Summary: Meal preparation is probably the #1 health habit that most people lack in their daily lives. You struggle to even set aside 30 minutes a day for your workout - which is great! Nutrition accounts for 80% of your results, so if you're not eating healthy meals that complement your workout efforts, you could be spinning your wheels and not see any results. Reaching for processed snacks and high-carb foods that you think are "healthy" based on the packaging and marketing claims could be working against you. So, how can you have healthy foods readily available for meals and snacks without it eating up more of your time? In this week's Made Fit TV episode, I break down 10 Tips for Easy Meal Prep that you can do each week that will not only save you time and money, but speed up and optimize the results you're getting from your exercise program. Print off the list below, keep it on your refrigerator or any place you it can serve as a helpful reminder to you! Top 10 Tips for Easy Meal Prep 10.) Get a Pressure Cooker to cook your food in a fraction of the time of baking 9.) Get a Crock Pot to cook raw and frozen foods while you're away at work 8.) Make a Menu of what you want to eat through the week and stick to the plan 7.) Make a Date with your Grocery Store each week at the same time and shop off your menu 6.) Buy Frozen vegetables and fruits if you tend to let fresh go bad 5.) Buy Instant foods that are healthy, yet quick, to prepare, such as oats and brown rice 4.) Make a Baking Day once a week for you to bake up easy, healthy snacks for the week 3.) "5 at 9", or take 5 minutes at 9 o'clock each night to mix your shake, make your lunch, or prepare your breakfast for the following day 2.) Prepare your Carbohydrates for the week, making up a few days worth, plain, so you can quickly mix it into a variety of recipes 1.) Prepare your Protein in bulk so you can quickly add it to salads, sandwiches, pastas, and dinner dishes Check out the information below, too, for a breakdown of meal and snack portions to guide your meal planning! Portion Guide Use this as a guide for your meals and snacks. On average, you are recommended to eat 3 complete meals and 2 to 3 snack per day. This can vary more or less based on whether you are a man or a woman, your goals, and what your doctor recommends. Protein Meal: 3oz - 4oz or 22g - 30g Snack: up to 2oz or 7g - 15g Carbohydrates Meal: 1/2 cup - 1 cup or 25g - 45g Snack: 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup or 13g - 25g Fat Meal: 1/2 tbsp - 1 tbsp or 8g - 16g Snack: 1 teaspoon - 1/2 tbsp or 5g - 8g
