Meal Planning (The basics to keeping it simple)
Aug 26, 2022
Meal Planning (The basics to keeping it simple).
Do you cringe when you hear the phrase “meal planning”? Many people get overwhelmed when they think about this task but mainly that’s because they are jumping to the end and imagining long hours in the kitchen with dozens and dozens of recipes sprawled out.
Most people go into data overload, time investment worries, and lack of skill set or desire.
There’s really just a few steps needed to begin to set yourself up for success when it comes to meal prepping.
1. On a scale from 1-10 how likely is this something I will actually do and stick to?
2. If it’s not something I can do and stick to what are some other options for me?
3. Is there a way I can do some meal planning and also support myself with meals to make it easier?
4. How can I create a win win!!!
Let’s dive in. You have to be really honest with yourself (without shaming) and then you can assess which direction to take. If you absolutely know that realistically you won’t meal prep for whatever reason then there are tons of ways to still get support without actually doing any meal prepping at all.
There are tons of meal delivery services nowadays for the busy person who doesn’t have time or where with all to meal prep. Maybe you live alone and find it hard to cook for one person. A meal delivery service in that case might be ideal for you. Here are a few to look into to see which one might be best for you.
Mighty Meals (discount code VJOD - $25 off first 4 orders)
Territory Foods (discount code FTALEX - $50 off first two orders).
Some things to consider when determining which is best for you are cost, ingredients, flexibility, shipping. Average cost is about $10-$12 per serving give or take so do your research and see what feels good to you. Prepping services for one week will usually range between $60-$100. Hello Fresh you can get the cost down to $8 per meal if you order meals for 4.
If you do not want to meal prep or do meal delivery services or if you are looking to supplement with shakes or other nutritional products, you may want to connect with trainer Jen. Jen is affiliated with the program Isagenix. Jen can help you find alternatives to fit your needs and have support for when you are on the go and need something quick.
If you are ready to learn the basics of meal prepping then keep reading.
The three steps to executing a good meal prepping routine are planning, prepping, and cooking.
Planning can seem overwhelming at first, so it helps to determine what you want to prepare? Do you want to start with just snacks? Just dinners? Does a whole week sound like too much? Maybe keep the steps small and just start with three meals Mon/Wednesday/Fridays and then add on as you feel compelled. Breaking big steps down into little ones will keep the anxiety level lower. Small changes yield the big results.
Prepping involves having great containers to store things in. Do you have enough Tupperware? Do you need different sizes? Head to the dollar store to keep the cost down and grab containers before you begin. There’s nothing worse than being in the kitchen only to realize you don’t have containers to put your food in.
Cooking
Things like quinoa, brown rice and pasta can be cooked ahead of time and left in the fridge. I like doing those on one day for the entire week. On days when I know I’m extra slammed I like utilizing my crock pot. The crock pot is a dump everything in and turn it on - quick meal. Another option is to marinate meats and throw them in the freezer and grab and defrost when you’re ready to cook them. You don’t have to cook everything at once.
There are tons of recipes online. Make Google your friend. Pinterest also has great ideas.
Want to dive deeper into this? Join us on 8/27 for our community event, The Art Social, to taste 4 recipes that Trainer Jen and Nicole put together. Did you miss this event? Stay tuned for an upcoming meal prepping workshop we are going to host in the fall.
