As many of you know – from Ashley’s post here – we are both working with a macros nutritionist/trainer. She is singlehandedly helping us take back our health. I can honestly say, since working with her, I haven’t had one migraine, I feel so much less tired, and I know I am on the road to having my healthiest pregnancy yet. As Ashley talked about, it can be hard to hit the right amount of macros every day, but by adding a little bit of meal prep into your weekly routine, it is easy to set yourself up for nutritional success.
Emily’s Top 5 Meal Prep Tips:
Egg/Egg White Cups:
Breakfast, for me, used to be the hardest meal of the day to get right. I would leave my house between 4:30 and 4:45am, and by 7am I was reaching for whatever was around, and whatever sounded good at the time. That lead to a lot of bad food decisions. As with all things, preparation is key – so this is how I now meal prep my breakfasts for success. I make egg cups and egg white cups. They’re SO SO SO simple. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, spray a muffin tin with cooking spray, scramble some eggs – or egg whites for egg white cups, and pour the eggs in the muffin tin. I like mine plain, to try and cut back on fat and calories, but add in whatever sounds good to you. Cheese, scallions, bacon, whatever. Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Poof – breakfast in a pinch. You can keep them in the fridge, heat them in the microwave, and eat them whenever you like. They’re delicious and they deliver the protein you need to keep you going throughout the day. As an added bonus – my kids are obsessed with them, and they make breakfasts for them SO much easier as well!
Chop your fruits and veggies:
The main thing that stops me from eating the right amount of fruits and vegetables is that they’re not easily accessible. Who’s with me? So – to fix that problem – I decided I would meal prep all my fruits and veggies into “snack friendly” options. My assistant, CC – Bless her, helps me do this on Mondays. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, carrots, celery, peppers, etc. are all washed, chopped, cut, and placed into containers that I can easily grab on the run. This stops me from snacking on things that I shouldn’t be eating, and instead, replacing them with healthy things that feed me and my baby.
Prep your protein:
This is probably my biggest and best tip. When I used to be hungry – I would automatically reach for carbs. Because… well… they’re easy, they’re satiating, and they just make me feel comforted. <<< Sad, but true. Goldfish/Cheese It aholic – RIGHT HERE! Anyhow – by tracking my meals, I realized I wasn’t getting nearly enough protein and I was eating way too many carbs and fats. So, I remedied this by making delicious tasting protein just as available as carbs used to be. We prep our proteins on Mondays. Garlic shrimp, teriyaki salmon, BBQ chicken breast, everything is pre-proportioned out, and just like the veggies, ready to go.
Salad Dressings are key:
I am someone who loves salads, but I don’t love salad dressings from the store. So we make 3-4 salad dressings on Mondays that last us the week and allow me to create great tasting salads at a moment’s notice. I simply put some mixed greens on a plate. Add in some of the pre-cooked protein, sometimes I’ll sprinkle on some brown rice and pecorino – it just depends. But having various options ensures we never get bored and always have something tasty – and healthy – to eat.
Personal Favorite Recipe: My girlfriend, Holly, made this salad one afternoon for me, and the dressing is now a staple in our house (even if I don’t have time to make the full salad).
Go Container Crazy:
This is huge. Meal prep is just incomplete without the right containers. I love the glass tupperware ones I’ve linked below and I am also obsessed with the smaller snack containers as well. My number one rule is – no matter what you do – set yourself up for success. For meal prep to work for you – the right containers are truly key.
Shop My Meal Prep Must Haves:
