How many times do you feel like you want to eat well and enjoy your food but you just don’t know what to make? Or you want to enjoy your food but the time-consuming task of cooking or meal prepping overwhelms you.
I get it. I’ve been there. And I have a lot of clients who struggle with this as well. You’re not alone in this, but also know that it doesn’t have to be so hard!
When I started eating healthy, cooking at home most of the time, and meal prepping, it was fun! I really enjoyed it. Until I had been doing it for a while and it became one of the most time-consuming and overwhelming things. Once I had been cooking every meal for months, it started to feel like a chore instead of something that I enjoyed. Especially once I started working from home, running my own business, and was busy a lot of the time! Who has time to cook that much? I was struggling, so I started to change some things in hopes of finding an easier, less time-consuming way to eat well.
One of the most helpful changes that I made was not cooking every single meal. Instead, I started to cook bigger meals or prep larger amounts of food that I could re-heat for meals.
This helps so much because instead of feeling like you have to cook something different for every meal, you can just pick some yummy leftovers to heat up. This takes away a lot of pressure and also cuts down on cooking time. I want you to know that it is okay to eat a lot of the same foods in a week if it helps you with cooking/meal prepping. You do not have to cook something new for every single meal.
I think that a lot of times we feel like we have to be perfect or go above and beyond when we’re working on our health or incorporating healthy habits, but you do not have to be perfect. You are allowed to incorporate the changes and habits that fit your lifestyle and your time availability.
If this sounds like something that would be helpful for you but you just don’t know what to make, I’m going to give you some of my favourites. But also, please feel free to reach out if you need more help with this!
Most weeks I cook a large pot of jasmine rice or quinoa, a large pack of chicken, a large pack of ground beef, and also prep a large bowl of salad. These are easy things to have on hand that we enjoy. The chicken and beef can be used for rice bowls, an entrée, tacos, or even toppings for a salad or a pizza. The rice or quinoa can be used for bowls, sides, tacos, or toppings on a salad. I try to cook a variety of things that will go well together and that can be used for many different things.
When you’re starting out with meal prep, don’t forget to cook large amounts; try to pick things that go together; don’t be afraid to eat a lot of the same things and don’t forget that you do not have to be perfect! You are worthy of enjoying the foods that you love, enjoying the process of prepping and cooking, and never feeling like you have to do it all. Now go enjoy your food this week – it is your friend!
Abby Horst
A podcaster, wife, health/wellness coach, beach lover, and musician. She specialises in nutrition education, meal planning, and developing sustainable habits. She passionately works with her patients to help them build healthier and happier relationships with food, exercise, and themselves.
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