Meal prep would appear to be a foundation of success for those dedicated, hardcore gym goers, but in reality, maybe it should be the foundation for anyone with a busy schedule, who wants to maximise their time and increase productivity, whilst prioritising their health and/or budget.
Preparing your meals in advance can seem overwhelming at first, but when done properly, it really can be a game-changer.
Here are three meal prep tips to get you started:
Make It A Habit
Make meal prep part of your weekly schedule, at the same time every week. Putting 1-2 hours, aside twice a week (I'd recommend Sunday and Wednesday) should be more than sufficient to efficiently meal prep. I would tend to opt against prepping for a whole week in one go, for two reasons:
1. Space: It's difficult to store that many meals in the fridge at one time
2. Freshness: Cooked food will only stay fresh for so long, before it goes bad
This is why prepping on a Sunday and Wednesday is your best option to maximise efficiency and freshness.
Spice Up Your Life
Most spices, herbs and seasonings add very few calories to a meal (if any) but they can transform a bland dish into a meal that you thoroughly enjoy, whilst often possessing their own unique health benefits too. For example, garlic can aid with cholesterol and blood pressure.
Don't be afraid to experiment with different flavour combinations, a lot of the time when I'm cooking I'll just throw a few random herbs and spices in and my wife thinks I'm Gordon Ramsay, but really I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing.
Click here to view my recommended low calorie condiments.
Weigh Your Food Before You Cook It
The best way to get the most accurate and consistent food measurement is to weigh and log foods before cooking. That’s because the nutrition facts panels give us details for food in its packaged state. Most whole foods like whole grains, lean proteins and vegetables typically come uncooked and are calculated for nutrition when uncooked.
More importantly, numbers entered in apps like MyFitnessPal reflect the numbers on standardised food packaging. It’s the cooking that’s inconsistent and can alter the weight depending on the method, temperature, altitude, moisture and even amount of seasoning (salt draws water out of meat, seafood and vegetables, affecting both weight and volume).
Meat and seafood may lose 20–25% of its weight and volume during cooking (that quarter-pound burger isn’t quite so after cooking) and vegetables can lose as much as 50% of their weight and volume. 150g of raw sweet potatoes may shrink to 75g after roasting. While it may seem trivial, the calorie difference can add up quickly and slow your progress toward your goals. Cooked entries are estimates, so you are always better entering food in its raw, more accurate state whenever possible.
Bonus Tip: Know Your Timings
Once you know how you like your food cooked, write down your cooking times, this will really streamline the entire process and make it much easier to multi-task and/or cook multiple items at once, instead of sitting around watching your concoctions simmer and bubble.
Meal prep should make your life easier, not more stressful. Use these tips to help streamline the process, make it more enjoyable, and easier for you to meet your nutritional goals with minimal stress.
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