Meal Prep is one of the best habits that I teach my patients to incorporate into their lives. This includes all HCG Diet patients.

 Food Preparation Can Make or Break A Healthy Lifestyle

If you are anything like me, you put together nearly 21 meals each week along with school lunches for the kids.  Having to do this on the fly, usually does not lead to the most nutrient rich food options.  The most convenient foods to grab in a pinch tend to come in boxes or packages and usually are made in a factory somewhere.  Meal planning can be a task, but it is a rewarding one.  It is a time saver and a stress reducer in the end. All it takes is a little planning and organization and suddenly it actually becomes second nature like any part of your weekly routine.

 

I put on my favorite music twice per week and get busy in my kitchen making lunches to take to the office and for my kiddos to bring to school. On longer days, I make sure dinner is thought out or prepared ahead of time.  I make it FUN!

 

A QUICK EXAMPLE OF SOME SUNDAY FOOD PREP

I put on some really fun music and make myself a nice cup of ginger tea and get busy. Today, I grilled up some chicken breast and made some cauliflower rice.  I also made a giant salad with lots of chopped raw veggies and a nice dish of hummus.  I chopped it up and organized it into some grab and go containers and voila … this is lunch for the next few days.  While the chicken breast was grilling, I got some glass jars and prepped overnight oats for the kids in the morning.   I also got my crock-pot out and prepped a whole chicken and lots of vegetables that would slow cook all day on Monday and be dinner after we got off work and grabbed the kids from after school care at 5:30 pm.  Having dinner ready means more time to play with the kids before bed.  All of this took 2 solid hours and it was well worth every second!

The Best Part of Food Prep is Clean Food on Demand

In my practice as a Naturopathic physician, I facilitate patients in attaining a healthy body composition through diet and lifestyle!  It is an amazingly rewarding job!  One pit fall that so many of my patients make is not being prepared when hunger strikes.  As soon as you get that twinge of hunger, you have about 10-30 minutes before you get TOO hungry and you want the “wrong” food in the “wrong” amounts.  You might go for pizza, fast food, pop tarts, bread … anything.

If you planned ahead, you would have some vegetables, clean proteins, salad, a side dish and maybe even a healthy treat available at your fingertips.

Food prep means that you get healthy, nutritious meals every day. You avoid food that is packaged and filled with additives, sugar, dyes and toxins.  It might take the small commitment of time,  but you will feel nourished and you will feel good about what you put into your body.  It is SO worth it!