Meal prep -- you see fitness influencers and trainers doing it all the time -- but what is it really and what’s all the hype really about?
What is meal prepping?
Meal prepping is simply the practice of preparing your meals in advance. The amount of meals you decide to prepare and the amount of time in which they are meant to last is up to you, the general concept is just that they are prepared ahead of time and stored for quick assembly later or pre-packed to grab and go.
The Benefits of Meal Prepping
Saves Time
Everyone is on the go nowadays. Whether it be school, work, or our personal lives, we all have things to do, and can appreciate convenient meals that fit in with these busy schedules. Overall, meal prepping saves you time. By dedicating a certain time to cook and prepare your meals, you save yourself the time and struggle of cooking a new meal every day. Meal prepping gives you the grab-and-go solution you need for your quick meal breaks.
Saves Money
Cooking and preparing your meals yourself saves you money spent from eating out. You also get better long term value for your money by buying your own ingredients to cook. Say you’re going out for lunch and decide to get a kale salad with chicken breast for $13. Although this is a healthy, balanced meal, you can spend $15-$20 for chicken, a bundle of kale, dressing, and a few other healthy mix-ins like walnuts or cashews, and be able to make more of that salad
for the week rather than paying another $13 for one serving.
Helps Regulate your Diet
You’ve heard it before -- cooking at home is healthier than eating out. The same principle applies to meal prep. By preparing your own food, you know exactly what and how much goes in it. Meal prepping also allows you to give thought to your meals, making sure they are well-balanced and portioned accordingly for your health and fitness goals.
Make it Personal
If cooking on one night doesn’t work for you-- cook on another. Tired of pre-made meals? Give yourself the weekend to cheat. Bored of a certain meal? Re-vamp it into something new. The beauty of meal prep is its flexibility; there’s no one way to meal prep. Cater your meal prep program to your own likes and preferences. If even after all of that it still just doesn’t sing the same song, take a break! You’ll be more willing to meal prep in the future if you allow
yourself breaks and actually enjoy it when you do meal prep.
If your diet is just as important if not more than your exercise regimen, meal prepping is the key to your fitness goals. What are you cooking first?