Why Meal Prepping is the Key to Eating Better

You may have seen lots of fitness enthusiasts sharing photos of meal prep, or maybe your friends or work colleagues are into meal prepping. No matter where you may have seen it, meal planning is on the rise.

So what’s all the fuss about, and is it worth it? 

Is meal planning the key to eating better?

Are you fed up of spending loads of money at the supermarket but never seem to have many tasty meals out of the shop? Annoyed that you order so much take-out because you feel like you never have any food to cook? Meal prepping may be your saving grace.  

What is meal prepping?

Meal prepping is the concept of preparing whole meals or dishes ahead of schedule. It’s particularly popular amongst busy people, professionals, or working moms because it can save a lot of time. Having pre-prepared meals on hand can also reduce portion size and help you reach your nutrition goal. 

Let’s get one thing straight, though. Meal prepping doesn’t mean putting a couple of pizza slices in several Tupperware boxes along with chocolate pudding. 

There needs to be a little science to it, but in this post, I will show you why CORRECT meal planning is the key to eating better. 

You can follow your nutrition plan

First thing’s first. If you are going to embark upon a meal prepping adventure and take control of your eating for the better, you should ideally have some a plan to stick too. A nutritionist or qualified personal trainer can help to tailor an eating regime to your likes and wants. 

I am by no means saying this is the only way you can meal prep, but it’s the most effective way if you are looking to maintain, lose weight, or stay healthy. 

A well thought out food plan should consider your height, weight, age, and food preferences. This way it’s tailored for you. 

So what exactly makes up a healthful eating plan that you can use to meal prep? 

Making balanced meals

A healthy eating plan consists of meals with a wide variety of foods from multiple food groups. Meal prepping is a great way to make balanced and nutritious meals. The great thing about meal prepping is that you can take your time with it because you know which foods are needed to complete your plan. Eating well-balanced, nutritious meals keeps your body fuelled, your brain functioning properly, and your energy levels up.

Carbs – An excellent healthy meal should contain a healthy carbohydrate source. Sweet potatoes, basmati rice, brown rice, and whole grains are a few examples of healthy carbs. These are also excellent choices because they are slower digesting carbs, which keep you fuller for longer. 

Proteins – Your body needs protein to build and repair tissues and muscles. Protein is a vital food source. Try to include lean, healthy protein sources such as fish, chicken, tofu, and other proteins with low-fat content. 

Fats – Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support cell growth. They also help protect your organs and help keep your body warm. Fats help your body absorb some nutrients and produce vital hormones, too. Healthy fats include nuts, oily fish, dark chocolate, eggs, chia seeds. 

Greens – One of the main reasons to eat greens is for their vitamin and mineral content. Greens offer a super convenient, nearly non-caloric source of some of the hardest to obtain, specifically magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese. Always add green to your meals such as spinach, broccoli, kale, etc. 

Eliminates surprises

Meal prepping takes the guesswork out of what you’re going to eat on any given day. You are well prepared for the day and don’t have to worry about impulse eating or making inappropriate food choices. 

Meal prepping stops impulse eating and wrong decisions. Sometimes when you are out and about or are at work, it can be impossible to eat healthily. You may find your only options are fatty and unhealthy fast food choices. Having your meal prep eliminates all of this hassle and inconvenience. 

You have control of your body and mind

Meal prep puts you in total control of your eating. It doesn’t matter how busy you are or where you are. You have your meals with you, so any excuses or pitfalls that might have been presented themselves are eliminated. 

What’s more is that preparing your meals feels excellent for your mind. Knowing you are in control, and your meals are healthy and balanced gives you a sense of achievement. Meal prepping can feel very rewarding and keeps you on the straight and narrow. Meal prepping can also reduce stress as you avoid last-minute decisions about what to eat, or rushed preparation.

Your meal prepping checklist

1. At the start of the week, decide which meals you want to prepare, be it several meals a day from a food plan, 2 meals a day or just an evening meal for each day of the week.
2. Write your shopping list of all the ingredients you need for the meals you want to prepare.
3. Go and get your shop done!
4. Batch cook the ingredients for the meals you are making. 
5. Prepare the meals into sealable containers. Refrigerate what you can or freeze the rest. 
6. ENJOY! Because you have prepared the meals you want, you can grab them from your fridge for your long day at work or evening. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, after reading this, you can see the benefits of meal prepping the correct way. Meal prepping could be the last missing puzzle piece to your health and fitness regime. If you have been struggling to lose weight despite really locking down your exercise regime, meal prepping may well be the last step. 

Keep in mind there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to do meal prep/planning (this doesn’t mean packing 20 doughnuts a day by the way and calling that ‘planned meals’), as it’s all about what works for you personally, everyone has individual circumstances. 

The ultimate goal is to save time in the kitchen, save your dollars, and access healthy meals during the week. Some people find they like to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the week, while others will only prep one meal for each day. 

Meal planning can also be something you can enjoy with your family, everyone can indulge and experience in some home-cooked, balanced, nutritious, and healthy planned meals.