Success comes to those who PLAN! Planning meals is a huge part of staying on track with weight loss goals. At Blue Sky MD, we encourage all of our patients to make this part of their weekly routine and find that those patients who do, end up having the most success!
If meal preparation for weight loss is something you’ve never done, it can be a little overwhelming not knowing where to start, but don’t let that deter you! Below, we have put together some helpful meal prep benefits and How-To’s to help you get started!
Meal Prep Benefits:
- It Saves You Money: Having a menu plan and list before you head to the store can help you stay on track with what you are putting in your cart. Instead of throwing in random “maybe that will taste good” items that can add up quickly in cost, planning can eliminate those impulse buys and help you SAVE bucks at checkout!
- It is a Big Time Saver: Planning meals for weight loss can save you tons of time during the week. Yes, it does take a LITTLE time out of one day, but then you are done! Think about how nice it would be to know exactly what you are going to eat all week, know that it’s already cooked and all you have to do is pop it in the crockpot or instapot! Little cooking needs to be done during the week, therefore you have more TIME with your family to do something fun!
- Helps to Stay on Track with Goals: If you have a diet plan, you are less likely to veer off the path and make poor food choices! Meal prep for weight loss will help you have less cheat days and/or meals. We promise. Want to reach your goals quicker? PREP and PLAN!
What To Do:
- Invest in some good Tupperware containers. Having plenty of containers to store the food you have prepped will help a ton! You can even find portion control containers so you know exactly how much you are eating!
- Have a weekly prep day. Dedicate a specific day every week to meal prep. Set an appointment on your calendar. Make it a priority and make it happen! Start by thinking what your week looks like. Do you have a client lunch one day so you only need to make four lunches? Do the kids have soccer practice so you need to throw something in the crockpot one morning to have dinner ready when you get home?
- Select new meals. Mix it up weekly so you don’t get bored.
- Try out time saving appliances.
- Air Fryer: The air fryer is an easy modern tool that cooks all your favorite food. Using one is so much more healthy than cooking your food with a deep fryer. This is because it requires a lot less oil to cook the food.
- Crockpot: This is a real time saver. There are so many great recipes out there these days. Place ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, and dinner is practically ready when you get home. For some great ideas, check out Blue Sky Pinterest Crockpot Recipes.
- Instant Pot: This multi-cooker is a real time saver. It does the job of a slow cooker, electric pressure cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, sauté/browning pan, and warming pot.
- Now get to the store! Now that you have your plan, resources, and ideas, head to the store and pick up everything you will need for the week.
It’s Prep Time:
You have your food containers, you have your meal plan and you have your groceries. Now it’s time to do the prep! Chop and wash veggies, put all your crockpot ingredients into “dump” baggies for later in the week, pre-measure out your snacks, etc.! You’ve got this!!
Still need some guidance on your weight loss journey? Click here to Request an Appointment with Blue Sky MD!
