Not in the habit of planning meals in advance? This may be a recipe for disaster when it comes to your nutritional goals. Learn about the benefits of pre-prepared meals and tips to make your daily tasks easier.
Have you ever fantasized about how much easier life would be if you didn't have to constantly search for recipes, buy groceries and cook and clean up a messy kitchen?
The solution you are looking for is simple: pre-prepared meals. Choose to plan and prepare some or even all of the day's meals in advance. This could mean making lunch the night before, cooking in batches, or re-prepping all the food and dividing it into storage containers for a few days, putting it in the fridge and just grabbing and going the next day.
Photo: Ella Olsson/UnsplashThe art of meal prep is that it can be adapted to your cooking skills, lifestyle, and personal dietary needs, and it certainly doesn't have to look like an artfully plated "Instagram masterpiece" if your skills aren't that high.
1. Away from temptations
You are probably hungry and have nothing at hand, so you reach for junk food. Meal prepping ensures that you always have options that meet your nutritional needs because you've already planned and prepared your food in advance.
Photo: Jason Jarrach/Unsplash2. Full control
When you cook your own meals or you plan ahead, what you're going to eat, get total control over calories and macro balance, and limit the use of unwanted ingredients such as added sugar, salt and fat. In short, meal prep is good for weight loss and also for saving money.
3. Hunger management
One of the advantages pre-prepared meals is that it helps you manage your hunger because you can eat as soon as you feel hungry, instead of thinking about what to eat in the first place and then looking for a food source. Controlling your hunger often means that you won't overeat when you sit down at the table because you won't be so insanely hungry or starving.
Photo: Conscious Design / Unsplash4. Time
Z pre-prepared meals you can save quite a bit of time. Whether you pre-chop the ingredients or cook all the meals a few days in advance, you'll thank yourself when you get home after a long day. This might leave you with more time to exercise, play with the kids, or do whatever else you deserve.
5. Saving money
Meals prepared in advance they are another part of the equation in which you have control not only over the content of the meals, but also over the cost. You will definitely save because you will not have lunch and dinner in restaurants. Optionally, you will choose recipes that include ingredients available to you.
6. No more leftovers
Once you establish a meal prep routine, you'll know exactly how much of each ingredient you need. This will also reduce the amount of food waste. You will never have to watch your fruits and vegetables rot again, because you will have just enough of them.
Photo: Ello / Unsplash7. No more stress
Have you ever noticed that there are days when you think about food all day long? In addition, eating too little will exhaust you much faster, and you'll be more likely to cancel certain plans because you'll be tired or too hungry. One of the most important advantages preparing meals in advance is that it can help reduce the stress that comes with unhealthy eating habits.
