#40: Food Prep 101 for Busy People Who Like to Eat

FOOD PREP 101 FOR BUSY PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO EAT

WHY FOOD PREP IS SO HELPFUL

• The food we surround ourselves with is the food we’re most likely to eat.
• Restaurants make it harder to make healthy choices. Restaurants WANT you to feel like you’re making healthy choices (nudge nudge wink wink)
• We are ALL busy! Food prep makes eating well even more convenient than “running and grabbing something”!
• It removes anxiety and stress around what you’re going to do for meals. It takes food off your brain!
• Even though you spend more on groceries, there is a HUGE cost savings to this since you will (hopefully!) be eating out much less!
• It helps to make sure you’re getting good variety in your diet. The average American eats only about 11 foods (whoa!).

THE “CHIPOTLE STYLE” FOOD PREP APPROACH:

When most people think of food or meal prep, they think of those little containers with compartments that ALL contain the same foods. It does NOT have to be this way!

1) Cook basic ingredients that can be combined into a variety of different meals and macro combinations.

• Proteins
• Veggies (we do a ton of frozen!)
• Nutrient dense starchy foods (root veggies, rice, beans)
• Fresh veggies (salad, cut up raw veggies)
• Fresh fruit
• Breakfast casserole or egg muffin cups

2) Switch up the basics from one week to the next.

3) Be sure to have plenty of fun “extras’ on hand:

• Condiments
• Fresh herbs
• Spices

4) Do 2 food prep sessions per week, 1 on the weekend and one shorter one mid-week to refresh your proteins

TROUBLE SHOOTING Q&A:

1. How do I know how much food to buy and cook? Think 4-5 oz of protein per meal for adults and 2-4 oz for kids

1. How do I get myself to actually DO it? Get it in the calendar and set up some rewards!

1. What if my kids or partner don’t like the food I cook? If you use the Chipotle style, everyone can customize their own meals according to their preferences!

1. Do I have to cook for the whole week? No, in fact this isn’t a good idea for both boredom and health reasons (especially with meat).

1. What if I get bored with the food I prepped? It’s important to be creative with the basic components AND the flavorful extras to avoid boredom. It’s so easy to get in a rut and then throw in the towel!

1. Can I store my food in plastic containers? Only store raw veggies in plastic. Don’t reheat in plastic or store hot food or acidic food in plastic. Square or oblong glass containers with lids are ideal!

• If I want to start eating higher quality protein sources, where do I find it?

• Ranchers
• Farmers markets
• Health food stores
• butcherbox.com

NOTE: For the highest quality, look for grass fed AND grass finished beef and lamb, organic pastured poultry and eggs, pastured pork, and wild caught fish.

We’d love to know your thoughts. Was this helpful? Do you have other topics you’d like to hear us discuss? Let us know on our MYB Facebook page!

xo,

Lisa and Jenny, co-hosts

The Mind Your Body Podcast