure with added chemicals that can make you feel hungry, and eating hyper-palatable food that leads to cravings later on. Why not know every ingredient in your meals, and be able to pronounce them all!

I hear often that people think meal prepping just takes too much time. I get it - with busy work schedules and kids, the thought of cooking 4-5 separate meals sounds daunting. My solution to make it seem less intense in the beginning is to batch prep! For example, try cooking all of your meat for the week on Sunday. Then cook up large batches of your grain/legume of choice. Once those are prepped, all you have to do for dinner throughout the week is toss it together with varying sauces or sides! Salads, burrito bowls, soups, pastas, sandwiches, etc. can all be put together in a matter of minutes. Once you get into the habit of batch prepping, then you can move onto making 2-3 meals on Sunday (or your day of choice) for the week. Start small and grow!

Another consideration are SNACKS! While I generally don't recommend snacking all day for various health reasons, 1-2 snacks a day help to keep you feeling energized, and can help prevent feeling starving where you may over-eat. Raw fruit & veggies are a yummy nutritious snack that is portable and easy! My go-to options are apples, nectarines, peaches, bananas, pears, cut carrots, etc. Then if i feel fancy (or have extra time & energy), I'll cut up some melon to have in single-serving bags or containers in my fridge. Having snacks pre-portioned helps to cut down on over-eating as well. I separate snacks like nuts, crackers, cheese, and dried fruit into single serving baggies. This has also helped my daughter too! She has her own "snack drawer" and I no longer have to get up and make her snacks during the week! Win-win. Meal prepping helps save money too! By having a list and sticking to it, you're less likely to grab what "looks good" on the shelf at the store.

At the end of the day you have to prioritize the tasks that help you meet your goals in a sustainable way. Make it a family affair, play some music, and make it as enjoyable as possible. It's been proven that having a loved one join in on your journey, or at least be supportive, helps to increase the chances of success when meeting your goals. Create habits that last a life-time!

If you ever feel like you just need some extra support or ideas, please reach out anytime. We have been beginners, we have failed, and we have had great success! We know it can be hard, but we also know it is possible to truly enjoy the plan, and create lasting change for the better. We are here anytime for accountability, education, and empowerment!

Stay well,

Wellsprings Health in Motion