Always on the go with last minute meals? It's the planning & being strategic that's missing.

We are early on in the week and I wonder, how are you doing? Are you thriving, or just surviving? 😳

I want to address an area many of us struggle with, get caught up on, or find difficult to navigate. If you've had, or have any kind of weight loss, health or nutrition related goal, you've likely heard the word 'meal prep'.

Meal prepping, in simpler terms, is the process of combining different food preparation methods in advance. When the time comes to eat, this ensures there is no guesswork or emotional impulse to take over our ability to make good, healthy decisions. This is a great tool that many people use to guarantee their nutrition goals are met, and that good nourishment is available when it’s really needed.

Talking about meal planning, it's great. When actually sitting down to do it, however, and figure out how to have it all ready, it can be really overwhelming. I understand that. If however, you wish you were more consistent with eating in a way that supports your health goals, meal prepping could be just what you need. We do, however, need to start by making it more approachable. Here’s how.

🥣 First up:

• If you tire of the same meals day after day, I would take a meal prepping approach of planning out your meals on paper, and preparing 1-2 days at a time. Be intentional about setting some time aside where you can explore a few recipes, nail down a plan and make the necessary grocery list to get you started with the right ingredients. An example of this might include making 2 servings worth of overnight oats at one time. With two days covered, maybe after you’re done this, you can switch to two days of protein cereal. ​

• If you don’t mind eating the same thing (say for every lunch during the week), create and portion your meals in advance. Pick one or two days during the week, where you can spend some additional time preparing your meals of choice (I love doing this alongside my favourite Netflix show to help pass the time). An example of this might include making 5 servings of chicken salad. Pack the crackers, veggies and hummus to go with it in advance, or change it up with whatever you like from one day to the next. The main thing is your foundation is there and ready to go.

✋ Second:

• If you’re going to spend the time and energy meal prepping, make sure to grab all the good stuff so that you really benefit! Be intentional about including a protein source, a carb source, a fat source, and of course loads of colour from both fruits and veggies. But how much of each, you ask? Below you can find a general reference for portion sizes.

Protein Serving = 1 Palm Carb Serving = 1 Cupped Hand Fat Serving = 1 Thumb Fruit/Veg Serving = 1 Fist

🍌 Third:

• My best suggestion for making meal prep something that feels doable for you, is to start off easy. Don’t overwhelm yourself with the expectation that you need to have everything and anything prepared in advance. Start with snacks. Get good at that. Then maybe experiment with preparing your breakfasts ahead of time. Try some new recipes. Let’s remember that change can be small, but still incredibly effective in the long haul.

Need some snack ideas to get you started? All of the below ideas can be prepared in advance, in bulk. ↓

1. 1 thumb peanut butter (fat) with chopped apple or celery (fruit/veg).

2. 1 fist chopped veggies (veg) with hummus (fat/protein).

3. 1 palm cottage cheese (protein) with cinnamon and blueberries (fruit).

4. 1 scoop protein powder (protein) with 1 banana (fruit), 1 fist spinach (veg) + 1 thumb cashews (fat), packed in advanced, blended day of.

I hope, even in a small sense, that these tips make meal prepping a little less daunting and a little more doable. And while meal prepping isn’t absolutely necessary, it can be an amazing tool to help supplement our success.

So, will you give meal prepping a shot? How will you approach it? I’d love to hear your thoughts & as always, I’m just a ‘reply’ away to do so.

Here for your success, Jenn

Ps. I know working with me in a 1:1 capacity isn’t for everyone, which is why I’ve recently launched a 25 page workout program for purchase. It includes 5 (45 minute) dumbbell only workouts, a bodyweight/vacation workout, 3 core workouts and 2 cardio workouts. This is just one way I’m making my knowledge and resources more available to you, so that nothing stops your success. With photos and video references, you’re guaranteed to feel confident and ready to rock. I hope you'll check it out. #mealprepping