Do you find yourself scrambling to figure out what to bring to work for lunch, or how to make use of what’s in your fridge to avoid food waste? This can easily be solved creating a nutritious, controllable, and stress-free food environment if you simply start meal prepping once or twice a week. Most people think that it is time-consuming when they could be doing something else on their much needed weekend but these three surprising benefits will actually give you downtime during the week instead of only on the weekend!
If you are trying to follow a strict diet or healthy eating plan but often find yourself failing, then meal prepping will eliminate the stress of trying to find foods that fit into whatever parameters you are following. You can look up recipes and plans that tell you what foods to buy for the week and turn them into healthy meals. This way you meet whatever dietary needs you need, without having to go to various restaurants which may not have the healthy choices you want which can lead to unhealthy ones. Portion control is also an added feature, so you can avoid over or undereating.
Save Time
Most people assume that meal planning takes a lot of time, but if you dedicate a Sunday afternoon to shopping and preparing your meals for the week you actually end up saving time. In the morning you just grab your pre-packed lunch. When you arrive home you grab what you have prepared for dinner. There is no indecision about what to make, or having to buy groceries as you have already done so. So, sit back, warm up dinner, and relax.
Eliminate Food Waste
Nobody enjoys seeing the fruits and vegetables in the fridge go to waste because you forgot to cook or bake them. It is not a great feeling to throw away food that was perfectly edible up until a couple of days ago. With meal prepping literally every foodstuff you buy has a purpose in an associated recipe. That rotisserie chicken you made tacos with will also be used to create a soup or the can of chickpeas you used half off will be roasted and the other half used to make hummus. There is no need for food waste with meal planning, so you will also save money by eating everything you buy.