So finally I get to the food prep! After meal planning and then grocery shopping, food prep comes next. I will try to do as much food prep on one day as I can. I like to do it on my day off work because I do have to devote a couple of hours. However, it saves so much time during the week and prevents me from going through the drive thru for a quick meal.
I cut and chop all food that I possibly can. You can chop onions and peppers. Make snack size bags with raw broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and celery. Pre-cut fruit such as strawberries, apples, and oranges. Pre-cutting snacks help because you have quick access to a healthier option which will make you more likely to grab it! In the picture, i also have butternut squash cubed and ready to cook.
An important food prep step that I just recently started is to separate out serving sizes. How often do we eat more than we planned when we eat from the bag or box? And you CAN eat too much even if it is healthy. Portion sizes are a must if you are trying to lose body fat. I separate chips, crackers, almonds, pistachios, etc into 100 calorie bags. I then put these bags into a basket sitting on my counter top. This gives everyone in my family easy access to healthy, perfect portioned snacks!
While I am cutting and chopping, I am also cooking my protein. It is important to only cook about three days worth of meat, because bacteria can grow even on cooked food. I bake skinless, boneless chicken breast until cooked through. Sometimes I marinate the chicken the night before or just add a no sodium seasoning (like Ms. Dash). Make sure to weigh your protein after you cooked it and separate it for easy access. You can even add your steamed veggies to the containers for a complete meal on the go.
Some other food prep ideas and tips:
- Boil eggs for a quick 72 calorie snack (or just the whites for 17 calories!)
- Slice sweet potatoes for baked fries (great side dish!)
- Make a large pot of turkey chili and separate
- Get little plastic cups with lids for peanut butter or hummus to go along with raw veggies
- Bake healthy muffins or cookies for the week (cookie recipe coming next!!)
- Make your own granola bars (you will know exactly what is in them!)
- Prepare overnight oats for those mornings you oversleep or run out of time
If you have any food prep ideas, please feel free to share! I am going to start sharing my weekly meal plans, food prep, and recipes each week to give you some ideas. If you are like me, you are always on the lookout for great tasting, healthy, and easy meals!
