How To Start Meal Prepping - Part 1: Planning & Shopping
If you’ve been trying to get yourself to start meal prepping, but have NO clue how to start - THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOU.
I’ve said it time and time again, but meal prep is one of the best ways to ensure you’re able to eat the right foods, in the right quantities, so that you can achieve whatever fitness or health goal you’ve set for yourself. Whether you want to lose weight, feel better, become stronger - you name it - meal prep is the way to go!
But before you actually do the PREPPING part, you have to learn how to get organized, first! Here are a few tips on how to PLAN the right meals & SHOP FOR the right foods to start your meal prep journey off strong:
PLANNING
Assign a specific day of the week to prep your meals for the next 4-5 days. (Some people prep for the whole week, but I find that food starts to get boring and not taste as good after the 5-day mark.) So, prepping in batches throughout the week helps to keep things interesting! I usually like to prep for Monday-Friday, and keep my weekends flexible.
SHOPPING
Try to buy fresh fruits and veggies that are in season. This is the best way to guarantee you’re getting the highest amount of available nutrients for the lowest cost. If certain fruits and veggies aren’t in season, I’d suggest choosing a similar item, or going frozen! (It’s actually a myth that frozen fruits and veggies aren’t as “fresh” as fresh ones!) All frozen produce is flash-frozen at the peak of ripeness, which ensures that you’re able to enjoy it while it’s still ripe and carries the most nutrients.
Shop the perimeter! All grocery stores are organized so that the healthiest, freshest, “whole” ingredients are organized around the perimeter of the store, while the processed, refined foods are stocked within all of the middle aisles. A good rule of thumb is to fill your cart with one-ingredient “perimeter” foods (bananas, avocados, eggs, chicken, yogurt) before ever touching the food in the middle!
Leave me a comment below if this post was helpful for you - and stay tuned for PART 2 coming soon! Got any questions about meal prepping? Send me a message!
With love and wellness,
