How To Meal Prep!
Share
One of the most common reasons people fall off the diet bandwagon is that they simply don't have the time or energy to prepare a healthy meal.
It's easy to see why. After a long day of work, coming home to the task of cooking just seems like another mountain to climb.
That's why meal prep is so great! It takes the effort out of weekly meals and ensures you eat healthily even when you're short on time.
What Is Meal Prep?
If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. That's right, not planning ahead is the biggest reason your new health kick will fail. Meal prep is making meals in advance to eat later on, taking the effort out of losing weight just like The Man Shake does.
Knowing you've got an enjoyable meal at home waiting for you after a hard slog at work makes you much less likely to stop in and grab takeaway food.
Meal prep simply sets you up to succeed, and that's what The Man Shake is about. So let's get started.
Step 1: Containers
Now you've got 2 options here, you can either go for the cheap batch of plastic containers you'd get from your local Chinese takeaway or you can invest in some quality containers. From personal experience, go for the quality containers.
Get some quality BPA-free microwavable containers, as they will last longer and you'll actually take care of them. They aren't really expensive at all but it's a worthwhile investment.
Step 2: Meal Planning
Now, this is the most important bit, plan out what you're going to have for meals!
Don't just go to the supermarket thinking something will catch your eye. Chances are you'll wander around like a lost child for half an hour before going to the frozen section.
There are lots of simple meals you can quickly prepare for your week ahead that taste great. Chicken with a sauce on it, mixed veggies and rice is a common meal prep idea.
Here are some recipes we recommend:
1. Adam's Pizziola
2. Man Pie
3. Satay Chicken & Broccoli Stir-fry
4. Burrito Bowl
5. Slow Cooked Chilli Beef
Each will last 3-4 days in the fridge when properly stored, perfect for planning meals ahead of time.
Step 3: Find the time!
Now you know what you're cooking, you need to find a time where you can do it. For my routine, Sunday afternoons are ideal. I chuck the footy on and cook away. Whatever I cook, I normally make enough for dinner that night and 3-4 meals throughout the week depending on how long whatever I cook lasts in the fridge.
Find a time that suits your schedule, and go shopping beforehand to have everything ready to go.
Step 4: Get Cooking!
Now you've got the time and ingredients ready to go, the last thing to do is to throw it all together.
But meal prep doesn't mean you have to cook it all ahead of time. You may like your vegetables cooked fresh so you only prepare the meat ahead of time.
Similarly, if you're meal prepping for chicken wraps, you may just prepare the ingredients and leave them in containers. This way you can just throw together wraps at night without having to cut everything up again.
How you choose to meal prep is completely up to you, and as long as it fits your routine and lifestyle, it will save you time!
Tip: Cooking things like pies and bakes are an easy meal prep idea! Cook a whole pie, and divide it up for different days. Each night, you simply need to steam some veggies and you're good to go. You can even get frozen steam packs that you just microwave!
