Meal prepping can be daunting but it doesn’t have to be! Here is a breakdown of what I do each week
STEP ONE: DECIDE WHAT TO COOK
Thursday I decide what I’m going to cook. Now that I’m tracking macros, this step takes me a bit longer because I’m new to it. However, I am LOVING basing my meals on macros + calories not just calories.
Last week I decided on:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup (uncooked) oatmeal + 1 tbsp white chia seeds + 2 tbsp half and half MACROS 62c/10f/18p/407 calories
Lunch: 160 grams of pulled chicken (recipe here) + 1/2 c brown rice + 1 c broccoli
MACROS 35c/3.5f/41.8p/343 calories
Dinner (option 1): 240 g zucchini noodles + 10 grape tomatoes + 30 g basil pesto + 72 grams shrimp + 1 tbsp parmesan + 12 asparagus spears (inspired by @ljadeparker ♥)
MACROS 20c/19f/24p/335 calories
Dinner (option 2): 290 g spaghetti squash + 10 grape tomatoes + 1/2 c classico low fat alfredo sauce + 72 grams shrimp + 1 tbsp parmesan + 12 asparagus spears
MACROS 30c/14f/28p/310 calories
Snacks:
1 chocolate optimum nutrition protein shake
3 c Boom Chicka pop popcorn
175 g plain greek yogurt
1/2 c sugar free jello
with 380 calories left over to play around with
MACRO GOALS: 186c/59f/145p/1855 Calories
STEP TWO: PLAN A TIME TO GROCERY SHOP
I try to shop on Saturday’s because sometimes grocery shopping is exhausting. I like being able to start cooking right away on Sunday.
STEP THREE: SET ASIDE 2-4 HOURS OF TIME TO COOK
Depending what you’re cooking..and if you’re prepping breakfast you may need up to 4 hours.
STEP FOUR: PLAN A STRATEGY FOR COOKING
1. Started with things that take the longest (ex. slow cooker, rice cooker, oven)
2. While things are cooking I generally deal with the vegetables (cutting, spiralizing, steaming, etc)
3. If I’m waiting a long time for things to cook I’ll prepare snacks (bag popcorn, nuts, etc)
4. Start weighing meat, measuring carbs, vegetables, etc. Put all food in fridge ASAP.
STEP FIVE: FREEZE ANYTHING YOU DON’T USE
This week I had cooked rice and spaghetti squash I didn’t need. I pre-measured both, put them in ziplock bags, wrote the number of grams on them and wrote the date. Sometimes I cook more than I need on purpose because it saves me time on prepping the following week.
Comments 5
Omg, this looks amazing. I love following you on insta 🙂
Author
Aw thank you so much!
I’m trying to lose weight and was told by my cousin that works at a weight loss clinic that I should eat1,200 cals/day. However, this meal calls for 1,800. Is that because you also go to the gym and usually burn those calories?
Author
The number of calories you burn is based on your age, height, weight, gender and activity level. I personally don’t believe in cutting calories so drastically because it’s not sustainable. I work out 6-8 times a week so to maintain my weight I should be eating 2400 calories. I’m in a cutting phase right now to lean out so I aim to eat 1900 calories. 1900 still keeps me full, not angry or tired either. If you are working out you need to make sure you fuel your body properly otherwise you’ll end up binging on something because you’re so damn hungry.I can’t tell you the number of calories you should be consuming because I don’t know the information I stated above to calculate. However, there are lots of websites that will help you calculate that. I suggest trying a couple, comparing results and see how those fit with the weight loss clinic. Good luck!
Author
I just pop it in the fridge. I set my fridge a couple degrees cooler than suggested…sometimes my yougurt is a bit icy…but I haven’t had any problems with food going bad. =) Also, it isn’t a week…its only till Friday. I wouldn’t want to eat anything after Friday that hadn’t been frozen.