Grace: Your Key to Eating Healthier: Meal Prep

Two weeks ago I blogged about the New Years Resolutions and how you should turn them into goals instead. I'm going to touch a little bit more into the workout and food portion just like I did there.
As many of you have your goals for a healthy lifestyle in 2016 my question to you is have to taken the time to think about what they healthy lifestyle will entail? Like I said in that previous blog, most of your weight loss will come from your nutrition and a key part to that is meal prepping.

Many of us struggle with the nutrition side of starting a healthier lifestyle. I stray from my nutrition and this past week has been bad. I have a weakness for Reese's Pieces and I have dug into that bag every single day this week! So when I get reese's pieces I try not to open them for awhile. We all want to eat better but it can be hard sometimes, especially if you're a busy person. You may work two jobs like I do, have kids to take to sports, an organization you're apart of and even try to get to the gym directly from work. So you may be going a long time between meals and by the time you get home you're hungry. Dinner hasn't even begun to be fixed yet and by the time you finally sit down for dinner you're starving or have completely lost your appetite. If you're starving you will eat so fast you don't realize how much you're eating and actually over eat, feeling extremely full later.

Innovator 300

Working as a substitute teacher, lunch times can vary greatly from day to day. I've had lunch at 1048am and as late as 1230pm. I usually get hungry for lunch close to 1130am because that is what my body is use to. Besides eating consistently,
What's the key to eating healthy?....Simple, meal prep!
I'll break this down into 3 simple steps to help you out.

Step 1: Making Your Menu
Before you hit the grocery store for food the easiest thing is to decide what you are going to eat for the week. I usually start by focusing on my protein source and then choose my healthy sides (carb and fat sources) depending on my protein. I prefer to have brown rice and veggies (carbs) instead of sweet potatoes. Some of your healthy side options for carbs and fats are sweet potatoes, brown rice, green beans, sautéed veggies (squash), salad, or some type of fruit.
After deciding, make a grocery list of things you'll need from the store. Make sure to check your cabinets so that you don't buy things you may already have, save you money and a trip back to the store for returns. I've bought things I've already had plenty of times. This way you stick to only what you need at the store and it will also help you stick to a budget. I personally prefer to make meals that will last awhile like soups (during the winter)/ chili or casseroles. I still fix chicken, pork, fish, etc. but it doesn't seem to last as long. Crockpot meals are great also!

Step 2: Making Your Meals
If you're not a person you doesn't mind left over this step might be a little hard. Choose a day, it usually ends up being a weekend day, that you have some free time. This is the best day to fix your meals. Don't try and cook things individually. This just makes cooking a hassle throughout the week. You are trying to avoid that and already have things prepared. If you decide to forego something like a crockpot meal and eat chicken, pork, steaks, etc. grill or bake them all at one time, saving lots of time. I like to season all of my meats differently that way I'm not eating completely the same thing all week. Pork tenderloin is another favorite that I don't fix enough of. But try and use dry rubs, sans sugar, over the liquid marinades. If you have sides like rice or sautéed veggies fix those as well; mashed sweet potatoes can be made in advance as well also. A key to remember is to be adventurous with your meal planning. You're food doesn't have to be boring just because you started prepping your meals. I love Paleomg's Mexican Meatloaf.
Below are some websites with some healthy recipe options...
paleomg.com

www.skinnytaste.com

www.againstallgrain.com

www.nomnompaleo.com
And don't forget about pinterest. They have some healthy options as well.

Step 3 (Final Step): Portioning/Becoming a Container Master
Now why do I say container master? Well because prepping your meals requires a lot of containers. Now there are two options when it comes to the final prep step.
1) You can pre-make your meals in individual containers (portioned amounts of protein, carbs, and fats). That way you already have it done and can just grab your meals and go. I personally am not a fan of that method because if I already have it made far in advance I could change my mind on the sides I want with my protein, and if it's not already fixed I'm kind of stuck.
2) I keep things that I've cooked in bulk in it's own individual container. This way I can decide what I want the day before and pack it the night of and don't have to worry about what I have already portioned out not being what I want. I get the freedom to choose of what I want the next day to eat instead of it being already decided for me because of what I had meal prepped earlier in the week.
Remember to use the right portion sizes. Yes, you can eat healthier and it will effect you for the better but if you don't have the correct portion sizes then you won't see progress. This is where the measuring cups, spoons and food scale come in handy. That's is how you become a container master. (Yes, that's something corny I just came up with on the spot).

Meal prepping will help you stay on track with your decision to eat healthier. Here are some other things to take into consideration when you decide to start prepping your meals.

Renee Tote

Another great thing to have when it comes to meal prepping is a great traveling container. I used to use one that you could collapse but would fit about 5-7 containers varying in size and water bottles each day. It start to become a pain trying to get to the container I need for my snack or my lunch time. Empty containers were on top and containers I needed were on bottom or I'd have to spend time rearranging it so ones with still meals in them were on top and empty ones were on the bottom. And don't even get me started about trying to dig for my silverware! The biggest pain there probably was. One of the things I asked for for Christmas was a 6 Pack Fitness Meal Bag (www.6packbags.com). For a while I started to second guess having it on my Christmas list, but now that I have it I love it! The one I have, Innovator 300, included 4 containers.
Three meal containers and one supplement container which I use to hold my snacks (nuts, fruits, deli meats) because I don't use supplements. The great thing about the supplement container is that you can take out some of the dividers in it to give yourself more room. It also comes with pockets on the side to hold 4 drinks and silverware, a mess pocket on the top that could also be used for silverware. It also has shelves to hold your containers like in a cabinet and keep them separated! It also provides you with freezer packs. I have the Innovator 300 and the Renee Tote, which is more like a business purse that you can put your laptop in! If you are looking for the next step after being in a regular routine with meal prepping this is a must have from a great company!