Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss
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Meal prepping for busy families is key when you want to stick to a healthy eating meal plan. If you are prepped for the week, it is so much easier to stick to your weight loss plan and reach your goals. I always try to make sure I have things prepped for the week which makes it easier to eat healthy.
Eating whole foods is so important when you are looking to get healthy and lose weight. And as you focus on eating more whole foods it can seem overwhelming at first. It takes so much time to prep real food versus just grabbing something from the cabinet. But if you want to lose weight, boost your metabolism, and feel better than eating whole foods can make a big difference.
1. Prep things together that use the same kitchen gadgets
This tip comes out of my laziness for not wanting to do lots of dishes. It's so much easier and saves you so much time if you prep a lot of things at one time. So for instance, when I use my chopper I try to chop as many things as I can at once because I would rather only clean that chopper once a week than seven times. So, think about what other kitchen utensils you use like a garlic press or a juicer, and try to do as much as you can in one sitting. Prepping all you need at one time is going to save you time cleaning dishes. And I don't think anybody wants to have any more dishes to do. (Check out my favorite kitchen gadgets here!)
2. Double or triple recipes
Doubling or tripling recipes can be a huge timesaver because you already have those ingredients out and everything is ready to go. So instead of just making one meal at a time, make another and maybe another. You can put it in the fridge if you know you'll eat it the same week or you can put it in the freezer for next week.
3. Bulk cook grains and potatoes
Cooking your grains or potatoes in bulk at the beginning of the week can be really helpful. This also helps save you time on cleaning those dishes. You get it all done at once and you only have to clean once. This also makes it easy to just grab something from the fridge and have it ready to go. I personally like to cook rice and quinoa in the Ninja Foodi/Instapot together. I use 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of quinoa with 4 cups of water and cook on high for 10 minutes and release for 10 minutes. I also like cooking sweet potatoes and butternut squash, since these can take a while to cook. It's so nice to just grab these right out of the fridge for breakfast or for lunch and have a portion of healthy whole food to eat. These can also be great to warm up in the toaster oven if you have one.
4. Make one marinade for multiple dishes
If you like to marinate your meat it can be great to just make a marinade and use it for multiple dishes. And the longer it marinades the more tasty it is! So you can make a marinade that is for your shrimp and chicken for the week and maybe you'll double those up and make enough for next week too. It just goes by so much faster when you already have everything out and you just have to do it once.
5. Cook extra for leftovers
I usually like to cook enough so that we have leftovers and I have something healthy to grab for lunch the next day. I know I don't typically have time at lunch to really cook or make a full meal so having a healthy homemade meal really helps me to stay on track with my healthy eating.
6. Buy pre-chopped veggies or use frozen veggies
Remember you can buy pre-chopped veggies and use frozen veggies. So if chopping is slowing you down just buy the stuff already chopped. It's worth the extra money if that means you get to eat healthier that week. You can also buy your own veggies and chop them up at the beginning of the week to use them. Then they will be ready to grab and you can eat them and not have an excuse to go for that bag of chips.
7. Prep a smoothie ahead of time
My clients love prepping their smoothies and I like to also, especially when I'm traveling. So you can actually make your smoothie the night before and put it in the freezer. You pull it out the next day and usually within a few hours it will thaw out and be ready to drink. Another option is to just mix everything together that you're going to use and then it will be ready to blend the next day.
*This is my favorite blender!! It blends SO WELL!
These simple tips can really help to save you time and get prepped for the week so you can still stay on track with your weight loss. When working with clients I find when someone can save time by meal prepping they are much more successful in their weight loss goals. Healthy meal planning doesn't have to be hard. You can keep meal prepping simple so you can still hit your goals to lose weight
BONUS: Want to see how I plan my meals for a whole month in less than 30 minutes? Snag my free workshop, so meal planning becomes a breeze for you!
You got this,
Coach Michele Riechman
