How To Low Carb Meal Prep for the Week
Prepping meals in advance saves time throughout the week and ensures access to healthy, balanced meals. If you need low-carb meal prep ideas, you may have limited options. With a little bit of advanced preparation, you can create healthy, flavorful meals that are low in carbs but packed with everything that you love. There are a few key elements to think about.
Replace Starches With Vegetables for Low Carb Meal Prep
One of the simplest steps to cut carbs from your meal prep is to replace them with vegetables. There are many options now that use vegetable bases in place of starch, including cauliflower rice instead of white or brown rice, zucchini or butternut squash noodles instead of pasta, and even mashed cauliflower or squash instead of potatoes. These vegetables are hardy enough to hold up to meal prep for the week, and they will ensure that you don’t crave carbs when you enjoy your meal.
Choose Proteins Carefully for Low Carb Meal Prep
It’s easy to forget that proteins become a star of the meal when you cut carbs. That means choosing proteins that stand up to meal prep. Opt for proteins that keep well without drying out over the week, including things like brined chicken, salmon and other fatty fish, or chicken salad products. For variety, you can even mix in chickpeas, beans and peanut butter as protein sources.
Create Colorful Salads for Lunchtime Low Carb Meal Prep
If you prefer something light and easy for your lunches, salads are a great way to cut carbs without sacrificing flavors. Use hardy vegetable bases such as broccoli slaw that hold up to advanced prep. Divide ingredients between compartments or build salads in a jar with the highest moisture contents at the bottom. This protects delicate greens from getting soggy. Keep your dressings on the side until you are ready to eat, and add any crunchy components, such as seeds and other toppings, at serving to preserve their crunch.
Plan a Variety of Breakfasts for Versatile Low Carb Meal Prep
Breakfast can be a challenge when you meal prep. If you aren’t sure what to include without the usual carb-laden fallbacks, there are some options that are easy as well as low in carbs. Banana pancakes are a low-carb and filling option that you can make in advance for the week. The batter is made from banana, egg and the spices of your choice, so there is no flour.
You can also create a variety of flavors of frittatas or egg bites to include in different breakfast preps. Round out your breakfast servings with berries, nuts and Greek yogurt for easy on-the-go breakfast preps.
Get Help With Low Carb Meal Prep Delivery
Meal prep delivery services are a great way to save time and energy with your weekly meals, especially when you have a specialized diet. Check out MaxFit Meals for low carb meal prep options delivered to your door. You can maintain your low-carb lifestyle without the time investment of prepping those meals yourself.