Nutrition Prep for Newbies!

[Mallori]

Hey guys! I'm new and was wondering if you guys had any tips for meal preps. I have a really busy schedule with work right now and I do not want to deviate from my diet. Do you guys have any tips on how to make it easier to fit nutrition into a busy lifestyle? For example, do you all find it easier to cook all your food on Sunday then allocate your meals for the rest of the week or cook through out the week? I have never weighed my food before so I want to make sure I'm doing everything right. Thanks guys!!!

[Inatic]

prepping food in advance will probably help a lot. some people go as far as making up meals/containers a head.. I just cook up a few things and grab/measure as needed per meal/day..

[Scarl3tbutt3rfly]

prepping food in advance will probably help a lot. some people go as far as making up meals/containers a head.. I just cook up a few things and grab/measure as needed per meal/day..

I pretty much do a similar thing to Ileen. I make all my food for the next 3-4 days and then weigh and measure as I go. If I know I'm going to be gone the entire next day, then I pack all my meals for that day in each container so I only have to take them with me. Food prep is a huge thing with being compliant.

[Monte]

I have a ton of Food Saver containers and I'll spend usually around 3 hours prepping food one day a week. I do the Food Saver thing because sometimes depending on what it is I might freeze it to make it last longer (past 3 or 4 days). I was working super long days (getting up at 4am to workout, then working 11 hours and often got home around 7pm) so I absolutely did not want to be prepping food on those nights.

I would be strategic about my food plan. I planned it out for the week (or pay someone like Erik to do it for you!), writing it down in my journal or putting it into an online journal to track calories and such. Once I knew what I was going to eat, I wrote down my grocery list. I did my shopping after church on Sunday or in the evening if I worked the weekend also. Once I get home I prep it all immediately, regardless of how tired you are. There are often days when you're exhausted and you just want to plop in front of the tv, but my motto has always been "do something today that will save you 5 minutes tomorrow" (I tell myself this at least once a day when I don't feel like doing something). In this case it may take a few hours to prep but it saves you even more and allows you to always have your meals handy. By far the best thing you can do to succeed is to be prepared with your meals and being busy is no excuse!

This sounds dumb, but I set my kitchen up to be successful also. I knew I'd be tired and not wanting to do it some days so I bought one of those super gel foot pads to stand on helping with fatigue. I put my containers and food saver in a handy spot. I keep my fridge clean and clutter free so I have a place for my stuff (have to have food in there for hubby and guests also of course). I found some super cool containers also that you push on the top and it pushes the air out. Not quite as good as a Food Saver, but easy and convenient and you're food will last longer than normal.

I cook all my stuff using various means - rice, quinoa, etc in the rice cooker. Chicken, fish, beef etc on the grill or in the oven (or even the crock pot through the day). I throw in fresh, green veggies without cooking them as they will cook when I go to eat the meal. I measure everything as I put it into containers. Once you're in the rhythm of it, you're just doing it and before you know it you're done and can finally sit down. Then every time you're running around at work or being busy you're reminded of how that little effort when you were tired paid off when you can simply grab a healthy to go meal and eat. Overall, it really saves time throughout the week too. Sometimes I prep for my hubby a big dish and he eats leftovers for a few days or I can make him a normal dish in the evenings and it's nice to know I don't have to worry about my own food. I also keep all my extra veggies and fruits prepped and cut up in the fridge. They come in handy if you're snacky (grab the cut up cucumbers and chomp down!) and if you have to cook for family or something all you do is toss in your ingredients. If you don't like to containerize each meal, you can just prep everything and then toss it together for making your meal.

Sorry this is kind of long, but I really want to stress that working and having a family shouldn't hold you back from prepping. I was working 50 hours a week and making it work so you can too! Every now and then I'd get distracted and wouldn't be prepared and that's when I'd end up going on some dumb binge, and for me at least, when I fall off, I fall OFF. It never fails. In the wise words of Nike... Just Do It!

Hope this helps.

[gymrat_at44]

All very good tips. I do the same as all the above mentioned. I do alot of cooking on weekends or when I see time in my schedule on the weekdays. We grill outside a lot when the weather is good and sometimes when it is not. I cook enough meat for the entire week. Chicken, lean beef, turkey, etc. Save the fish and cook it inside usually... just depends on my mood and meal plans for the week. Cook up batches of rice, potatoes and veggies as they re-heat easily, especially in a stir-fry manner with meat thrown in. I have pre-packaged before, but now I put the entire batch in the fridge then pull the night before and measure out what I need for that next day - that way, the rest of the family can pull from the same pile to fix their meals also.

[Mallori]

Thanks all. This really helped. Monte, I actually do appreciate the long posts. I have a lot to learn and I want to start off with good habits!

[1zach4]

I work from home, and even with that "convenience", I find it easier to cook a lot of meals ahead of time

[thaidi007]

Sunday is my prep day for the week, can take quite a few hours but makes it so much easier when you are running out of time to cook or organise food for the day. It really does stop you from grabbing the wrong thing

[thaidi007]

That is an absolutely terrific reply

[brooket]

I LOVE MY FOODSAVER! Best thing I have purchased for this lifestyle along with the pocket scale Next up, blendtec or vitamix!