So popular the last couple of years but is it really worth it? YES! Meal preparation does not only help you to stick to your diet goals but also save plenty of time in the kitchen in the busy week schedule. It has plenty of other benefits and that is why I highly recommend it to all of you.
1. Plan your week ahead
If you have the common Monday-Friday 9 to 5 schedule like most of us, it is easy to stick to your diet plan. I find the most convenient to get my shopping done on Saturday and start with the meal prep on Sunday to assure all is nice and fresh and I have plenty of time for preparation. Also take into consideration the type of job you have, as a sedentary job requires less calorie intake than a heavy active job.
2. Clean, pre-cook & marinade
Invest some time on Sunday to clean your veggies and salad and store it in airproof containers. Chop the meat and marinate it in your favourite spice mix covered with oil, as this way the flavours will nicely infuse and oil will preserve it for couple extra days. Pre-cook some potatoes, rice or quinoa, let cool and store in the fridge for quick use in the middle of the week.
3. Keep it closed, cool or freeze
All the prepared food have to be stored in a good quality sealed tapers or jars with a lid. Make sure you have plenty of space in your fridge or another place to keep it cooled until you will consume your food. If you do meal prep for more than 3 days then I recommend storing some of the tapers in your freezer too.
4. Skip that dressing
If you want to enjoy a nice crunchy salad in the middle of the week prepared already on Sunday, assuring the lettuce and other vegetables are completely DRY when you are making one. In case you like a dressing on the top of your salad keep it separately too otherwise the salad will get soggy and lose that lovely crunch.
5. The full-colour pallet
Shop as many colours as possible and try to mix them up in tapers and jars. The biggest part of your diet should be colourful vegetables and by vegetables, I don't mean Ice Berg lettuce, but deep coloured veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli or spinach. Also, the fruits of the season are a must in your meal prep, so pick some and have at least 2 fruits a day or create fruit salad in a jar like this one.
Z.M.
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