You might have stumbled upon the term “meal prepping” in fitness blogs and on the pages of women’s magazines. In the wake of the so-called ‘fitness craze’ that has taken over the over world, or at least social media, meal prepping seems like an appropriate continuum. The thing is, however, that it’s not about yet another diet that restricts your eating so much that you give up in a matter of days. The point of meal prepping is, as the name already suggests, that you prepare your meals well in advance which results in smaller portions eaten at more regular intervals. Isn’t that basically what all nutritionists agree on is a healthy way to eat? I tried meal-prepping for a month and listed the reasons why you should try it out too.
1. It makes life easier
Okay, this statement might not be true for someone who never cooks and only eats microwave meals. But for someone like me who actually enjoys cooking, meal prepping is such a time-saver. Some people like to cook for the entire week, but since I had to cook for two people, I ended up making food every other or every third day. In the past I used to go to the grocery store daily on my way home from work or university and get whatever I felt like eating that night. During my month of meal prepping, however, I would plan out the entire week’s worth of meals and buy the ingredients in bulks. This way I didn’t have to go grocery shopping as often as before, which meant that I would actually stick to my plans and didn’t really give in to any temptations (except maybe, like, once).
2. Your body feels better
Such a simple thing as eating regularly can make a huge difference in how your body works and feels. Thanks to the smaller portions and clean ingredients your metabolism speeds up which in turn makes you feel lighter and, at least in my case, more energized. For those looking to drop off some weight a faster metabolism is also key to success. I personally have decided not to go on a scale anymore so I have absolutely no idea if I’ve lost any weight, but for me the most important thing is that I feel better and hence I like what I see in the mirror better. In my experience, the way you feel about yourself goes hand in hand with the way you see yourself.
3. It allows you to get creative
Because meal prepping didn’t take as much time as my usual daily cookings, I had more energy to get creative. In the past I easily resorted to the same old recipes that were easy and quick to make but weren’t necessarily the healthiest of options. During my month of meal prepping I had to come up with new ideas that would still be easy to make but would also be healthier and more varied. For example, I’ve always preferred warm food to cold food, and I had to come up with filling yet healthy warm dishes that weren’t full of pasta or rice – introducing kale-based salads! I also found new sources of protein such as milk-based MiFu shreds or new salad bases such as stir-fried cabbage and carrot. I actually feel even more excited about cooking than before, and I’m giving all the credit to the reduced stress of having to think about my next meal all the time – planning my meals in advance has actually been really liberating!
Finally, I want to stress that meal-prepping doesn’t have to be about religiously following a specific or strict meal plan – it’s perfectly okay to “slip” every once in a while. The point of meal prepping is to establish regular eating habits, so that when you do wanna go out to eat with friends or enjoy a massive Sunday meal with your family you don’t have to feel bad about it afterwards. Allowing yourself these exemptions will help you keep up the healthier eating habits in the long run.
My pro tips for beginners:
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Use your freezer: Sometimes life just gets in the way and you simply don’t have the time to prep your next few meals. This is where frozen meals come in handy: Prepare e.g. a big casserole full of fried vegetables and whole wheat pasta and put it in the freezer. This way you don’t have to worry about the food going bad too soon and you’ll always have a quick fix if you don’t have the time to cook and need a fast meal.
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Separate your salad ingredients: If you’re like me and prefer your meals warm, prepping salads may feel like too much trouble sometimes – you want your chicken to be warm but not the salad. I’ve solved this issue by separating the ingredients into two different boxes: the microwaveable ingredients in other, and the cold salad base in another. I also feel like the salad stays more fresh this way.
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