The key to any successful weight loss program? Planning!
In this guide we are going to talk about how meal prepping can ensure your success on a weight loss program. I will walk you through a step-by-step meal prep plan so that you can save time, money and your sanity. And I will give you some helpful tips, suggestions and meal planning ideas to make your weight loss journey and food prep simple and easy.
If we looked back on all the times we "cheated" or "failed" on our weight loss plans, the majority of them would probably have happened on an occasion when we were tired, extra hungry, were short on time, or had limited access to healthy foods (like at a party or a restaurant).
Like that day we didn't know what to have for dinner and knew the kids would melt down if we didn't come up with something fast.
So we put a frozen pizza in the oven. Or picked up Chinese take out.
Or maybe ate brownies for dinner instead.
The term “meal prepping” means to plan and prepare your meals ahead of time.
It is a proactive (to prepare for in advance) approach to healthy eating.
A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine suggests that spending time on preparing and cooking meals at home is linked with better dietary habits.
When I surveyed the women who had the best results on our weight loss program, I asked them what they attributed mostly to their success. The #1 thing they said contributed to their success was meal prepping.
When first starting out on a new eating plan, it is best to keep everything as simple as possible so that you don’t overwhelm yourself. In order to keep it simple, there is no reason to try a new recipe for every meal, every day!
Look for recipes that don't require a lot of ingredients or prep time.
However, just because we are going to keep it simple doesn’t mean it’s not going to be fun and delicious! My advice is to stick to just the basics during the week when you are busy and spice it up on the weekends with various recipes when you have more time and flexibility.
Pull out your calendar for the next week and plan your meals based around what you have scheduled.
For example: If you have a lunch meeting on Tuesday at a restaurant with a new client, you know that you will not need to pack lunch for that day.
After you have a blank calendar ready, start filling in your calendar with what you plan to eat. If you need a few meal ideas, the recipe section here on the website is a great place to start.
Keep in mind that our goal for each meal is to include a protein, vegetables, and a healthy fat.
Once you have your meals planned out for the week and you know what you will be having each day for breakfast, lunch and dinner (this is important to plan for ALL meals - and snacks!) it’s time to create your grocery list based off of the amount of food that you will need.
Don't forget to check your pantry, fridge and freezer to see which items you may already have on hand. It's so frustrating to start cooking, then find that while you thought you had plenty of garlic powder in the cupboard, you are completely out!
*Note: The 3X Meal Planner inside the Membership site will automatically generate a shopping list of ingredients based off the meals you select for the week.
Once you have gone shopping it’s time to prepare the food for the upcoming week!
You will want to prepare meat that you can simply re-heat when you are ready for it and prepare raw meat by seasoning and marinating it and storing it in the fridge.
The pre-cooked meats can be easily added to salads or heated up quickly for any meal and the raw meats will be ready to pop in the oven or on the grill for a fresher recipe.
Pre-wash and chop your salad vegetables in advance. This saves a lot of time when you're ready to make a salad.
I like to cut up celery, peppers, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower florets, and broccoli florets and keep them in glass containers in the fridge.
When I am ready to make a salad I can easily throw everything together in a bowl and add my dressing for a super healthy, quick meal.
In addition to chopping vegetables for salads you can prepare side dishes for your dinners as well.
This may include processing cauliflower rice, slicing carrots for carrot “fries”, washing and slicing Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, etc. You can even “spiralize” zucchini to make zoodles (zucchini noodles).
You can cook these ahead of time and reheat them when you are ready or just get them ready by washing and chopping them so that they will be ready to cook upon meal time. Another easy side dish is organic frozen vegetables that can easily be sautéed with coconut oil or ghee and then seasoned.
Meal prep is one of the most important steps in sticking to the program and reaching your weight loss goals. I highly recommend making it a priority.
I hope you implement these Meal Prep 101 strategies and have a ton of fun with your new healthy lifestyle! If you find this step-by-step meal planning helpful, please feel free to share.
Laura Sales | Healthy Lifestyle Blog laura@blog.laurasales.com Facebook.com/laurasaleshealthcoach IG: @laurasales3x
PS: Join my 10 Pound Jumpstart Challenge now if you’re sick of being overweight and unhappy with your body and find out how small changes can lead to BIG results!
