Meal prepping basically involves making large batches of food ahead of time so that a person doesn’t have to do individual batches later. I am sure that there is a more official description of it, but that is how I would describe it. Prepping meals can be a real time saver in the long run.
Sure, you have to put in time to make the larger batch, but if you really measure the time spent, you end up saving time overall because you only set up once, clean up once, and juggle fewer things while prepping compared to making meals individually.
It took me a long time to realize the benefits of meal prepping. I don’t do a ton of it, but I do make large batches of baked, skinless chicken breasts and baked sweet potatoes. Below are some things to consider when prepping meals.
Focus On Proteins
I know that I just said that I make batches of sweet potatoes, but only after I have made plenty of baked, skinless chicken breasts first. When you are over 40 and pursuing a fitness journey, protein intake is paramount for many reasons. Protein typically takes longer to prepare compared to other foods, and conversely, carbohydrate foods come in so many forms that are quick and easy to eat, like fruits and vegetables, that I don’t focus on them as much when meal prepping. The one exception is sweet potatoes because those take an hour for me to bake at 350 degrees in my oven.
Be Mindful Of Storage
An obvious consideration that people need to think about when meal prepping is storing what they make. In addition to how much space it will take up, there is also the spoilage factor. Research how long food lasts in a refrigerator before you make a ton of it to help ensure that you don’t waste food, time, and money. Another important thing to think about is what you store the food in. A recent study found that storing food in plastic containers may be associated with harms to a person’s heart health. Store your food in non-plastic containers whenever possible.
Staying On Track
Prepping food ahead of time has been vital to my success in staying on track with my recent calorie deficit diet. There is an old saying that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, and I find that is particularly true with dieting. I try to eat every two hours, and if I already have stuff in the refrigerator ready to go, it isn’t a problem to meet that schedule while getting adequate protein and meeting other nutritional needs. It’s when I look at the clock and see that it is time to eat, and not having anything ready ahead of time, that is when I have historically made bad nutritional decisions.
Saving Money
One of the biggest benefits of meal prepping is saving money. You have to pay money up front for whatever you are prepping, but then you don’t pay any more money until you run out of your prepped food. During my calorie deficit dieting (I am on day 31), I have mainly eaten baked, skinless chicken breast that I buy in the frozen section from a store named WINCO. It is $6.58 per bag and each bag contains roughly 12 servings.
At 22 grams of protein per serving, that is roughly 264 grams of protein for $6.58. Sweet potatoes are also affordable. I can eat the two all week at home for a tiny fraction of what it costs to go out to eat at restaurants, and it is significantly healthier when coupled with fruits and veggies.
Mix It Up
I can eat the same thing over and over, day after day. However, I recognize that is not true for everyone. They say that ‘variety is the spice of life’ and for people dieting and trying to eat healthy, it can also be very important for mitigating the risk of getting burned out and giving up. The main thing is prepping lean sources of protein and low-calorie forms of carbohydrates. I always tell people to spend a solid afternoon researching different food options to identify what they like (or can at least sufficiently tolerate!), calculating how much of those things to prepare to meet their dietary needs, and then map out daily and weekly plans.
I don’t typically mix up my protein sources from chicken breast and egg whites from a carton, but I do mix up my carbohydrate sources. In addition to sweet potatoes, I like mini sweet peppers, apples, grapefruits, blueberries, long-grain brown rice, and dates. I will pair my protein with one for a while, then switch to a different carb source, or mix it up throughout the day. Not all of those carb sources need prepping per se, but most of them I at least portion out to make them quick and easy to grab during a busy day.
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