How To Meal Prep For Success: By Coach Alex Sheppard

22
May

How To Meal Prep For Success: By Coach Alex Sheppard

I am a BIG supporter of meal prep, heck, I’ve built a business around it. I say that I am a personal chef, but really I meal prep for people. We all would love to have someone cook for us (myself included) but it isn’t possible for everyone so you need to get in the kitchen yourself! I know it may feel daunting at first, but the more you spend time in your kitchen, the more comfortable you will be and the faster you will get.

I personally meal prep every week. Most weeks I cook on Sunday in one large chunk. I strive to cook Sunday because it is a slow day and allows me to be prepared for the week. Every once in a while I don’t have time on Sunday so I do a few smaller chunks of cooking on Monday or Tuesday. Just because you don’t cook on Sunday doesn’t mean you have to write it off as a defeat. Everyone is different- maybe it works better for you to do two smaller chunks. My advice is to play around with different things to see what works best for your schedule.

Benefits to Meal Prep

  1. Cheaper than eating out
  2. You get to control what you eat
  3. Allows you to control the quality of food
  4. Keeps you healthy
  5. Allows you to be prepared so you aren’t left feeling starving and reaching for unhealthy options

I know it may sound like a lot if you aren’t used to it. The first week or so may be a bit tough, but the more you practice the better and faster you will be! Think about cooking a few different proteins, a bunch of different veggies, maybe a grain if you are into that, and for sure a couple of different greens. I also suggest having lots of different fresh citrus and herb, maybe a dressing or two to add different flavors to your food so you don’t feel you are eating the same thing every day. Keeps it interesting. You COULD spend a little extra time and pre pack meals in individual containers. That way you can grab n’ go in the morning. I personally leave each food in separate containers so I can mix and match as the week goes.

Tips for Meal Prepping

  • If you are using recipes, read everything first! You’ll get a better sense of what you are cooking and how you can multitask.
  • Turn on the oven right away.
  • Wash all produce after turning on the oven.
  • Cook thicker veggies first as they take longer.
  • To avoid large messes clean as you go and use the containers that will hold your meals as bowls.
  • Set timers! If cooking more than one thing at a time (which I HIGHLY recommend), set timers as it is easy to get distracted.
  • If you want to see some of Alex’s simple meal prep recipes head over to her website.