Why meal-prep?
Unclench your jaw and relax your shoulders...now drop whatever image you've conjured up in your head around huge grocery hauls, jam packed kitchen counters, and fully booked Sunday afternoons. It doesn't have to be that hard.
What exactly is meal prep?
First, let me tell you what it's not. Or at least, what it doesn't have to be.
Counting calories and macros (carbs, proteins, fats) or weighing anything. Some bland combination of rice, veggies, and animal protein. Boring and time-consuming.
Now, I love talking about food. I love (almost) all things food-related, whether it be trying new restaurants, recipes, or ingredients. I really enjoy matching my diet (which, in this context, just means any food that I choose to consume) with the seasons in order to help my body feel it's best.
This is why I don't do as much meal prep in the summertime. I find that I'm eating lots of fresh fruit and veggies, smaller and more frequent meals, generally in raw form (because this is what our bodies are better able to do in the warm months). However, when we approach fall and winter, I start getting myself back into the mode of planning meals and being more conscious of the time I'll take to prepare what I'm going to eat. It's got nothing to do with maintaining, gaining, losing, etc. It has everything to do with realizing that when I feel tired, lazy, or crabby by the end of the day, I probably won't make great food choices. So, if I can be one step ahead of hangry Jordann, why not help her out?
How to get started?
Please don't make this more complicated than it needs to be. Keep it simple, especially if it's a new habit you're trying to introduce. Choose one breakfast, lunch, and dinner option for the week. When you're first starting out, please don't make big changes to the meals you enjoy eating. If you like sweet breakfasts, don't prep a bunch of savory breakfast sandwiches that will go to die in the back of the freezer. Find things you like, with ingredients that you already have on hand. Prep those recipes in bulk (this will change based on how many people will be eating the meal and how quickly you think you'll finish it) and pull them out of the fridge when you're ready to eat.
Here's an example:
Breakfast: Greek Yogurt Parfait
Big scoops of Greek yogurt. Top with your favorite granola or nuts. Add some cinnamon, honey, syrup, chia seeds. Slice your favorite fruit on top.
Lunch: Tunacado salad (one of my personal favorites)
Can of tuna. One avocado. Spoonful of plain Greek yogurt and squeeze of your favorite hot sauce. A little bit of diced red onion. Salt, red pepper flakes, lemon juice. *I like to scoop this into dried seaweed for a little extra crunch and salt.
Dinner: Bang Bang Shrimp (newly added to my list - will absolutely make again)
Add garlic powder, paprika, and corn starch to thawed shrimp (measure with your heart). Cook for 3 minutes a side. Mix sweet chili sauce, mayo, and siracha in a bowl, and add cooked shrimp.
*Really great with coconut rice and quick pickled carrots/cucumbers on the side.
I chose these recipes specifically because most of these items are regulars on my grocery list. Prepping this took less than an hour (and I move pretty slowly in the kitchen). No, this did not cover every meal for the week, but I didn't need it to. I simply needed a few things on hand for those moments when I don't want to have to think, cook, or wash.
As you get more comfortable with the process, you can start adding more. Try a second breakfast option or a dinner recipe that has more sides. What works best for me is:
One savory and one sweet breakfast option (usually some kind of muffin/bread with shredded veggies, nuts, nut butter, and the yogurt parfait or blended overnight oats with fruit - yes, I said blended. If you're not a fan of the texture of overnight oats, try blending them up).
One lunch option, typically in salad form (this does not mean it always contains lettuce. Instead, I like to do bean salads, taco salad, egg salad, etc.).
Two dinner options, often one veggie-based and the other with animal protein.
If things are moving quickly and easily, I'll add something sweet. This week is a baked oatmeal that mimics chocolate chip cookies, and I can't wait to try it. Keep in mind, this is what I'd consider possible on my "perfect" weeks, when I've got the time and energy to do it. Otherwise, I stick to the one breakfast, lunch, and dinner rule.
You don't need any fancy equipment, a food scale, or a certain brand of containers to store your meals in. The same way you schedule your workouts, put this time for meal prep on your calendar, and remind yourself that it's one more way to take care of your mind and body.
Your future self (the one who's grumpy after a long day and just wants to eat a block of cheese and call it a night) will thank you for it.
Happy eating!