NO TIME TO EAT WELL? Master Your Meal Prep!

Ready to start honing in on nutrition, but need help motivating yourself for all the prep work?! Take out the stress of it by following these tips to Master Your Meal Prep!

1. HAVE A PLAN! Don't go to the grocery store blind. Sit down beforehand, think about what you want to eat for the week and create a grocery list of everything you need. Go into the grocery store focused on that list and try not to get distracted by anything that isn't on the list. (having your groceries delivered is very helpful for this)
2. DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START? Create a list of 10-15 staple foods: (3) lean protein sources, (2) starchy carbs, (3) veggies, (2) fruit, & (2) healthy fats. Then, using that list, think about what meal you can create. Or use this Staples Worksheet to help you brainstorm some staples for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
3. ORGANIZE your fridge and pantry! Be clear on exactly what you have available to you at all times. Organize your fridge by food groups (protein, veggies, fruit, carbs, dairy, etc.) to easily visually see what kind of balanced meal you can create for yourself.
4. STAY STOCKED! If your fridge is organized, you'll know when you're running low on something. Try to always stay stocked with the essentials. In this way, I don't do one big grocery shopping day a week, or one big meal prepping day a week. I stop by the grocery store to pick up a few things when needed, and I meal prep as needed. For me, this keeps it way less overwhelming.

5. PREP THINGS INDIVIDUALLY. Rather than making giant batches of fully fledged meals, which to me sounds very overwhelming and intimidating, I will just make plain chicken breast, or roast veggies, or cook some pasta, etc., and then combine things as needed to make complete nutritional meals that hit all the macros.
6. PLAN FOR TOMORROW. Plan what you're going to eat before you go to bed. Even if just in a journal or mapped out in your head, jot down some ideas. From this state, you can think about the nutritional value of each meal, rather than waiting until you're starving and grabbing what's convenient or just sounds yummy.
7. PREP FOR TOMORROW. If you have time, take it one step further and actually put your meals together the night before. This way, there is no room for error the next day. Your healthy, well-balanced meals are in the fridge waiting for you in the morning!
8. ON THE GO: If you're on the go a lot, invest in a small cooler to keep in your car to keep your meals with you so you always have something nourishing on hand.

I hope this was a helpful resource to make meal prep an easy part of your life. If you have any questions, fire away in the comments!