Why You Should Prep Your Meals

By Shaina Eldredge on January 31, 2018

Have you ever thought, “I need to save money and lose weight, I wish there was a way to do both.” You’ve probably considered just cutting back on eating out and going through the drive-through. You take a few sandwiches to lunch every day, skip breakfast because you don’t feel like waking up early enough to make yourself something to eat, and snack on some candy bars some people passed around the office earlier in the day. But to be honest, this strategy will drive you insane.

Sure, you’re saving money; until Thursday comes and you decide to “treat yourself” to the cafe next door and suddenly the weekend has taken your money. I’m about to share with you the best life hack you will ever learn: meal prep.

via Pixabay.com

 

Meal prepping is like making your own microwave dinner. You spend a couple of hours on one day in the week to feed yourself for the next seven days. I usually plan out my meals (as well as their calories and macronutrients) on a Friday for the next two weeks, and then on Saturdays I prep my meals for the upcoming week.

Times vary based on my cooking method (slow cooking vs stovetop cooking), but this last Saturday I only spent between 3 and 4 hours making food to last me the whole week. I prepped breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Monday through Friday, as well as portioning out my snacks for in between meals. That’s fifteen meals and ten snacks. In four hours.

Isn’t that insane?? Not to mention this saves you money, too, and not just because you aren’t eating out. I grocery shop twice a month, every other week. For two weeks of prep, I spend around $100. That’s $50 a week. If you’re still doing the math, that averages to about two dollars for each meal and snack. How much do you spend on one lunch at that cafe next door? I highly doubt you could get a full, delicious lunch there for only two dollars.

I know, it’s crazy. And I’m being serious! I always rejected the idea of meal prepping because what I want for dinner always changes, but every week I use different recipes for different meals and I find myself getting excited to eat my adorably prepped and packaged meal. Spend a couple of hours on your next off day to make healthier decisions for your body and for your wallet.

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