Meal Prepping & Portion Control

PREPARATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Meal prepping is key to healthy eating habits. When we meal prep we set ourselves up for success for the upcoming week. If we are prepared,  we don’t run out for fast food or eat chips when we are hungry because we have healthy food at the ready!

I am setting you up with healthy recipes to cook for the week in the hopes of helping you eat healthier and eliminate the research and angst of  “what in the world am I going to cook this week?”.

MEAL PREP ROUTINE

On Friday watch my Meal Prep Mania video on YouTube to see what I am cooking for the week. Saturday take the time to go shopping for the ingredients you need and then Sunday you should turn on the music and get cooking! Buy portioned containers and separate your meals from the beginning so that every morning all you have to do is grab and go!

TAKEOUT TRAUMA

Eating meals you have prepared at home is key to maintaining or losing weight. When you eat out, you have no idea what ingredients they have used to make that meal. It would floor you if you actually looked at the nutrition facts of these restaurant meals!

80/20 RULE

That being said you shouldn’t deprive yourself (remember everything in moderation). A good rule of thumb is to follow the 80/20 (or even 90/10) rule.  This means that you eat healthy 80% of the time and give yourself 20% to “have fun”.  That does not mean go off the deep end for that 20%. But don’t beat yourself up for having some frozen yogurt with peanut butter topping!

PORTION CONTROL

Another thing to think about, whether eating at home or at a restaurant is Portion Control! You can eat all the salad in the world but if you are eating it by the boatload and consuming more energy then you expend, well guess what? You are going to gain weight! An easy way to start exercising portion control is by using small plates and bowls. You can load up your plate and trick your brain into thinking you are eating a ton of food.  If you learn how to limit your portions you can essentially eat anything you want. Everything in Moderation!

SMALL MEALS LOADED WITH PROTEIN & VEGGIES

Eat 5-6 small healthy meals a day and you will never go hungry! When in doubt go for lean meats and tons of veggies. Add in a small portion of a complex carb and you have a well balanced meal that will keep you full for hours.

TIPS:

• Buy Portioned Containers
• Small meals every 3-4 hours
• Use smaller plate-ware. This will trick your brain into thinking you are eating a ton.
• Meal Prep and eat 80% of your meals at home (80/20 rule)
• Focus on lean meats, veggies and complex carbs (sweet potatoes, fresh fruit, foods high in fiber etc)
• Eat everything in moderation!

Click here to follow me on YouTube for meal prep ideas, free recipes and helpful tips/tricks.