Meal Prep: A Quick Guide
People are getting smarter about food choices. There are a lot of great resources at everyone’s fingertips to find out more about health and wellness, as well as how to appropriately fuel your body. Los Angeles personal trainers know that having the information is only half the battle, you have to be able to execute it too. Life can be busy, making choosing healthy foods at every meal difficult. This is where meal prep comes in handy. Here are the basics to help you get started!
What It Means to Prep Your Meals
Meal prepping is a pretty simple concept; it’s simply preparing your meals ahead of time. It’s like a TV dinner, but not full of crazy preservatives and sodium. You have complete control over the food you’re preparing so it can be healthy and unprocessed.
“Meal prepping is an endeavor that takes time, but it’s well worth it to ensure you’re eating healthy foods in the proper proportions, “says Los Angeles personal trainer Lalo Fuentes, CSCS, “so it’s time well-spent and an investment in your health.” Remember, when you have healthy things ready to go, you’ll eat them instead of stopping by your favorite drive-thru on the way home from work.
How to Start
OK – deep breaths. One of the most important things to remember is you’re just starting out, so try not to get overwhelmed. People often get bogged down in the little details of meal prep when they first start out, but it’s not that complicated. Begin with recipes that are familiar to you. The more comfortable you get in the process, the more you can branch out.
Start small with the following tips:
Choose a day – Pick a day of the week you will prep all the meals you need for the week. For many, Sunday works best, but it can be any day that works well for you. If it helps take the pressure off, you can split meal prep up into two days. Just remember not to take on too much when first starting out.
Choose the meals – Decide which meal you want to prep such as lunch or dinner. It doesn’t matter which meal you pick to prep, so long as you have a plan.
Use the right containers – Personal trainers in Los Angeles stress with their clients that proper containers are the foundation of meal prep. Choose containers that can divide different elements of your meal, are BPA free, and airtight. This will make for better tasting meals.
In the Kitchen
Lalo Fuentes recommends focusing on a few simple meals to get you started. Some chicken and steamed vegetables make a great base for many different, healthy recipes. You must learn to multitask and cook many things at once, utilizing the space in your kitchen – and don’t be afraid to get your Crockpot involved.
These tips will get you off to a great start with meal prep. If you need a more in-depth discussion, your Los Angeles personal trainer makes a great resource.