The reality is when approaching changes to body composition, be that body fat loss or muscle gain, diet is key.
Whilst activity and resistance training are the most efficient and healthy way to achieve these kind of physique based goals, the equation stays the same: CALORIES IN vs CALORIES OUT.
This therefore means that body weight is only amendable through the implementation of a calorie deficit or surplus to your maintenance, depending on what your goal may be. Alongside this, the quality and macro-nutritional value of the food you consume will also contribute to your body composition, with protein as a fine example, aiding the body's muscle growth & repair mechanisms.
It can often prove difficult, however, to manage your nutritional intake consistently around a busy work and family lifestyle. This is where meal prepping comes in. By preparing your food in advance to the time you consume it, you can prepare exactly what you want to eat, in line with your goals, and have it available to consume when required.
A common misconception in the fitness world however, is that these meals need to be bland , boring and tasteless. Bone dry chicken and broccoli dishes come to mind...
THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE THE CASE.
See below my top tips when approaching your meal preparation:
1) MAKE IT TASTY
- The only way you're going to stick to your plan is if you enjoy the process. Season your meat, mix in some spices, and give yourself the best experience for each portion you produce.
2) MIX IT UP
- Realistically if you repeat one meal regularly, whatever the nutritional value, it's going to lose it's appeal. Switch up what meals you pre cook and alternate them each week, if you don't you'll probably develop a reluctance towards these meals and veer yourself off track.
3) HOME COOK YOUR FAVOURITES
- We're all partial to a takeaway here and there, but these meals are very hard to track and more often than not, very high in unhealthy oils, fats and salts. However, many of these are very easy to make from home, with fresh ingredients, tweaked to your macro requirements.One table spoon of olive oil for example, can amount to nearly 100 calories! By switching this out for 1 cal spray you can instantly reduce your calorie intake for that meal. Or swapping to 5% fat burgers as opposed to normal beef burgers, mozzarella instead of cheddar - these are just some examples, if you
'd like more nutritional cooking tips drop me a message!
4) MAX OUT ON VEGGIES
- If you're worried you might not be full up on your pre cooked meals, whack in as many vegetables as you can into whatever meal it may be. This way you'll not only boost your micro-nutritional intake, but they'll also satisfy your hunger effectively, with very slight calorie intake. Courgettes, aubergine, peppers and mushrooms are some of my favourites!
I hope these help sway the myth of bland tasteless meal prep and give you inspiration towards managing your diet, what
ever it may consist of.
If you're still not sure how to approach your diet and feel like you'd like some structure and guidance, get in touch today! I offer full nutritional programming within my online coaching and I'd love to help.
Comments