Module 1.4: Meal Prepping

THREE ACTION STEPS

  1. Go to a farmer's market or local store to buy fresh produce for the week ahead.

  2. Print out Meal Prepping Tips and organise pantry/fridge with new food items.

  3. Put aside 1hr (minimum) to do meal prepping for the week 1 recipes.

Prep your way to success!

You may have been for a shop and you may have even done some meal prepping and planning for the week ahead.

BUT, if you haven't started please don't panic. Don't forget my motto: "Progress, not perfection".

There's no rush, gradual changes can be just as effective as big, sudden ones.

If you are keen to try some of my delicious, weight loss recipes this week, why not take your first step and do a food shop. You can take a look at my Smart Shopping Guide to help you get underway.

The next stage will be prepping your food and meals. In this module I share with you my top tips for meal prepping and planning, along with a printable Meal Prepping Guide, to get you started.

“Just 60 minutes of meal prepping can be the difference between a frazzled week and a calm week, and it can make or break your weight loss efforts.”
— Amy, Mummy Mojo

 MODULE 1.4: MEAL PREPPING

Meal Prepping Tips & Tricks

Why should you start meal prepping?

On any given weeknight in my household, there is a flurry of activity. Lunchboxes are being unpacked, papers from teachers are being signed, guitar, tennis or dance practice is happening, the kids, especially my hungry teenage son, are asking when dinner's ready.

All the while, I am dodging and weaving between my family members, trying to get dinner on the table before my son has eaten all the snacks in the cupboard!

It's far from relaxing... Can anyone else relate?

Meal prepping saves you time and money, and by ensuring you have healthy meals to eat on a daily basis, it helps you stick to your Weight Loss Meal Plan.

Overcoming desicion fatigue

It helps with “decision fatigue” too. Many of you experience action-packed days like I do, and these series of decision-making sessions can leave you exhausted and delete your willpower. Decision fatigue can make you more likely to lounge on the couch and order takeout after work than hit the gym and cook a wholesome meal.

By deciding on all your meals in advance, meal prepping reduces decision fatigue and frees up some of your willpower, helping you stay on track with your diet and your other health-related goals.

I believe sustainable meal planning all comes down to effective meal prepping. I like to do my meal prep on a Sunday as it takes that level of stress from code red down to a more tolerable green.

The basic premise is: make the grocery list, shop for the week’s groceries (we go to the local farmer's market), and do some meal planning and preparing (put my meal planner up on the fridge and chop veggies, make a batch of quinoa, activate seeds and nuts).

If you can schedule this in on Sunday before the week begins, and when you have a chunk of time, it will help ease the weeknight chaos.

Meal-prepping will help you stay on course with the healthy eating habits.

And while meal prepping does take some commitment, the time you spend up front prepping is less than what you'd collectively spend prepping meals before or after busy workdays.

But please don't fret if your Sundays are busy, and you find it a difficult day to do meal-prepping for the week. You can do it one evening during the week, or make bigger batches of the recipes you enjoy to go in the freezer, and to eat on a day that doesn’t allow time for cooking dinner or lunch.

I encourage you to try this healthy meal-prep challenge to receive all the benefits the weight loss program has to offer.

5 Steps for Successful Meal Prepping

1. Clean out your fridge

The first step towards successful meal prep is to get rid of foods in your fridge, freezer, and pantry that aren’t serving your health. To start, you eliminate unhealthy foods and potentially problematic foods for 28 days. The 28-Day Summer Body Meal Plan diet is specifically designed to reduce inflammation, eliminate toxins from the body —in addition to improving your overall health and reducing weight.

2. Plan your meals

Plan your meals. Take a pen and paper and figure out what you need for the coming week, referring to the 28-Day Summer Body Meal Plan recipes and shopping list. Consider meals, drinks and snacks needed for the rest of your family. Once you’ve laid out your meal plan for the week, display it in a place where everyone in your household can see it.

3. Restock your fridge & pantry

Go for the shop and restock your pantry and freezer with healthy staples, proteins, healthy fats, nuts, spices, fruits, and vegetables.

4. Pre-prepare some meals

Do 1-2 hours of meal-prep. Make your meals for Monday (always a tricky day). Chop a batch of veggies and fruit for the week ahead. Roast veggies and cook cruciferous vegetables. Hard-boil eggs for snacks and salads. Cook some brown rice. Whip up some dips like pesto and hummus to use all week long. Pack the (staples) lunch boxes for the kids.

5. Store carefully

Once you’ve prepped your meals, you’ll need containers for storing everything. Since plastic containers contain toxic chemicals that are known endocrine disruptors, I prefer people use glass storage dishes with BPA-free lids.

Week 1 Meal Planner

​I’ve included small, healthy snacks because waiting too long between meals can lead to a crash in energy and blood sugar levels – and you are more likely to reach for sugar, fat, or caffeine to keep your energy up.

The meal plans are ideal for those who like to follow guidelines and enjoy not having to think about what to cook – for busy mums this can be invaluable.

However, as long as you choose some recipes from this book and generally follow the 28-Day Summer Body food and drink guidelines you will benefit greatly.

The recipes for the drinks, meals and snacks that you need to complete your first week are included in this easy-to-read meal planner.

I encourage you to put it up on your fridge, and take a copy to work so that you are reminded and inspired to keep on the 28-Day Summer Body Meal Plan.

The first week of recipes are aimed at giving your digestive system a break with simple, easy to digest smoothies, salads, and meals that are satisfying and will help ward off cravings.