Meal Prepping 101

If you’re finding it challenging to prepare healthy meals, consider meal prepping!

Meal prepping involves preparing food ahead of time, most often at the beginning of the week, for you to use over the course of several days.

It can help you stay on track with your macros, save money, save time, reduce stress, and eat healthier! 

Who doesn't want that?!

Here’s a few tips to keep in mind as you get started!

• Pick one meal to start with. Which meal is the most challenging for you? Maybe you struggle finding time for breakfast between getting the kids ready and rushing off to work in the morning. Start with prepping breakfast.
• Keep it simple, especially at first. You don’t need to cook seven elaborate meals on Sunday night. It could be as simple as baking a pan full of chicken to use in meals throughout the week. Anything is helpful.
• Use classic recipes that you know and like! Starting something new isn't the best time to experiment, so keep it simple.
• Prep foods that take longer to cook. For example, you could prep 2-3 different proteins, roast a variety of vegetables, and bake a bunch of potatoes.

Now let’s get started!

1. Make a meal plan. What will you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks throughout the week? Even if you only plan to meal prep breakfast, it will be surprisingly helpful to have all your other meals listed out for the week!
2. Make a grocery list and get everything you’ll need for the week ahead.
3. Start cooking! Keep in mind, you don’t need to prep full meals if you don’t want to. You could bake a pan of chicken, boil eggs, roast asparagus in the oven, chop up fresh vegetables for snacks, or boil up a batch of rice. Anything to save you time during the week and keep you on track with your nutrition!

Don’t be afraid to experiment a bit to find the meal prep style that works best for you!

Here’s a breakfast recipe for you to try during your next meal prep!

Maple Steel Cut Oats! YUM!

• In a pot, combine 1 cup steel cut oats, 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce, 3 cups water, 1 large apple (chopped), 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, 2 tsp maple extract.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 25-35 minutes.
• Then add 2 tbsp maple syrup and 1/3 cup chopped pecans. Let cool. Store in individual containers for an easy grab and go breakfast.
• Re-heat in microwave for 1 minute.  Add more liquid if needed.