Meal Prep Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

April 1. 2021

It’s the end of first quarter of 2021, which means New Year’s weight loss challenge and all kinds of healthy habits have already started to trail off. Many people find themselves falling off the bandwagon and hitching back up to their old, unhealthy routines. For those who want to keep making healthy choices and defy the odds of failed resolutions, one of the most effective ways to maintain a nutritious lifestyle is healthy meal prep tips. 

The stress and last-minute planning of deciding what’s for dinner can be a headache, and many times we end up choosing foods that aren’t the healthiest. To stay the course and fulfill your pledge to live healthier, there are many meal prep ideas to follow:  organic meal prep, fat-burning meal prep, post-workout meal prep, keto meal prep, gluten-free meal prep, Whole30 meal prep, meal prep for kids. All of these and more can be supported through a healthy meal prep plan.

Meal Prep Tips

Living a healthy lifestyle is about more than just exercise and being useful to your muscles. It’s also about good mental health. Did you know that healthy eating affects your mood, hormones, concentration levels, memory, and so much more than just your outward appearance? Having your meals planned and prepped before your week gets started is a fantastic way to make sure you are keeping up with your mental health. 

Healthy Elements

You can choose to focus on specific elements of a healthy diet in your meal prep, like choice proteins, starches and vegetables, certain fats, and low-level carbs, depending on your dietary needs. You will feel better about the food you are eating and the way your bodily systems are processing it. 

Save Money

Meal prepping is also one of the best ways to save money, too, because you have no excuse not to eat at home. You won’t have to be tempted by fast food or pricy restaurants if your meal is already prepared, and you know it’s right for you! Starting your week with one trip to the grocery store is way more cost-effective for your pockets than the slippery slope of settling for meals out and about. 

Benefit Your Body

Not only can meal prepping save your wallet and mind, but it can also benefit your body. You are more likely to maintain a healthy lifestyle through the foods you eat when you meal prep. Keeping up with a fully organic, keto, Whole30, or fat-burning diet takes effort, and when you take the time to make your diet a priority, you will be more successful in keeping up with it. 

Accountability

Meal prepping makes you accountable for the foods you eat, and it also helps you have a better understanding of where your food comes from. When you meal prep, you get to choose where you get your food. You can choose to support local businesses and shop at the farmer’s market or spend hours going up and down the aisles of your favorite health food grocery stores. Either way, you know the food you are eating is of good quality. 

Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle

Last but certainly not least, meal prep isn’t just about cooking food ahead of time; it’s about choosing to keep up a healthy lifestyle. Taking away the added stress of preparing your meals as you eat them allows you to have more time for what’s most important in your life: Y-O-U. 

The time you would typically spend prepping and cooking your meals can now be spent doing more healthy activities, like yoga, jogging, spending time with family, reading a good book, or thoroughly enjoying the quiet of your home. There is no better way to start and maintain a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle than through meal prepping!

5 Meal Prep Tips to Help You Get Started

1. Don’t try to tackle too much at one time: Start with planning and prepping for one meal throughout the week – if dinners are your most challenging meal to plan and keep a consistent regime for, then prep dinners first! Don’t try to take on breakfast, lunch, and dinner in your first week. Most people only prep one or two meals a week, so don’t feel like you aren’t doing enough if you pick one, to begin with. Start small and build up your comfort levels – and your Tupperware stash! 
2. Stock up on all the essentials: You will need storage containers, aluminum foil, freezer bags, cooking oils, and seasonings for at least a week at a time. Meal prep is all about efficiency, so make sure you have all of the necessary supplies to make your prepping process as smooth as possible. 
3. Don’t try to be the next Julia Child of meal prep: Pick out your protein, vegetables, starch, and whatever added ingredients you want and stick with that for a few weeks. You don’t need to become America’s Next Top Chef to have a great meal. Stick to what you know! The Beef Bourguignon can wait. Meal prepping is all about making your life simpler – if you’re trying to do too much, you’ll end up putting that stress right back in your life. 
4. Get organized: No, seriously. If you go to the grocery store without a list or a plan of what you need, you will end up dizzy and frustrated – especially if you’re following a specific diet. Look up recipes online, know your approved foods, and MAKE A LIST. Also, get good at managing your time. Meal prep will take up some time on a Sunday, but once you’ve prepped and stashed, it’s smooth sailing from there. Just make sure you’ve given yourself enough time to cook the food you’ve prepped, and you’ll be set.
5. Main thing that Weight Loss Clinic Chicago suggests is to have fun with it. Take your cooking expertise to the next level and experiment a little. Add variety to your ingredients and try new things. Once you’re comfortable with meal prepping, have a little fun with it and make new, exciting recipes – the Beef Bourguignon, perhaps. There is nothing that says meal prep has to be boring or mundane. Spice it up a little (literally!) and enjoy the benefits of learning about food and living a healthy lifestyle! 

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.