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Meal Prep Tips

One of the best ways to eat healthy and save time is to prep as much food as possible in advance.

This means chopping vegetables, cooking grains, and perhaps even portioning out meals ahead of time.

It may seem like a lot of work upfront, but it will pay off in the long run. When you have healthy ingredients already prepped and ready to go, it’s much easier to make healthy choices throughout the week.

You’ll be less likely to order takeout or eat unhealthy convenience foods. And when you do have to cook, the process will be much quicker and easier.

Pick a day of the week and take 1-2 hours of your time to prepare your meals for the week. This makes eating on the go or when you are short on time very easy!

Breakfast

  1. Scramble 2 eggs per day you are prepping for and cook in grass fed butter. Cook 2 cups of plain oats and portion out. Slice a bell pepper for each day. I love the glass bento boxes (https://a.co/ak27jZq) to fill with scrambled eggs, plain cooked oats (I like to add a spoonful of almond butter: ingredients just almonds), and a sliced bell pepper (I love yellow or orange the best). 
  2. Overnight oats. There are lots of good recipes and options! Grab a mason jar and fill with 1/2 cup plain oats, 1/2 cup almond milk (or your choice of milk). From there, you can add berries & sliced bananas; yogurt, raisins & cinnamon; any kind of nuts. You could even go savory and add mushrooms & green onions. One recipe:

https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/recipe-favorite-overnight-oats/?fbclid=IwAR3k9XTcEYtAsDxhQet069nAICh8PfWMOBKcAZF5YAhmpIf8dsP1zPjiXyM

Lunch & dinner

  1. I still love the glass bento containers. Pick a protein: grill a bunch of chicken, beef or fish. Cook plain rice, roast potatoes or sweet potatoes. Roast some vegetables and you have a complete meal! To roast potatoes or veggies, grab a large tray: spread them out and douse with olive oil, salt & pepper. Add any spices you wish! Roast at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Once it’s in the oven, it’s very hands off!
  2. Make a crockpot recipe and separate it out into containers. Here are some good options: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/wprm_category/slow-cooker/
  3. Burrito bowls: cook a bunch of white or brown rice; grill chicken; saute bell peppers and onions. Put together in a container and add salsa (only with ingredients you can pronounce) and/or avocado on top.

The biggest advice I will say is when you cook, always cook extra food! It makes life a lot easier to have healthy food on hand. 

If you would like more personalized nutrition help, email our expert Sean at sean@ironjungle.fit

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