Preparing your food when you are eating healthy or following a weight loss plan is a fundamental key to success. Contrary to what people say, preparing your meals does NOT take hours and hours.
I’ve compiled a list to help you all out when it comes to tips and tricks for preparing your meals without the fuss
1. Do a weekly shop, with a shopping list. The list will help you stick to the necessity’s and hopefully prevent you wandering off course in the confectionery aisles.
Also, I don’t know if you have realised that supermarkets generally follow this rule: all the healthy stuff (fruit/veg/meat/diary/oils/grains) can be found on the outside perimeter, all the other stuff is junk or cleaning products and toilet paper!
So stick to those outside aisles for a speedy shop.
2. Stop using the excuse that you don’t have time! I get so sick of hearing it. Make time, guys! It’s time to get serious and realise that food prep is not difficult or complicated. 20 minutes can make the biggest difference to your results and success.
Try me, I know! Spend 20 minutes on a Sunday to get organised. Me Vs The Bulge does it (and Hello 25 kilos lighter…It works!). Try this easy Bircher muesli recipe.
I also boil several eggs to use at lunch (or breakfast), think nicoise salad (tuna, eggs, olives, tomatoes, lettuce and some good quality EVOO). A long as food is refrigerated it will last a few days.
3. In the kitchen, use gadgets like:
– slow cooker
– food processor
– blender
– mandolin
– good quality storage containers, silver takeaway trays or Tupperware
All of the above items makes you “work” in the kitchen much less stressful and definitely reduces the prep time.
4. Use a steamer or foil to cook fish like so:
Seal in a foil package, voila! 15 mins later, steamy goodness
5. Marinating meats: This can happen the night before, to save time at dinner or lunch. It also adds flavour. I pop my meats in a glad bag, that way it’s nice and tidy in the fridge
6. Scales/cup measures: I don’t recommend becoming obsessive about weighing and measuring but I do recommend spending a few days getting familiar with portions and sizing.
I suggest using a cup measure for things like your muesli/oats, yoghurt, grains (quinoa/brown rice/amaranth/wholegrain pasta). Using your palm as a guide for your protein (chicken, meat) portion size guide (roughly 150g-200g).
For fish you can use your whole hand, as it’s lower in calories.
Once you spend a week actually measuring your food out (as appropriate to your determined by your personal macro nutrients) then you should be confident enough to eyeball quantities.
