Sep 22

Sep 22 PLAN AHEAD WITH THESE SUNDAY FUNDAY MEAL PREP TIPS

MEAL PREP SUNDAY? MEAL PREP MONDAY? If you are into fitness like me, chances are you have seen these infamous phrases splattered all over Instagram! I know I have! And of course years ago I jumped on that bandwagon. When I originally made the decision to lose weight 3 years ago I decided to teach myself the Weight Watchers Program. I found that the most successful people within this program were those who planned their meals ahead, practiced portion control, AND those who wrote things down whether on this thing called paper OR using a fitness app such as My Fitness Pal App. Once I moved out to Los Angeles I began working several freelance production jobs that simply didn't allow me the time I needed to cook healthy meals, SO I turned to Meal Prepping!

GET MOTIVATED

If you need some motivation to try to Meal Prep for your first time I would start by purchasing some new tupperware! After extensive research I found these microwavable, freezer, and dishwasher safe containers with three dividers! They came in a 10 pack and were on Amazon Prime, so they would ship in no time! These were a perfect fit for me!

For me personally, I love to plan ahead by writing my meals down for the week ahead. This also helps me make a grocery list that is easy to follow and prevents me from over buying or buying a bunch of stuff that will go to waste. I recommend this food planner by Gina Homolka! She has has an incredible cookbook with some amazing recipes called The Skinnytaste and is releasing a new cookbook in October called Skinnytaste Fast and Slow. She can be found on Instagram @Skinnytaste. See my week ahead below!

I like to color coordinate my different meals and workouts! This is a FUN way to stay on TRACK !

BREAKFAST

Boiled Eggs
Overnight Oats
Fruit and Spinach Smoothie

For breakfast I like to switch it up a little bit. If I am working out in the AM right after I wake up I reach for a boiled egg since it is light and full of protein. If I am looking for a sweeter fix I will reach for a mason jar filled with overnight oats. Some days I am on the go and in a rush to work so I will whip up a smoothie with almond milk, spinach (you don't taste it I promise!), and some fruit such as a banana and berries. See below for my favorite Overnight Oats Recipe from Kristin Cavallari's book "Balancing in Heels"!

LUNCH

Trader Joes Pre-Made Salads
Trader Joes Reduced-Guilt Mac and Cheese
La Croix Sparkling Water

For lunch my go-tos are Trader Joes Lemon Chicken & Arugula Salad and their newest salad Roasted Butternut Squash, Red Quinoa, and Wheatberry Salad. I will often pair this with some of the snacks I packed for the day such as hummus and bell pepper. If I am looking for something quick I go for Trader Joes Reduced-Guilt Mac and Cheese. During the summer I tend to crave "refreshing drinks" like a Diet Coke BUT instead I reach for flavored sparkling water. My favorite is La Croix and it can be found in the water aisle at the store! This is a great swap out for soda or as we call it in the Midwest "pop". The refreshing bubbly taste will trick your body into thinking you are drinking a soda but instead you are drinking bubbly water! Yay!

DINNER

Lemon Chicken with broccoli or green beans, sweet potato, & brown rice
Mexican Style Stuffed Bell Pepper with broccoli or green beans
Ground Turkey Tacos with brown rice and black beans

For dinner I try to aim for three different choices a week. This particular week my first dinner was Trader Joes Lemon Pepper Chicken which is so easy to make and gives me enough chicken for about three meals! I pair it with a green veggie such as steamed broccoli or steamed green beans, some sweet potato, and some brown rice. I planned this meal for two different nights. My second meal was a mexican style stuffed bell pepper. I cut the bell pepper in half and also planned to stuff each half for two different nights during the week. I stuffed the bell pepper with Trader Joes Cauliflower Rice (great low-carb substitute for rice), black beans, and ground turkey seasoned with low-sodium taco seasoning. Instead of covering my bell pepper in tomato sauce I whip up a small batch of fresh guacamole and top it off with that! The last meal I make is ground turkey tacos with the leftover ground turkey, black beans, and guacamole from the bell peppers. With this meal I pair it with brown rice.