Proper nutrition has always been the simplest, yet difficult thing to achieve for most people. The concepts are not difficult, but the actual execution of them poses the biggest issue when trying to achieve success either losing weight, gaining muscle, or allowing your body to perform at peak levels. These simple meal prep ideas will help you succeed for the long term! With the few simple ideas we will discuss here, you can get your nutrition in check to achieve all the goals you desire. Remember, keeping it simple is the key to success. If we follow these Simple Meal Prep Ideas for Success, then we can repeat it easily, and with that we create good habits that will last a life time!
Plan out your meals!
Once you have your nutrition road map set, which is best accomplished with a nutrition coach, then you are 80% of the way there. You have the directions and it just comes down to execution and staying focused. At CrossFit Ares we offer this service to our members to achieve their maximal potential, because it is proven to lead to success. Check out our program here to help you succeed!
At the beginning of the week, Sunday works the best, plan out your meals in My Fitness Pal. This will allow you to get a few good meals that fit your road map, that you can then produce in bulk and repeat a few times a week, without the worry of trying to hit your numbers on the fly. Good quality food that you can produce in bulk for a relatively small amount of money would include chicken thighs and breast, ground turkey, steak, and salmon for protein. Carbohydrates would include things like fruits, sweet potatoes, and rice. Nut butters, nuts, avocado, and clean salad dressing for healthy fats! And of course vegetables! Broccoli, brussel sprouts, squash, and asparagus are all great options that can be produced in bulk!
Find a few of your favorite meals, and vary them throughout the week!
Cook in bulk!
Sunday is often the prime meal prep day! You can cook all your meats on the grill, throw your veggies in the oven, and make a big container of your rice, all in a very minimal amount of time! If you can get all your food cooked in a couple of hours and organize your meals in containers, then you are ready for your week worry free! You put a few in the refrigerator, and a few in the freezer to stay fresh for the whole week!
Have a “Go To” for when you need food on the fly!
It is always good to have a few places you can get good clean food on the fly for when your schedule gets crazy. For me, Chipotle bowls keeping the ingredients simple (no sour cream or loads of queso) are a great tool when life gets crazy. You can also utilize quality establishments like B. Good or Sweetgreen, who are known for their quality clean ingredients. Enter these go to meals in your My Fitness Pal app, and they are ready to go when you need them.
Plan out your dinners and keep it simple!
I like to plan out my dinners as well, because I enjoy a fresh cooked dinner. Set some meat, vegetables and sides aside that can easily be thrown in the oven and be ready to eat in less than an hour. Keep the ingredients and seasonings simple. I love Camp Mix on everything!
Use a meal prep service!
This has been a huge benefit to me in recent months. After doing out the math, you typically spend about the same as you would at the grocery story, maybe a little more, that gets made up on time and stress saved from not having to meal prep. Well-known companies like Trifecta are great to get you the exact meals you need that can easily be plugged into your app. Meals are delivered straight to your door and sealed to be fresh throughout the week. You also get variety!
Have some sweet tooth snacks ready!
This is one of my favorites. Everybody gets the sweet tooth every now and then, and a good way to avoid grabbing the box of cookies or tray of brownies, is to have good quality snacks that really aren’t that bad for you. A favorite of mine is vanilla Greek yogurt, granola, peanut butter, and a little bit of chocolate syrup! This keeps it simple, satisfies the sweet tooth, and allows you to stay right on track when those cravings come along!
Try these Simple Meal Prep Ideas for Success to simplify your life and stay on track with your good clean eating, after all consistency is the key to all success. Enjoy!
