Taking the Stress Out of Meal Planning and Staying On Track With Your Weight Loss Goals
Can’t understand why you are putting on those extra pounds? You feel like you are doing everything right – eating well, exercising but can’t figure out WHY your metabolism hasn’t gotten the message! We hear this story all the time and find with our thorough blood work we can uncover causes and identify your obstacles. No two people are alike so your treatment will be individualized to your body type, lifestyle and any imbalances your labs reveal.
Knowing what to eat can be stressful when you are on a weight loss journey, and the temptation to stray can be strong. A long day at work can quickly turn into take out on the way home. Reading labels, counting macros, and trying new recipes can be a time consuming part of your already busy life. The best strategy for staying on track is preparation. Having healthy meals on hand that are easy to prepare takes the stress out of mealtime.
Meal Preparation
The most effective way to stay on any diet is through meal prep. This is the practice of planning all your meals at the beginning of the week, and then making them ahead of time. While it takes more work and effort to prepare, the pay off will be worth it. Meal prep allows you to have a week’s worth of healthy meals at your fingertips.
There are several ways to prepare meals in advance. One way is to make entire meals that you store in the freezer and cook as needed. Ideal meals would be stews, soups, or even vegetable casseroles. This method is good for family meals in the evening. A variation of this is batch cooking, which is the same concept except that you portion the meals into individual servings before freezing. This method is good when you need to take a healthy meal on the go or you are eating for one. You can also meal prep a week’s worth of foods in single serve containers like mason jars. This method is good for lunches and can include recipes like salads with dressing on the side, soups, and stews. You can even use this method for breakfast by making overnight oats and fruit parfaits.
Here are three quick meal prep ideas:
Mason Jar Southwest Salad: In a mason jar, layer vegetables like corn, diced bell pepper, green chilis, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, and onions. Add in a healthy protein for a balanced meal. Add in your favorite healthy dressing on the side to complete this salad.
Overnight Apple Pie Oats: Soak ½ cup rolled oats with 1 cup almond or coconut milk in a mason jar overnight. Add in diced apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and a splash of maple syrup for a creamy apple pie flavor.
Make Ahead Tortilla Soup: Combine 32 ounces of vegetable stock with 1 can each of black beans, refried beans, diced tomatoes, and corn. Add in 4 oz of green chilis, 1 cup cooked brown rice, and 1 cup salsa. For some added flavor, stir in 2 tablespoons of all natural taco seasoning. Don’t heat, just ladle into freezer-friendly containers for cooking at a later time.
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