Why I don’t meal prep…
In the fitness industry MEAL PREP is something that is talked about…
A LOT.
As the only way to be able to stay accountable to your diet and calorie requirements. Now don’t get me wrong it can be a very handy tool to help you stay on track with your nutrition. It can save you time, it takes the choice on the day out the equation as you already have the food prepped and ready to go. You also have to be a lot of Tupperware.
But let me tell you a little secret…
I don’t meal prep and here is why.
The reason I don’t meal prep is not because I think it doesn’t work or I have an issue with it. As I mentioned before there are some very valid reasons to have a lot of food prepared 2/3 days in advance. However I prefer to prepare my food on the day or the day before at a push. This is because I like my food fresh and I like cooking so I don’t find it a chore or hassle.
When I get up in the morning I will make my breakfast, usually some for of eggs and my greens smoothie. Then on my lunch break I make and have lunch and generally prepare dinner at the same time unless my Wife is doing it that day. Sometimes I will have left over dinner for lunch the next day as we I don’t like wasting food either.
Obviously this approach requires more time to prepare/cook and if you don’t have that time at your disposal then food prep might be a more appropriate way of keep your eating on point. Just make sure you have plenty of variety in their to stop you from getting bored and reverting back to your old ways. This is when you forget to prep one Sunday night and you eat anything and everything for the next few days.
To meal prep or not?
It comes down to:
Time – Do you have enough time to cook your food fresh on the day
Cooking Skills – Can you cook and do enjoy the process or just want it done
Variety – Are you happy eating the same things all the time or do you like variety
You need to find what works for you, it might be one or the other maybe even a mixture of both.
All we need to know is that controlling your food intake by thinking about things like protein, carbohydrate and fat intake can really help you reach your health and fitness goals.
