Meal Prep 101 For Beginners

Meal Prep 101 For Beginners
A few things to consider before getting started: Did you write Out Your Goals? Weight loss Fat loss Build muscle Save money Free up time during the week Are these other things you need to achieve your goals? i.e. Workout plan, meal prep containers, fitbit, calendar reminder on your phone Do you have a system? Meal prepping doesn’t have to be done on Sunday night! Some people work night shifts, some people have weekends off… this needs to be a plan that fits your lifestyle. Sometimes, just simply having a few ready-to-go meals available, but having the flexibility to pick what to eat on the fly, is the best strategy. Step 1: Plan Your Meals Make sure each meal includes a balance of lean protein, carbohydrates (starch), and vegetable. One suggestion is, 2-3 days before your meal prep day, email yourself a list of meals that you will want to eat the next week. When you go shopping, just buy for those meals. This will save you money in the store because you won’t be overrun with impulse buys. NOTE: It’s also important to include one of the healthy fats listed below. Protein Chicken breast* Chicken thighs Turkey breast* Salmon Cod Haddock Shrimp Tilapia Tuna Steak Ground Beef* Pork* Sausages Bacon Eggs Greek Yogurt Cheese Protein Powder *Cutlet, ground, strips, etc. Try to look for options that are 93% – 99% lean. Plant-Based Protein Options: Black beans Lentils Garbanzo beans Tofu Tempeh Edamame Carbohydrates Quinoa Rice (brown, white, jasmine, black, wild grain) Potatoes (sweet, Japanese, red bliss) Whole grain pasta Rolled Oats Oatbran Whole grain cereal Whole grain bread Vegetables Spinach Green beans Broccoli Brussels sprouts Asparagus Kale Carrots Snow peas Squash (butternut, acorn, spaghetti squash, kabocha) Jicama Salad fixings (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, peppers, onions, etc) Berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) Oranges Bananas Apricots Plum Apples Kiwi Melon (cantaloupe, honeydew) Pineapple Pumpkin Healthy Fats Oil: Coconut oil Avocado oil Olive oil Flax oil Nuts: Almonds Macadamias Cashews Peanuts Brazil nuts Seeds: Ghee Step 2: Create your shopping listed based on the meals you planned You don’t want to be mid-prep and missing an ingredient! Check what ingredients you already have on hand and then add what you are missing to your list. Check out our resource page for multiple checklists, grocery lists (low carb, whole30, paleo, gluten free, etc) , and calendars. Step 3: Prep, prep, prep!! In less than 2 hours you can have a full weeks’ worth of healthy, wholesome and delicious meals ready to go! Share this Image On Your Site

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