Smart ways to meal plan and prep
Getting the results you desire comes from having sustainable habits and consistency. And the backbone of this is planning. Meal prep can sound too simple a strategy but it is in fact a low hanging fruit that you should take full advantage of, as it takes guesswork away.
Meal planning can be a very simple yet beneficial practice that takes you a long way in your fitness journey. Moreover, make more of an effort to plan for the harder times like weekends and late nights (or any other time of day you are vulnerable to going off track). Here are some tips we’ve put together to help you plan meals efficiently!
- Set an eating schedule. Decide on fixed meal timings for a period of time and try to stick to just one snack time in between main meals. Looking at a schedule can help you stick to meal times and anticipate the opportunities you have to eat. This can curb any unnecessary snacking.
- Identify your calorie intake and macro requirements of a day to get you to your fitness goal. Your macros can look something like this: 25% protein, 20% carbs, 35% fats. Then, ensure you meal plan in a manner to meet your macros within your calorie count. You can use apps such as healthifyme or MyFitnessPal to help you.
- Make a list of alternatives handy to some foods in case you have a change of heart. This way you can be flexible with your meals.
- Stick to simple recipes and avoid meals that call for an ingredient that might be difficult for you to get. This could lead you to deviate from the plan.
- Use leftovers and get creative. Plan most meals in a manner where the lunch menu leftovers can be transformed into a new dinner or snack. This will keep you compliant to the meal plan. For example, use leftover chapatti as a base for pizza.
- Dedicate a day of the week for planning. Keep in mind that not all foods have a shelf life for a week, so plan accordingly.
- Keep your plate looking like 25% of protein, 25% of carbohydrates and 50% vegetables.
- You can even squeeze in a cheat day into your week so that you stay motivated to the plan on all other days.
Once you begin to meal plan, you will see for yourself what a game changer it is! You will find that making nutritious choices becomes easier when all your options have been planned for.
