I have listened
I have gone through all my DM’s on Instagram as well as my inbox on Facebook.
The most asked question….
“How the hell do we start with meal prepping?”
Let’s get real here.
Meal prepping is not just about;
- throwing different foods together,
- putting the cooked food in different Tupperware and;
- then storing it in the fridge.
There are one or two steps that need to be followed prior to jumping into the kitchen and going meal prep crazy…
Steps prior to cooking
*Because it is important to know what to cook and how much of it to cook
- Download the MyFitnessPal app
- Calculate your daily calorie intake needed for fat loss
- Go to the in app food diary
- Enter some breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas
- Keep what you like & what suits your calorie requirements
- Essentially you are creating your own meal plan with foods that you enjoy
You are not just meal prepping to make life easier…..
You are meal prepping because you want to lose weight! So the above is of utmost importance!
Things you will need
- A small kitchen scale
- Lots of Tupperware, with their lids
- Ziplock bags
- Data for your phone for MyFitnessPal to work
- Patience
- Salt & Pepper
You can’t order pizza and pack it into the Tupperware and call it meal prepping. That’s not how this shit works.
*Well you could, but if weight loss is your goal, then the pizza plan won’t work.
How many days to prep for?
I prep on Sunday for Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, which involves:
- 3 x Lunches / 3 x Dinners / 3 x Snacks
I prep on Wednesday evening for Thursday & Friday, which involves:
- 2 x Lunches / 2 x Dinners / 2 x Snacks
*Please note that breakfasts I have oats and an apple, so not much prepping for that.
I prep twice just so that I don’t eat the same for 5 days in a row, and for freshness.
Boring Me
Lunches: I have chicken, cauliflower & pumpkin
Dinner: Mince, gem squash, sweet potato, Corn on the cob
Snacks: Cucumbers, Carrots, Green beans
*You can cook and eat whatever you feel you want, or what works for you. Play around on MyFitnessPal and work out different meal plans for yourself that suit your calorie needs.
My food does vary, this is just an example.
The Weekends
I like to live on the wild side of life, so I don’t prep for the weekends
Tips
- Calculate your calories
- Calculate how many meals you need
- Write out your shopping list and go shopping
- Keep it simple
- Use easy cooking techniques (Oven roast and boil)
You don’t only have to eat Mince or Chicken
Stop believing that you need to eat salad to lose weight
Test different foods
Find what works for you
Don’t over complicate things
I follow a very basic meal plan, so if you have any more advice for beginners or meal recipes, please share them in the comments.
Drop your questions in the comments box as well.
Great tips! Thanks. And yeah, so good that it’s not all about salads. I love veggies and especially gems.
Salads are for rabbits, we are not rabbits 🙂 I eat gems every damn day, love them!
I like to meal prep by ordering a large pizza. I eat half of it now, then save the other half for a couple hours from now
Hahahahaha, I do the same with donuts. I order a dozen and then eat them all now, and then another dozen later 😂😂
Good tips. You’re correct that it isn’t that tough…especially if you’re a boring eater. Or as I like to say, easily contented. Leaving decisions to meal time is not a good recipe for success. Thanks for sharing.
I agree 100%. I also like prepping because it frees up so much time. So when I get home after work, all I have to do is heat up my food. This gives me time to clean the house or go for a run or whatever
I’ve been getting better about making a big pot of soup on the weekend to eat through the week, but usually by Wednesday I’m back in the what should I eat?/I don’t feel like cooking/order out cycle. Meal planning is definitely an area where I can improve. Thanks for the tips!
It sure does get easier the more you do it. Yeah, I am pretty boring with food choices, it usually just chicken or mince for. 🙂 Takes all the guessing out of the equation I suppose. hahaha
Must be honest. I like salad in a jar (stays fresh for longer). I rabbit every so often because eating heavy foods is hard work in summer. Mince and brown rice for breakfast (can’t do oats) Dinner i wing but veg/carb and prot
The salad in the jar definitely does stay fresher for long, that is for sure. I am actually not sure when last I ate a salad though.. hahaha. Mince and brown rice for brekkie, this sounds great!