If you want to control calories or are looking for a diet to help lose or maintain weight, you may need smart ideas to prepare meals that will get you on track daily.
Preparing meals is the art of preparing some or all of your meals beforehand with the aim of tracking the calories needed and proper nutrition to meet personal dietary needs.
You can prepare your lunch the night before, cook all your food in advance and divide it throughout the week.
The benefits of meal preparation include:
- Low cost and time taken in preparation.
- Low levels of stress resulting from trying to eat healthy food.
- Having a plan and food at hand prevents you from making bad decisions based on hunger.
- Reduce dependence on eating out of the house.
- Achieve fitness goals.
We will now review with you the most important meal preparation ideas, including some recipes, meal planning strategies and tools and diversifying flavors to avoid boredom.
1- Plan your meals in advance
When planning your meals in advance you will get healthy meals, control the amount of calories inside each meal, save time and money and reduce food waste. Meal planning allows you to intentionally incorporate foods that fit your calorie goals and nutrition needs for the week.
The following are tips for developing an advance meal plan:
Give yourself time to plan
Set aside 30-60 minutes each week to sketch out your meals and snacks. Consider questions like:
- How many meals and snacks do you need to prepare?
- Which days will be lower calorie vs higher calorie based on your schedule?
Check out what you have
Take inventory of what ingredients you currently have on hand that need to be used up soon. Build some meals around using those items up first.
Prepare your favorite meals
Identify the healthy, nutrient-dense recipes you already enjoy and work those into the plan. When you have extra time, research and test out new healthy recipes as well.
Use leftovers for the next day
With meal prep, you can easily plan recipes with enough leftovers to repurpose into a new meal the next day. Soups, stews, casseroles and roasted proteins are great options.
Cook in bulk
Take it a step further by cooking staples like grilled chicken breasts, quinoa, roasted veggies, etc. in bulk and then mix/match them into different meals throughout the week.
2- Use divided dishes for portions
Putting your meal on a segmented plate or bowl provides a visual guide for controlling portions of different food groups. Follow this guide for perfectly portioned meals:
- Half your plate: Unlimited non-starchy veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, etc.
- Quarter of your plate: Nutrient-dense carbs like brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato
- Quarter of your plate: Lean protein like chicken, fish, tofu, lentils
Using divided plates/bowls makes it simple to see if you’re eating a balanced meal without measuring or counting calories. It provides a template for getting adequate portions of each food group.
3- Use healthy ingredients in cooking without deprivation
The key to sustainable meal prep is using healthy, whole food ingredients to create nutritious yet satisfying meals that don’t feel restrictive. Tactics include:
- Make a meal prep grocery list focused on fresh produce, lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, etc.
- Have a well-stocked pantry with basics like low-sodium beans, whole wheat pasta, nuts, and spices.
- Choose low-fat dairy options like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, egg whites/substitutes.
- Use healthy cooking methods like baking, grilling, steaming, air frying, etc.
- Swap in Greek yogurt for sour cream/mayo, use vegetable broth instead of oil or butter, etc.
By becoming a kitchen ninja with healthy ingredient swaps and cooking methods, you can keep calories in control while still thoroughly enjoying your meals.
4- Use meal preparation tools and applications
First: Tools to help you prepare meals
Having some basic meal prep tools makes the process more efficient and precise for tracking calories/macros:
- High quality knives for slicing, dicing, etc.
- Measuring cups, spoons, and a digital food scale
- Multiple cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination
- Durable, microwave-safe food storage containers
Second: Mobile Applications for Meal Preparation
There are many helpful apps and websites for meal planning, like:
- Apps that create customized meal plans based on your calorie/macro goals
- Recipe databases and meal builders to simplify meal planning
- Grocery list generators based on your meal plan
- Apps that allow you to log and track your prepped meals
Using technology to plan, execute, and track your meal prep helps remove the guesswork for staying on track.
5- Prepare healthy snacks between meals
In addition to having your meals prepped, having healthy grab-and-go snacks at the ready prevents derailing your diet with poor snacking choices. Simple, portable snack ideas include:
- Hard boiled eggs or egg bites
- Greek yogurt with berries
- Apple or banana with peanut/almond butter
- Hummus with veggie sticks or whole grain crackers
- Trail mix with nuts, seeds and a few dried fruit
- Edamame
- Tuna or chicken salad stuffed in a bell pepper or lettuce cups
Prepping snacks is just as important as having meals prepped and portioned out. It keeps you energized between meals in a nutritious way.
Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just improve your diet, meal planning is an easy and effective step that allows you to control your nutrition all week long. With the right strategies, it need not be restrictive or time-consuming. Meal prepping provides the structure to achieve your calorie and health goals in an efficient way.
Related:
- How many calories is a kilocalorie?
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in Women and Men
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diet
