Eating out can be easy and convenient, but after a while you pay a price with your bank account and your waist line. Preparing your own meals doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming, here are 4 tips to start meal prepping.
Let’s be real here, we all love going out for lunch because it’s quick and a way to be social with co-workers out of the office. BUT, according to research conducted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 92% of meals served at restaurants, including fast food chains, contain excess calories. When you think about it, it’s a super simple concept to understand. Restaurants are in the business of making food taste good and to give you lots of it. However, this concept is not friendly to our weight or our long-term health. So, what can you do? Here are 4 Tips to Start meal prepping!
1. Go to the grocery store with a game plan
Before you head to the grocery store, plan out your meals and snacks for the week. Make a grocery list that includes everything you need to execute your plan and stick to it. Don’t just go in there and try to wing it because before you know it a Snickers bar, ice cream, and some new chips that looked good made it’s way into your basket and now you’re just purchasing more items than you should (and not the healthiest of choices). This way you will only buy what you need, what you will actually utilize that week
and most importantly, items that fit into your health goals.
2. Designate a meal prep day
By preparing larger, healthy, family-sized meal portions and splitting them up into individual sized meal portions, you will save yourself time and money during the week (not to mention the excess calories). It’s a lot easier to grab something that is already prepped than to cook each meal as they come. You’re also likely to not follow your french fry craving on your way home if you know you already have something free and prepped waiting for you at home. Select a day that works for your schedule and prep as much as you can for the week.
If prepping meals isn’t your thing, buy items that are easy to grab on-the-go that still fit your nutrition goals and stock your fridge with them (i.e. yogurts, turkey jerky, packs of nuts, string cheese, easy to grab fruits and vegetables, deli meat, etc.).
3. Buy fruits & vegetables that are in season
This is essential to saving money on fruits and vegetables, because these items are less expensive when they are ripe and in-season. Have you ever gone to the grocery store and they want to charge you $4 for a mango?! This is what I’m talking about! They charge that much because that mango was not in-season.
Farmer’s Markets are a great option when trying to select in-season produce or check your local grocery store’s advertisements, they often emphasize in-season fruit and vegetables on the front page. Buy these items weekly to avoid rotting and food waste. Expert tip: if you’re not great at eating your fresh fruits and veggies in a timely manner, buy frozen options! The nutrients will still be there and you can eat them at your own pace.
4. Prep your own healthy snacks
Have you ever noticed how most healthy snacks that are sold individually tend to be pricey? It’s ridiculous! Exhibit A: a protein snack at Starbucks costing $8 but if you were to make it yourself it would be $2 or less…insane! Don’t waste your money like that and prep the snack yourself.
My theory: buy the large tub of Greek yogurt and hummus, hard boil your own eggs, cut up your own apple, slice up your own cheese, make your own trail mix or granola, and prep your own salad. Split them up into individual servings on your meal prep day and save yourself some time and money!
As mentioned above, purchase fruit and vegetables in bulk that are easy to grab and go (i.e. bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, carrots, celery, cucumber). They also require minimal to no prep time.
QUESTIONS?
I hope you found these 4 tips to start meal prepping useful and you start to implement them in your own life! Your wallet and body will thank you. 🙂 If you need further support to reach your goals check out my Macros Nutrition Program. Or if you have any further questions feel free to comment below or email me at therealisticdietitian@yahoo.com
Leave a Reply