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Food Prep It's Easier Than You Think!

Arnold

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Food Prep It's Easier Than You Think!

Where do you get time to prepare your food? You must be in the kitchen for hours, How do you do it? Those are the two most common questions that I get asked. My answer is??It?s simple, and it doesn?t take me long at all.? I honestly spend about 1 to 1.5 hours in my kitchen every Sunday preparing my meals for the week. Yep, that?s right, 1 to 1.5 hours. I?m kidding right? Not at all. Let me explain how my food prep is quick and easy. You just have to micro-manage your time and be disciplined in doing so. Here is a quick sample of what a week?s worth of preparation looks like:

Protein (Chicken)

I preheat my oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. After removing all of the fat from my boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I cut it up into small pieces. After cutting the chicken, I wash it all off with water. I then lay my chicken pieces on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil and season it. (15-20 min). I then place the chicken into the oven and bake the chicken anywhere from 29- 32 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the juices run clear. This will alter a little depending on how much chicken you are cooking, and how big of chunks you cut it up into. The cooking time should roughly be the same. (30 minutes).

*All the rest is done while the chicken is baking*

Protein (Liquid Egg Whites)

I next move on to preparing my pasteurized liquid egg whites for the week. I have all of my shakers ready to be filled with the desired amount of egg whites. I then carefully measure out the correct amounts and store the shakers in the fridge. (2-3 minutes).

Oatmeal (Complex Carbohydrate)

Next step is to prepare my oatmeal for the week. Once again, I have the desired amount of shakers for the meals planned, and measure out the amount of oatmeal needed for caloric purposes. I then add fresh ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon) to the oatmeal (4 shakers for me) and then add 1 scoop of Whey protein and fresh ground cinnamon to the other shakers (2 for me). I will then add water to the oatmeal shakers when needed, and let the oats get soggy. This is a quick meal when you are in a bind for time. I can down a shaker in about 2 minutes, and still be happy knowing in such a short period of time I have had a nutritious meal and have stuck to my nutritional plan. You can always change up your carbohydrate selections.
This is just the easiest for me with my work schedule. (5-6 minutes).

Vegetables

I usually eat fresh vegetables, so the only prep work I need is to wash and cut them up. I tend to stick with broccoli, peppers, carrots, mushrooms and celery. (10-15 minutes).

** I now get out all of my plastic containers to put my chicken and vegetables in for the week. I also have a food scale and measuring cup handy, so that I will be able to measure out the correct portions that I need. This process may take another 10-12 minutes. I will then start to wash my dishes and put them away. (10 more minutes).

** I also supplement with multi-vitamins and EFA?s throughout the course of the day, to achieve maximum nutritional benefits.

That?s about an hour. Some areas may take a little longer, in cases of making more amounts of food, more peeling and cutting veggies, or just simply preparing to season your food, or add a little of this, or a little of that. The main thing is to try and stay on course while doing this and not get distracted. This is easier said than done, trust me, I know, I have 2 little ones at home that require constant supervision. Nonetheless, it is definitely something that everyone can do. It might seem like a lot of work at the beginning, but think about all the time you will save during the week. I have prepared anywhere from 50-55 meals for the week, depending on how I space my meals apart, and have done it within the time frame of 1-1.5 hours.

I am also saving on other things. You save TIME, the number one advantage. You also save money on water (washing all dishes at once, washing all food at once, as well as gas and electricity (saving by making all of your food at one time). Preparing in bulk is the way to go. I understand that my meals may appear bland to some, but that is something everyone can tailor to their own likings. This works for me, so I will stick with it. You can always alter proteins, carbs, veggies, and seasonings to switch things up, so experiment with it. This type of preparation takes all of the guess work out of eating and cooking for the work week. When you are tired from work and your workout, the last thing you want to do is go home and make your dinner. This is where many of us fall into the pit of eating something fast. Catching something on the way home or ordering delivery will only throw you off course. Stay mentally strong, and stick to your nutrition plan.
 
I have a hard time eating any fast food after getting in the habit of prepping similar to what he posted above, its tough to justify the cost, especially for a larger family. We used to prep only our meals, now we prep for the entire family (kids), so they will hopefully end up turning that style of healthy eating into a habit and will come natural to them as the get out on their own.

The only times i ever mess up my calories/macros, is when i havent prepped food. Also, absolutely hands down i believe its the most important part of health and fitness... which i know is a dead horse.. but still!
 
Good post. I do it similarly with the chicken, and cook brown rice and a dark green veggie (brocolli, green beans) and just put everything in containers on Sundays. Easy to grab and go at that point, and quick re-heats if you have a busy work schedule.

With the oatmeal, cinnamon and a couple of splenda packets does the trick. I'll also do 3 days worth at a time and toss into small containers. Love it.
 
On Sundays I usually cook enough beef for the week to have it for breakfast, lunch and mid afternoon. I usually eat chicken or eggs (whole) for dinner. I also steam up around 5lbs of broccoli and kale for my daytime meals. I always stop eating 2 hours before bedtime. I put my meals in individual plastic containers (along with a scoop of peanut butter) and throw them into my little igloo and off to work I go.
 
It takes several hours for me to meal prep on Sunday is my meal prep day, but then it's easy during the week because I just heat up and go.
 
a week old cooked chicken sounds like a bad idea to me :(

I usually spend an hour or so on sundays prepping my meat and then vac pack them for fridge and freezer.

I'll only cook 48 hours ahead, and a fresh dinner every night.
 
Agreed. I wouldn't eat chicken or any other animal products after day 4 to be on the safe side.
 
I prep for about an hour a day. I make breakfast for tuesday on Monday around lunch time and have 1/3 of that for lunch. The other 2/3rds are for the old lady and myself on Tuesday. She is in charge of dinner prep. I prefer my food relatively fresh so I don't pre-cook more than a day in advance.
 
I like to do stir fry. Just wish I had a huge wok.
 
I eat beef and chicken up to a week after its been cooked. And iv yet to get sick from it


Nice article!! Ppl will always find time to bitch and turn around and say "I don't have time to cook all my food". Wile they watch TV. Lol
 
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