Maybe you recognize that on a busy day you still think, 'Darn, I still have to cook dinner. Oh well, I'll just throw something easy on the table.' We don't need to tell you that many people lead busy lives. And you're probably also aware that healthy eating is important. To avoid falling into the trap of quickly opting for unhealthy and easy food, you can meal prep. In other words, prepare your meals in advance.
What is meal prepping?
It's all about preparing your food so you have a healthy option during rushed moments! You can do this for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You cook and prepare at one time for several days ahead. This way, you have a healthy choice and cover yourself for those moments when it's harder to go for healthy options, such as after a long day or when there's little time.
Why is meal prepping a good idea?
- It makes it easy to stick to a healthy diet. At times when you're already hungry, busy, or have less time than expected, you're much less likely to make soup or a salad. If you already have it ready in your fridge, you're much more likely to choose the healthy option.
- You save time: by preparing several meals at once. By choosing one moment to spend a bit longer on your food, you'll have extra time on the following days. Then you can, for example, exercise a little extra or consciously relax!
- Convenience: After your preparation, you don't have to worry about it anymore! Just take it out of the fridge and get it ready to eat. Even when you're on the go or going to work every day, you'll have your own food ready. How convenient!
- Portion control: You can estimate what a healthy portion is for you in advance. When you already have this ready in containers, you can be sure you're sticking to these portions. It's important to eat enough so you don't get hungry afterward and succumb to a snack.
- Healthy choices: Preparing your meals simply helps you make the healthy choice. You know exactly what nutrients you're getting because you prepared it yourself!
How to meal prep?
Step 1: Determine how many days of meals you need AND which meals you want to prepare (breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner)
Step 2: Make a plan of what you want to eat each day, choose recipes that have a healthy balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats (even for breakfast!).
Step 3: Get your ingredients and choose the moment when you'll prepare your meals. Sunday, for example, is a great day if you want to prepare for your work week.
Step 4: Prepare your meals and divide them into equal portions in containers and place them in the fridge!
Step 5: Relax and give yourself a pat on the back for taking another step towards a healthy lifestyle!
It's also possible to prepare ingredients if you want to be less tied to specific meals. For example, you can pre-cook rice, and chop vegetables and/or meat. This way, you remain more flexible in what you eat, but you still ensure it's easy to make healthy choices!
