Even if you hit the gym and exercise diligently, you won’t achieve your ideal fitness results if you don’t make an effort to keep your diet in check. For some people, eating healthy can even feel more overwhelming or stressful than going to the gym. There’s no doubt that preparing meals takes time and effort. But the results are worth it!
You need to provide your body with the right nutrients to support your workouts and promote fat loss. When you prioritize food choices, it improves your fitness results and makes it easier to sculpt your body.
It’s annoying to prepare a healthy meal three times a day. The easiest solution to staying on track with your nutrition goals and also saving time and money is to be consistent when preparing meals. Set aside one or two days a week to prepare meals for the coming days. Then you can just heat it up and eat it when hunger strikes.
Benefits of meal preparation
The benefits of meal prepping are undeniable. When you integrate this habit into your routine, you will notice many improvements, such as:
- Save money by preparing meals in advance so you eat out less often
- Save time by preparing multiple meals at the same time
- Improve your weight loss efforts because you plan portions and ingredients in advance
- Improve overall nutrition by planning meals that contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals you need
- Simplify your routine because your meals are ready to go every day
- Reduce the stress of thinking about what to make for dinner every night
- Stimulate muscle growth by making sure you get enough protein and calories every day
As you learn more about meal prep and fitness, it becomes easy to see that these nutritional steps will have a measurable impact on your health and wellness goals. Not only does healthy eating make it easier to lose weight and gain muscle, but food choices also have an impact on reducing the risk of serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Tips for effective meal planning
Are you ready to get started with meal planning? Whether this is your first time implementing meal planning, or you’re looking for solutions to improve your current meal planning routine, these tips can help:
- Find healthy recipes: Look online and save your favorite healthy recipes. While it’s nice to have variety in your meals, most successful people choose a handful of recipes to rotate through as part of their meal planning. For example, save 10 – 15 of your favorite healthy recipes and then alternate these meals.
- Freeze for the future: One option is to overcook food so you have extra to freeze. When the freezer is stocked, you always have backup options for a quick meal, even if you don’t have time to cook or prep your meals for the week.
- Choose the meals in advance: Decide which meals you want to prepare. Think about your routine and the feasibility of your meal preparation. For example, many people start by planning lunch. It’s useful to have a healthy meal on hand when you’re on a break at the office or running with the kids during the day. By taking a healthy meal to work, you reduce the risk of snacking in the canteen or buying fast food on the go.
- Compile a shopping list: When you’re getting ready to cook food for the week, be proactive about writing a grocery list. This step will help you save money while grocery shopping because you can focus on the ingredients you need for the recipes you plan, rather than being spontaneous about your purchases.
- Never shop on an empty stomach: The biggest temptations arise when you go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. If you walk into the grocery store with your stomach growling, you’re more likely to make impulse purchases and eat foods that don’t fit with your meal plan. So make sure you eat a healthy snack before you go shopping. Or go to the grocery store after you’ve eaten a big meal and your stomach is full
- Choose meal prep days: What days of the week do you have the most time to work on meal preparation? Weekends are often a time when people prepare for the week ahead. For example, you can set aside a few hours on Sunday afternoon to cook and prepare your meals. Be proactive in dividing food into containers so you can easily grab a meal on your way out during the week.
- Organize your pantry: It’s helpful to keep an inventory of what’s already in the refrigerator and pantry. Then you can design your meal prep menu based on what you already have on hand. It’s essential to have staples on hand so you know what to add to the shopping list.
- Invest in good containers: The right food containers make all the difference in streamlining your meal preparation system. Many people find it useful to buy a new set of Tupperware so that you have special containers for preparing meals. Consider purchasing containers designed for meal planning, with compartments or dividers. This layout makes it easy to incorporate different foods into your meals and is helpful in managing portion sizes. Glass containers are often preferred because they are microwave and dishwasher safe.
- Try batch cooking: Once you’re adept at making a recipe, try doubling or tripling the recipe for batch cooking. Certain foods, such as soup and casseroles, can be frozen and reheated. This batch cooking method offers the advantage of allowing you to prepare meals for several weeks in a row.
Fitness + meal prep: a combination for success
As you improve your meal preparation at home, you should also proactively improve your fitness routines. Joining a gym is a great way to meet other like-minded fitness friends, plus it’s easier to stay motivated during your workouts if you have a fun facility to visit. If you’re looking to upgrade your workout routine, join Fitness Nation today.