15 Meal Prep Recipes for Weight Loss
Owing to the extremely busy lifestyle that we lead, finding time out to plan and eat the right food has become almost impossible. In fact, most of us prefer eating on the go and get whatever we can from the nearest fast food joint. This not only has an impact on our health but also makes us gain weight. Do you know if you plan your meals properly, that itself can help you shed those extra pounds? If you are now wondering how then just follow these below given 15 healthy meal prep ideas and you surely will be amazed by the results you will witness.
1. Have Your Meal Plan Ready
The first thing you must do, even before you go out to buy your grocery is to make your meal plan. This will help you know what exactly you plan to cook and what ingredients you will need to prepare those dishes. If you go grocery shopping without any meal plan, you are likely to buy unhealthy stuff. It is not necessary that you have to create fresh meal plans for every week, and instead, you can follow the same one for at least a few weeks.
2. Begin Slow
Preparing meals will certainly make things a lot easier for you but it does not necessarily mean you have to begin preparing meals for the entire week just from the beginning. It will be a good idea to start slow if you do not want to end up being confused and create a mess. Try to have a weekly meal prep plan and prepare meals for maybe 3-4 days and then observe if what you have planned works fine for you, or if there are any mistakes. Even if there are any mistakes that will not cost you much as you have planned just for a few days.
Some people prefer preparing just their dinners, and some prepare each of their meals. It will be best to prepare those meals you mostly do not have enough time to prepare. Once you get used to this, you can begin preparing all meals for an entire week.
3. A Food Scale will be a Wise Purchase
You do not have to count calories every single day to shed those extra pounds. But if you are not able to keep track of those calories and mostly end up overeating then a food scale will certainly prove to be useful. Do not worry you will not need to measure your calories every day. As you will be planning meals at least for 3-4 days, so you will need to weight portions just twice a week.
Most people trying to prep for weight loss do not give enough importance to the number of calories consumed by them and this is the biggest mistake they make. So, if you do not want to do the same, get a scale and measure the calories.
4. Chop the Vegetables in Advance
Preparing meals does not involve cooking only, and thus if you chop your fruits and veggies ahead of time you will be saving a lot of time. If you prefer not adding a few veggies just because it will take lots of time to chop, chopping in advance will prove all the more useful for you. Just chop them, store them in proper meal prep containers, and use them when needed.
5. Trying New Recipes may not be wise
When you are preparing meals, say for the entire week, it will not be a good idea to cook new recipes. It may take too much time and the result might not be that satisfying. So it will be best to follow recipes you already are sure of. Just make sure whatever you are cooking is healthy, you have chosen a healthy meal prep dish, and you are good to go.
6. Start with the Difficult Recipes
It will be best to prepare the most complicated recipes at the beginning, say on a Sunday afternoon when you have enough time. The easier ones can be prepared somewhere midweek. If you are too busy during the middle of the week you may find it difficult to prepare the complicated recipes and then perhaps you may choose to eat outside.
7. Only Healthy Snacks should be Available
When you feel hungry in between meals you end up snacking. In such situations, if you have a packet of wafers or chocolates nearby, you are sure to gorge on those and then all your efforts of trying to lose weight will go into vain. So, it will be wise to get rid of all unhealthy food and keep only the healthy ones at home. For instance, you can store vegetables, fruits, and nuts to serve as snacks.
8. Use Healthy Condiments
Healthy means boring, if this is what you think, think again. The truth is healthy meal prep recipes can be delicious too and that too without using any unhealthy spices. There are so many healthy foods that you can use like lemon, olive oil, and fresh ginger that can enhance the flavors of your dishes. You will enjoy your food and will love the idea of preparing healthy recipes and healthy lunch in advance.
9. Use a Glass Jar to Carry Your Lunch Salads
Usually, people think that if they carry salad to work it will get mushy and will not be worth eating. But if you carry your veggies in a glass jar they can stay fresh for quite a long time. First, add the dressings in the jar and then add vegetables like beets and peppers followed by leafy greens.
10. Cook Different Vegetables at the Same Time
There are different vegetable that has similar cooking time, so instead of cooking each of them separately you may add all of them together and save some time while preparing your weight-loss dishes. Certain vegetables that can be prepared together are cauliflower, potatoes, onions, and carrots. Also use brown rice.
11. Prepare Foods that are Freezer Friendly
Of course, you may freeze any food you want but certain dishes will get mushy. So if you plan to prepare food for at least a few days it will be best to make those dishes that you can freeze, reheat, and eat easily. Some such food that you can prepare are stews, turkey meatballs, chicken, and soups. Once you freeze these foods you will only have to reheat and then can enjoy eating them.
12. Put Back the Leftovers in your Fridge
You may have a little leftover and though they might not look great, you still can keep them back in your fridge to enjoy eating healthy meals later. All you need to do is put them in a container and keep them in your fridge. They will stay good at least for the next 4 days.
13. Boil Eggs in your Oven
Eggs are extremely healthy and thus you must include them in your diet. But if you boil them in the pot you can add only a few eggs at a time. Instead, it will be a good idea to boil them in your oven, wherein you can add at least a dozen eggs at once.
14. All or Nothing is not the Right Mentality
It might not be possible to prepare meals always, but make sure you prepare when you can. It is not that if you cannot do it always you jus t should not. In fact, it is a good idea to prepare meals at least occasionally, as gradually you will learn quick and easy ways to do it.
15. Arrange Food in Your Refrigerator Properly
The refrigerator has various compartments with varying temperature controls. The warmest part is the door so you can keep those foods here that will not get spoiled fast. Cooked foods must be kept on the top shelves, and as the lowest shelves are the coldest you can keep those foods here that you plan to cook. Your freezer can store different types of foods. You just need to pack them properly in containers and keep them in an organized way.
These are some simple yet wise lunch, dinner and breakfast meal prep ideas that will help you avoid the unhealthy, choosing the healthy meal planning, cooking and eating option. It may take some time for you to get the hang of it, but once you do, you will be able to prepare these healthy dishes for each day. As you start eating healthy every day you are sure to lose weight and get fit quite soon.