Hi friends! This week I’ve decided to switch it up a bit and instead of finding different recipes online, I am taking what I’ve learned so far and using online resources to make the recipes I’ve made fit into my life better. How am I doing that? Learning how to meal prep.
I checked out a few videos on YouTube and found it to be a great place for finding an expansive collection of fitness, wellness, and nutritional information videos.
Disclaimer: please make sure you are getting nutritional information from a registered dietician and not a self-proclaimed nutritionist. Registered dieticians have degrees, nutritionists do not. And please consult your doctor and/or dietician if available before drastically altering your diet and lifestyle to ensure you are doing it safely and sustainably.
Now, onto meal prepping. I found this video on youtube by a creator called The Girl On Bloor and she goes through the benefits of meal planning and gives tips on how to make it seem less daunting. I really enjoyed her video and it inspired me to become more organized in this aspect of my life.
Some of the tips she gave includes making a master list on your notes app on your phone to keep track of recipes you like, recipes that are quick and easy, and recipes you want to try. Then, using a meal planning template you like, you can insert these recipes where you think would fit best. One of her key pieces of advice was to take an inventory of the ingredients in your kitchen so you can work backwards to plan around the ingredients you do have rather than having to buy a bunch of groceries and possibly end up in unnecessary doubles. Luckily, last week I took an inventory of my kitchen when trying out the SuperCook App (here is a link to my blog post on the app, it was truly life changing).
I went on Canva, and searched “meal prep planner” in the search bar and a really simple one popped up at the top that I liked. Here is the link to the template I used, and Here is the link to my improved edit of the template (and this one is free, unlike the other). There are thousands of options. I really enjoy using canva for these type of things. It's super easy to use and the templates are great for all different levels of Canva experience.
I looked at my schedule for the week and decided that because I have midterms all day Monday and Tuesday, I would plan to make a large portion of food on Sunday to eat across Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I know many people who are into bodybuilding or power-lifting like to meal prep for an entire week's worth of meals at one time, but I get really sick of repetitive supper meals easily (which is ironic considering I eat the same breakfast and lunch everyday).
That being said, I think the best option for me is to prepare meals for 3-4 days at a time. This week is a little different for me because I am starting a new job and have multiple midterms and assignments due, but I am okay with being flexible.
I chose to make a meal that my family ate a lot growing up and is super easy. It’s chicken filets with salt, pepper, a tiny amount of garlic salt, and a heavy coating of parmesan herb seasoning from the grocery store.
These are super simple and take 15 minutes to make all together. All you do is season the chicken, and cook it on a frying pan over medium heat until it is cooked. I also made enough peas for 3 servings and chopped up 3 servings of carrot sticks. I eat pretty much the same thing everyday for breakfast and lunch so planning those feels slightly redundant but I think it will help me hold myself accountable for actually eating them.
I hope any of the videos, websites, apps, or tips I’ve shared are helpful to anyone who has been considering meal prepping/planning.
Have any of you tried meal planning/prepping? How did it go?