5 TIPS FOR MAKING MEAL PREP EASY!
-By Coach Liz
I always jokingly say CrossFitters are the laziest people around… I am always complaining about the WOD or asking someone to bring me my water in the middle of said WOD. Immediately after I come home from a gruelling WOD I’m straight up lounging on the couch under my favourite throw blanket. Am I lazy or emotionally scarred, hard to tell the difference! I believe CrossFitters are the hardest working people out there…for an hour!
Which brings me to the topic of dreaded meal prep. As a coach I’ve heard the whole gamut of excuses:
I don’t have the time: Kids have hockey, soccer, dance, etc. I work full time. I’m so busy already. My schedule is sooo full. Guess what, you’re not special! We all have crazy busy lives nowadays, someone once said, ‘Show me how much time you spend looking at a screen, then I’ll see how busy you are!” I am guilty of saying/believing the same things.
It’s too expensive: It’s really not! In this post I’ll give you my tips for making meals for under $5 each! Fast food meals cost more then this and they aren’t going to get you to your goals!
It’s so boring eating the same thing all the time: Ok fam, time for tough love: its just food, once your belly is full do actually care about what you ate? I sure don’t. Once I’m full it doesn’t matter whether it was a donut (listen peeps we all know how much this girl loves donuts) or chicken breast. Also, for real, I feel way better having eaten a balanced nutritious meal over a sugar laden carb wheel.
I don’t know where to start: Keep it simple! And that’s why I’m writing this post, I’m here to help!
Tip #1:
Costco, Costco, Costco!
If you’re like most people out there, we don’t grow our food at home so we have to venture out to the supermarket for groceries. I love Costco for meal prep! We go once every week and a half or two and get enough for meals for that span of time. Here is my list of must haves from Costco:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast
Ground turkey
Kodiak Cakes protein pancakes mix
Broccoli (precut bags)
Mixed Peppers
Green Beans
Mushrooms
Pam
Parchment Paper
No Salt Seasoning
Spices
Avocado or Olive Oil
Nuts
Oats
Frozen Berries (I love blueberries in my oatmeal!)
Tip #2:
Instant Pot
Ok, when I first splurged on the Instant Pot, I was legitimately terrified of the thing. It sat in the pantry collecting dust. I had heard stories of these babies exploding etc, thanks Google for giving me something else to keep me up at night! Probably 2-3 months went by and then I had an idea! Make my husband use it for the first time, I’m not about to sacrifice myself here… Kids need their mothers. Kidding, we did it together. Once we used it that first time, I felt like kicking myself, its so easy and handy! Go now and get one! Then come read the rest of this post.
I use the instant pot to cook chicken, rice, and hard boil eggs. HB eggs are life changing after you’ve done them in the instant pot. 4 minutes, then straight into an ice bath and they peel like a dream. Now, if I get invited somewhere and am asked to bring devilled eggs, I wont have to pretend I’m busy, sick, or out of the country!
Tip #3:
Meal Prep Containers
Go to: https://www.amazon.ca/Compartment-Containers-Portion-Control-Bento/dp/B01D0JDZFO/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=30ZYR4MS1LYA9&keywords=meal+prep+containers&qid=1554841166&s=kitchen&sprefix=meal+%2Ckitchen%2C168&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1 and get yourself some 3 compartment containers with lids. We portion everything out and half of what we make goes in the fridge and the other have to the freezer. It’s so convenient to have lunch and supper taken care of. You could also keep all the prepared meals in the freezer and take a what you need for the day in the morning.
Tip #4:
Don’t Overthink It!
I usually make 2-3 types of protein (chicken breast, ground turkey meatloaf muffins, and ground turkey taco meat), 2 veggies (broccoli and green beans, or a mix of a few kinds), and two starches (rice and Japanese yams). I throw the taco meat in a container (without compartments) with some rice, black beans, peppers, mushrooms, onions, and salsa. Turkey taco bowls, YUM! See not boring at all…
Tip #5:
Good Tools
This goes along the lines of the instant pot, but having the right tools definitely makes the whole process easier. Sharp knives for chopping up veg, etc. We recently splurged on a great knife set and its a serious time saver, just watch out for your fingertips if you’re used to hacking away at things with a dull knife. A meat mincer, measuring cups and spoons (we got to measure if we want to hit goals), big baking sheets for roasting veggies and yams, a convection oven is awesome to load up everything all at once, parchment paper for lining the baking sheets makes cleanup a breeze (remember I said I was lazy), and Mrs. Dash or Flavour God seasonings and sugar free BBQ sauce or hot sauce are great for on the chicken.
Last meal prep took me 3-4 hours and I got 30 meals done. The cost of each meal was $2.85.
I hope this post was helpful and gave you the boost you need to get started on meal prep. Remember you can’t out train poor nutrition! Abs are made in the kitchen, my abs are in hiding but one of my goals for this year is to see those bad boys. Accountability is an important part of reaching your nutrition goals. Our gym offers 1-on-1 accountability and we’d love to see you meet your goals! Contact us today to meet with a coach, set some goals, and blow those goals out of the water!