The benefits of food prepping are quite simple:
- saves time
- convenience
- avoid snacking
- eat clean
- saves you money
- keeps you on track with your fitness or weight loss goals
- portion control
Everybody food preps differently, depending on your lifestyle and commitments. I food prep every Sunday for a total of two hours. In this time I make all my meals for Monday through to Friday, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and two snacks. This may seem like a lot but it really isn't when you look at the bigger picture. For example an average day for me could look like this -
TUESDAY - Gym Day
- Arrive at work 8.30am, Breakfast
- 10am - 11am Snack no.1
- 12pm - 1pm, Lunch
- 2pm - 3pm, Snack no.2
- 5pm - Dinner
- Head to the gym after work
- After gym protein shake
FRIDAY - Gym Rest Day
- Arrive at work 8.30am, Breakfast
- 10am - 11am Snack no.1
- 12pm - 1pm, Lunch
- 2pm - 3pm, Snack no.2
- 6.30pm home from work, eat Dinner
- Paint the town red........
The more you get into the habit of prepping you will find out what works for you and your schedule. By prepping all my meals in advance that two hours of food prep time on a Sunday is looking rather manageable. I don't waste any time in the week pondering an what to cook and then slaving over a stove or picking up something unhealthy (non-Paleo in my case).
Tips for Successful Food Prepping
- Have a plan. I make a list of all the meals I want to cook ahead of time, usually before my grocery dash on a Sunday.
- Have a good inventory of Tupperware. I buy mine everywhere from Poundland to Tesco to stealing/borrowing from my Mum's collection (she's been to a lot of Tupperware parties.) You will need enough to cover every meal you intend to make for the week.
- Make space in your freezer. Cooked food has a shelf life of 2 - 3 days depending on what it is. To be safe I keep two days worth of meals in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer.
- Use measuring cups. If weight loss is one of your goals make sure you use the specified portion amounts in recipes.
- Maker freezer friendly foods. All the foods I prep for a week have to be freezer friendly. In the Summer months when I want more salad based lunches I prep a little differently but on the hole everything can be conveniently shoved into a freezer.
- Your spice rack is your best friend. I've acquired a large selection of spices during my food prepping time. They'll give your veggies/proteins a different delicious flavour every time.
Happy food prepping!
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