Food Prep Made Easy
Meal preparation is among one of the most popular conversation topics in the fitness world. You can pin all the hacks you want, but if your meal prep strategy isn’t conducive to your lifestyle, it ain’t happening. For me, I roll deep. On any given day I’m out the door with my work bag, my gym bag and often times a third bag for my daily meals.
So while this looks great…
For me, it’s unrealistic.
There isn’t enough room in my bag or my agency’s fridge for all that tupperware.
Also, am I the only one that loses tupperware like hair ties? When I say lose I mean let sit in the fridge for days on end until I’m afraid to actually open it therefore pitching the entire thing.
Whether you’re a mom toting meals for yourself and your tot, a twenty-something professional, or simply trying to be more nimble in your meal preparation strategy I’ve come up with some fool proof meals and packing tips that don’t break the bank, break my back (schleping around) and doesn’t monopolize my entire Sunday afternoon.
Data supporting whether or not you can actually food prep without a glass of wine is inconclusive.
Enter: Ziploc® bags, available in freezer, storage, sandwich and snack bag sizes. Ziploc® bags with Easy Open Tabs can store fruits, meat and more without sliding open, spilling and keeping your food fresh.
Meal One
7:30AM Post-Workout: Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients: A handful of spinach, mango, pineapple, and one sliced banana.
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender, adding your liquid of choice for desired consistency. I like to do a splash of almond milk and water for a thicker consistency I can spoon out of a bowl. I’ll throw some chia seeds or gogi berries on top to be fancy. Something about the act of using a spoon instead of a straw leaves me feeling fuller and more satisfied.
Storage: Individually package servings and store in a Ziploc freezer bag. I’ll make two weeks or so at a time so I’ve got an inventory I can dip into for an extended period of time. It takes less than 2 minutes to whip one of these together so that’s a win first thing in the morning!
Why it works: After I workout I’m not ready for a full breakfast, but I need something to replace the calories I burned. Smoothies or smoothie bowls are refreshing, clean and filling. Not to mention no fuss. As if that wasn’t easy enough, use this hack to clean your blender in a hot minute when you’re done.
Meal Two
10:00AM Breakfast: Burrito
Ingredients: One wheat wrap, two hard boiled eggs (diced), 1/2 avocado, lots of cracked black pepper and sea salt.
Directions: Combine hard boiled eggs and avocado in a bowl, mashing and mixing together until a creamy consistency is achieved. Top with lots of cracked pepper and sea salt and spoon on to the wheat wrap. Wrap it up like you’ve see it done at Chipolte, nice and tight. Be generous with that avocado, it doesn’t extra in your own kitchen!!!
Storage: Lay flat in a pint size Ziploc baggie.
Why it works: Between the eggs and the avocado, this meal is high fat content so it keeps you full. It’s easy to eat while you walk to work, or if you’re already at the office, it’s relativity odor free. Don’t be that person.
Meal Three
1:00PM Lunch: Roasted Kale and Shredded Chicken
Ingredients: Kale, chicken breast, salt, pepper, other seasons of choice
Directions: For the kale, heat oven up to 350 degrees. Massage kale with olive oil and arrange on roasting pan evenly. Top with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 10 minutes just before they start to crips. For the chicken, toss spices of choice evenly over chicken and place in a crock pot on high for four hours. Shred with two forks and toss again with additional spices.
Storage: Combine chicken and kale mixture.
Meal Four
4:30pm Afternoon Snack: Apple with Peanut Butter and/or Skinny Pop, other ideas include nuts, or chopped veggies.
Meal Five
8:00pm Zoodles with Creamy Avocado and Spinach Sauce
Ingredients: Zucchini and the secret sauce.
Directions: Spiralize or chop your zoodles, make sauce, combine and enjoy. You can sautee these if you prefer, but I like to keep them crisp.
Storage: Individually package sauce and zoodles, combine when ready to eat.
Why it works: Fibrous veggies are a satisfying way to end the day. The sauce makes the meal feel hearty and I usually add some sautéed shrimp or shredded chicken for protein.
There you have it. An easy way to prep, package and store your meals for the week. Give it a try, experiment and find what works best for you!
So here’s the deal. This post is sponsored by Ziploc®. They gave me product to use for my meal prep, but I wouldn’t actually use it unless it was a good product that got the job done. While this post is sponsored, it’s legit. Trust!
Feature image via Gymaholic.
[…] being so fit and all Nike Master Trainer like, recently posted a post about meal prepping. Here’s the thing: the post was sponsored by Ziploc. Even though I hate Katy #TeamTayor I […]