You can save time
Time is of the essence. And, the thought of taking out time in your day to prepare meals can be dreadful for some. But, just think about how much time in your week or month you can save by taking one or two designated days to prepare meals. You won’t have to cook every day! Setting a designated day to prep and cook can certainly cut down on time spent in the kitchen.
Allot yourself two hours to have everything prepped, cooked and packed away. Or, you can do this over a two day period. Use the first day to prep, such as chopping your vegetables and marinating anything you choose to marinate. Use the second day to cook and pack away everything.
If you struggle with knowing where to even start when it comes to meal prepping, then begin by writing a list of meals you want to eat for the week or the month. From there, you can decide on what ingredients you need to buy and take inventory of what you already have on hand. It is best to buy in bulk so that a lot of the same ingredients can be used for different meals and snacks, but with different flavorings. I am sure you have heard the saying “Fresh is Best”.
However, if you want to cut back on prep time even more, do not hesitate to use frozen fruits and vegetables to make your process a little bit quicker. This works especially well if you are new to meal prepping or even cooking in general. Using frozen fruits and veggies will save you plenty of time!
You can save moneyÂ
Set a budget and stick to it. Planning in advance the meals you want helps you to know what to buy from the grocery store. Also, be sure to stock up on fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables help to make your meals healthy. They keep you full and help you to get the nutrients that your body needs. Meal prepping can help you stay away from junk items or pricey last minute lunch orders. Your wallet will thank you later!
You can build confidence
Try cooking some of your favorite meals. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time. Practice makes perfect. If you keep making a meal that you enjoy, you will eventually perfect it to a T. So, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again! Besides, it’s in the budget! How about trying a new type of cuisine? Incorporate some new and unique spices! You‘ll be surprised just how much your seasoning, slicing, and dicing skills develop the more you continue to prepare meals.
You can reduce your stress levels
Once you have a plan of what to cook, you will know what to buy. When you know what to buy, then all you have to do is cook it! You can simply prep, cook, pack and label (if you choose) and heat the food when you’re ready to eat it. No, stress required when it comes to what to cook every night because…you’ve already done the hardest part.
You can practice portion control
This is especially important for those who are trying to lose or maintain their weight. Portion control plays a huge factor. Look up the portion sizes needed for proteins, starches and vegetables and pack your containers according to the portion sizes. Remember, you are not restricting yourself. Once you’re finished eating, sit for 20 minutes to let your food digest. And, if you’re still hungry, serve yourself a little bit more, or have a light snack.