Hey there reader,
Today I want to talk about the top reason people don't start (or continue with) meal prep. Can you guess what it is? Yep, no time!
I've been at the meal prep game since 2010, and I've worked with MANY MANY people from all walks of life, and I can't tell you the number of times people have said to me, "Tammy, I wish I had that kind of time" or "I'm too busy to meal prep."
I get it; we're all busy.
However, if there's one thing I've learned throughout my weight loss journey, it's this --> if somethings important, you make it a priority; if it's not, you make an excuse.
Listen, I know it's hard to build new habits, but if eating healthier foods is important to you, meal prep must be a priority.
Also, I think many of us make the beast bigger than it is. Meaning we believe it will take longer than it does or more complicated than it is.
Sometimes we just need to do it and keep doing it, so we become more confident.
Yes, meal prep will take some effort and 2-3 hours of your time, but it'll save more time than that during the week. It will also significantly reduce your stress.
It's essential to see the bigger picture.
Those 3 hours on a Sunday morning will make a substantial positive impact throughout the week.
👉 You'll know what to eat every day
👉 Food will be ready
👉 You won't need to do much cooking if any.
👉 After work, you can focus on other things besides dinner.
Here are time-saving tips that'll help you breeze through weekly meal prep.
Use convenience items.
Don't feel like you need to make everything from scratch. It's okay to take shortcuts with store-bought convenience foods. There are many high-quality items available to make our meal prep lives easier.
Convenience items I purchase for meal prep recipes are:
- Jarred spaghetti sauce.
- Canned beans.
- Rotisserie Chicken.
- Bagged/pre-washed greens.
- Cleaned and chopped vegetables
- Prepared hummus.
There are many convenience food items you can purchase, but these are the ones I use most often. See the complete list of convenience items I use here.
Order groceries online.
Truthfully, I can't tell you the last time I did an entire shopping session at the grocery store.
I do most of my pantry shopping at Thrive Market and get high-quality meats from Butcher Box.
Thrive Market is an online grocery store that offers organic and natural foods at reasonable prices. The products they offer are comparable to Whole Foods but more affordable. I'm celiac, so I can't have gluten, Thrive Market is an excellent option for gluten-free brands.
You can also find many Keto, Paleo, or Whole30 items to fit those eating styles. You can read my Thrive Market review for more information and some price comparisons.
Thrive Market is offering OYS readers 25% off their first order. Get the coupon here.
Butcher Box is an online meat delivery service that offers high-quality organic meat, chicken, pork, and seafood. I order a large custom box every couple of months and then plan meals around that. Butcher Box meats and seafood are delicious and some of the best I ever had.
Butcher Box has new subscriber deals all of of the time. See their latest deal here.
I love the convenience of having groceries delivered. It saves me hours every week. If you struggle to get to the grocery store, I highly recommend giving online grocery shopping a try.
Stock your freezer.
I save time every week by taking a day once a month or so to stock my freezer with basics, snacks, and meals.
For example, I'll make double batches of chicken quesadilla kits, pizza kits, meatloaves, meatball sub kits, buffalo chicken sub kits, and other dinner kits, so I don't have to worry about dinners every week. See more dinner freezer recipes here.
I'll also make breakfast burritos, steel-cut oats, and baked oatmeal for breakfast during the month. See more breakfast freezer meals here.
If I have time (and energy), I'll prepare energy bites or muffins for snacks. See more freezer snacks here.
When I have a stocked freezer, I only need to worry about lunches and other little things during this week. This is a huge time saver.
As you can see, there are ways you can fit meal prep into your schedule without it taking up your whole day.
With that said, I think it's essential to look at meal prep not as something that's a burden or hassle but instead as a welcome strategy to help you eat healthier, reduce stress, and make life better.
Sure it might take a little extra effort and some time on Sunday, but the result is entirely worth it.
Talk to you soon!
Tammy
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