Tips for Diet Meal Prep To Stay on Track
Diet meal prep is the only way that some people can stick with a weight-loss or healthy eating plan. Demanding schedules leave little time for kitchen prep and cooking on a daily basis. That is why meal prepping has gained popularity. With the right meal plan and prep process, you can have healthy, balanced meals and snacks ready to grab and go at a moment’s notice. Meal prep planning also minimizes decision paralysis because your options are limited to what you have prepped.
Diet Meal Prep: How It Can Help
Whether you are trying to lose weight or you want to eat healthier, the right meal prep plan can make a difference. Prepping meals in advance encourages you to plan ahead for your menu, which gives you the chance to incorporate greater variety in place of the quick and easy solutions you may often fall back on.
This increased variety can help reduce the boredom that is a leading cause of diet plan abandonment. When you prep your meals and snacks ahead of time for the week, you can ensure that you have a rainbow of colors, many different flavor profiles and more creative meals.
Diet meal prep also makes it easier for you to stick to your diet plan on busy days. Perhaps you find yourself resorting to take-out on your way home because you work long hours, or maybe you skip breakfast because you head out so early in the morning and then make poor choices at lunch. Meal prepping can make a big difference in a busy schedule.
When you spend just a few hours a week preparing healthy meal choices and snacks, even busy schedules can’t stop you. Just grab your choices for the day and then heat up your dinner when you get home.
Diet Meal Prep: Ways To Optimize the Process
Successful meal prepping is as much about the process as it is about the food itself. Before you tackle your first week’s meal prep, make sure that you are adequately prepared.
Stock Up on Storage Containers
Your meal prep process will be more effective when you have the right containers to store food in. There are freezer and refrigerator containers, so invest in a mixture of both. That way, you have containers to freeze leftovers and refrigerator containers for the week’s meals.
Divided trays are great for meals with multiple components, and they allow you to see the distribution of your proteins, vegetables and grains. Nutrient balance is important with diet meal prep, so use containers that simplify the process.
Choose trays that you can reheat or bake in for simplicity. Many meal prep containers are microwave-safe. Aluminum or glass containers can work well for oven heating. Buy a variety of sizes and shapes so that you have containers for different meals, sauces, snacks and other components.
Glass containers and airtight storage containers make a big difference with many fresh vegetables, fruits and berries. Since most diet meal plans include a wide variety of whole foods and fresh produce, stock up on storage containers such as these to extend their shelf life.
Split Up the Work
Especially in the first couple of weeks of your diet meal prep, it is easier to split the workload up so you aren’t doing it all in one day. Plan out your week’s menu one day. This allows you plenty of time to consider what you want to eat, incorporate variety and choose meals that use similar ingredients for cost-savings.
Shop for your ingredients on the following day. Choose the freshest, best quality ingredients you can so they hold up well for the week. Finally, prep your meals, ingredients and snacks the following day. The actual prep often takes a few hours, so it is best left to a day of its own.
Diet Meal Prep: What To Include
Your meal plan should include variety, with different lean proteins, plenty of vegetables and hearty whole grains. Aim for recipes with minimal fat, low salt content and little added sugar. The simpler the recipes are, the more the flavors will shine. Focus on quality over complex recipes for the best results. Don’t dismiss your snacks, either. Include fresh vegetables and fruits with cheese or other protein sources for quick snacks.
Repurpose ingredients when possible so that you maximize your grocery shopping. For instance, roast a whole chicken so you can use the breasts for one meal and the remaining meat for soup or shredded meat.
Diet Meal Prep: How To Prepare
The preparation process is often the most significant time investment. Reduce that time where possible by choosing pre-cut produce or proteins where possible. This can save you significantly in your preparation process. Prep everything at once so that you don’t have to worry about ingredients needing prep before a meal.
Start with the components that take the most time, including cooking the proteins and rice or roasting vegetables. While those are cooking, focus on prepping other vegetables and components.
Cut things such as celery and carrots and store them in water to extend their lifespan through the week. Store berries in airtight glass containers with a paper towel at the bottom to preserve them for as long as possible. The more food you have prepared in advance, the easier it is to stick to your meal plan even when you’re on your way out the door.
Diet Meal Prep Services: An Easier Alternative
Sometimes, your schedule or your skill level in the kitchen just won’t allow for this type of meal prep and cooking. Don’t let that discourage you from eating healthy and sticking to the diet that you want. Meal prep companies can provide you with the healthy, flavorful meals that you want, delivered to your door with minimal effort required on your part. Save time and stick with the healthy diet you want with a company such as MaxFit Meals. Let us handle the diet meal prep for you. All you have to do is heat it up.