The Benefits of Meal Prepping
The Benefits of Meal Prepping
Meal prepping is an excellent strategy to stay healthy and ultimately save time and money. Many of us have very busy schedules and sometimes the last thing on our mind is what we are going to eat today. Meal prepping takes the second-guessing and stress out of that plus allows us to make healthier better choices when it comes to food. This is a much better option than stopping by at a fast-food restaurant for lunch or on the way home from work.
Although, meal prep requires planning and some time it will save you even more in the long run. To begin meal prepping; there must be a plan written out of what meals you would want to enjoy for the coming week and with that will come a grocery list. Choose a few hours out of the weekend to come up with this plan and execute it. It is recommended to choose a meal plan for the week that is nutritious yet simple to put together. This way you save on time and can keep your weight in control.
On the day chosen to meal prep, cook the proteins first since they take the longest and in the meantime work on the grains and veggies. That way you will do two things at once saving you time which is valuable. You can also consider creating staple ingredients to keep in the fridge such as washed greens for a salad or chopped fruit for snacks or even hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. This will make it easier to make better food choices when it is convenient. Now, if you don’t enjoy cooking the meat ahead of time for the few days ahead then consider marinating the meat and having it ready to cook which doesn’t take much time anyway. That is also a feasible option.
If cooking in large portions for days or weeks to come then make sure everything is labeled accordingly with the date it was made. This is a good way to keep track of the food you make and to avoid food spoilage. Another tip is to keep herbs and greens in the front of the fridge where they are visible because they tend to spoil much faster.
We have several recipes on the Crescent Foods website that would be amazing for meal prepping that you can check out and implement including:
We hope this post will have you considering the benefits of meal prepping especially with kids being back to school and many of us working; it is really an awesome option to stay fit and be stress-free!
~Heifa of Fufu’s Kitchen